Park Square Barristers

Regulatory & Public and Criminal

Regulatory & Public

Head of the Regulatory and Public Law Team at PSQB, and an A-List Specialist Regulatory Advocate, Craig appears for the prosecution or defence in a wide range of regulatory cases. His regulatory practice includes serious health and safety cases, often involving fatalities and substantial environmental crime cases. He has significant experience of fire safety and food safety cases, with a particular interest in allergens.

Craig has represented both regulators and professionals in the disciplinary processes of several different professional bodies and sits as a Legally Qualified Chair in Police Misconduct Hearings. He also regularly appears in Coroners’ Courts.

He is well-known for his ability to conduct highly complex cases and is often retained to appear against Queens Counsel. His depth and breadth of experience of cases involving a wide range of prosecuting authorities enables him to bring a unique perspective to cases that transcend more than one area.

Craig works well as part of a team of counsel as both led and leading junior. He has been involved in many large cases with multiple defendants. He regularly deals with sensitive issues of disclosure and public-interest immunity, including covert human intelligence sources, intercept material and offenders with links to terrorism.

Crime

Ranked in The 2025 editions of Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 for Crime as a Leading Silk.

Over the last twenty years, Craig’s criminal practice has covered a vast range of work: from road traffic offending through sexual offences, serious and organised crime, violence including homicide, fraud and complex regulatory offences.

In silk, his practice has been split between murder, manslaughter, serious fraud, regulatory crime and associated inquests and inquiries. He sits as a Recorder in the Crown Court and as a fee-paid judge in the Mental Health Tribunal, and has significant experience of dealing with cases involving mental disorder, experienced by defendants or witnesses. Craig has a particular interest in cases involving defences arising from mental disorder.

Craig has become well-known for his ability to prosecute and defend in highly complex cases. His depth and breadth of experience of cases involving a wide range of prosecuting authorities enables him to bring a unique perspective to cases that transcend more than one area. He has been involved in many large cases with multiple defendants and has often handled sensitive issues of disclosure and public-interest immunity, including covert human intelligence sources, intercept material and offenders with links to terrorism.

Craig has extensive experience in all areas of financial offending, including applications for restraint, confiscation, compensation, appointment of receivers and disqualification of directors. Many of his cases have involved corporate defendants and the interpretation of corporate accounts. Since taking silk he has appeared in several trials of corporate and gross negligence manslaughter allegations, relying on his wide-ranging experience in regulatory crime and in particular health and safety and food safety.

Craig’s sympathetic approach towards clients has repeatedly been identified by legal directories. He can be relied upon to deal sensitively with clients accused of the most serious offences.

Alongside his advocacy and advisory work, Craig is the North Eastern Circuit’s Advocacy Training Officer. He is an accredited advocacy trainer and a facilitator for the Inns of Court College of Advocacy training courses: Advocacy and the Vulnerable and Advocacy for Children in Conflict with the Law.

Public Access

Craig Hassall KC is qualified to accept Public Access work, where he can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor. 

Inquests and Inquiries

Ranked Tier 1 for  Inquests & Inquiries – The Legal 500 (2025)

Ranked as a Band 2 Silk for Inquests & Public Inquiries – Chambers & Partners (2025)

Craig Hassall specialises in crime, regulatory, inquests and inquiries. His inquests and inquiries practice focuses largely on investigations arising from regulated settings, such as industrial accidents and health, social and early years settings, including mental health care. He has appeared at inquests for regulators, large corporations, small businesses, professionals, individuals and bereaved families, and is particularly in demand for high-profile, complex and sensitive cases which are often linked to criminal or disciplinary proceedings. His clients benefit from the continuity of representation that he is able to provide across several jurisdictions.

Craig’s experience is largely in lengthy cases involving several interested parties, juries and Article 2 and Regulation 28 considerations.

Call 1999, Silk 2021

Appointments: 2012 Grade 4 Prosecutor and appointed to the Rape Panel List A of the Panel of Specialist Regulatory Advocates

2013 Panel A of the Prosecution Counsel for the Serious Fraud Office 2015 Head of regulatory & public team

2019 Judicial appointment to the First-Tier Tribunal Criminal Recorder appointment

2021 Silk

North Eastern Circuit Criminal Bar Association Health and Safety Lawyers Association United Kingdom Environmental Law Association

1993 Thomas Sumpter Comprehensive School, Scunthorpe

1995 John Leggott Sixth Form College, Scunthorpe

1998 University College, Oxford, BA Jurisprudence (2:1)

1999 Inns of Court School of Law, BVC (‘very competent’)