One Pump Court

CrimeHousing & Community CarePersonal ImmigrationBusiness ImmigrationPrison LawPublic LawCivil LawInquests & Public Inquiries Team

Direct Access

Call: 2011

Stephen is a committed criminal defence and public law practitioner. He has been described by his clients as “warm and friendly, but formidable”, “razor-sharp”, and “a relentless advocate”, and by his instructing solicitors as having a “breath-taking ability to condense facts and legal arguments in a terse yet persuasive style” and a “huge heart and ability to empathise with the wrongfully convicted and their families”.

He practises in all areas of criminal law, specialising in protest law and appellate work. Stephen’s crime practice has seen him defending in a wide range of criminal cases including:

Homicide trials and appeals; Protest law; Public disorder; Serious violence; Class A drug supply; Slavery and trafficking.

Stephen is also a member of the Immigration Team. He regularly appears in the Upper Tribunal, High Court, and Court of Appeal on human rights and asylum matters. He has been instructed for Claimants in the majority of “EEA rough sleeper” cases, and is currently instructed in the challenge to the Home Office’s new policy of refusing and cancelling leave for all rough sleepers.

Stephen is currently briefed in a number of long-running cases with the CCRC. He has been instructed in cases in the Crown Court, High Court, and Court of Appeal which have received significant media attention.  He has previously been named The Times’ Lawyer of the Week.

Stephen is qualified to conduct litigation work and is able to take instructions directly from clients without a solicitor.

Stephen’s work is mostly publicly funded but he is also prepared to accept privately funded or pro bono work in appropriate cases, including on a direct access basis.  He previously helped to run the pro bono legal clinic for EEA nationals at Akwaaba, and has worked at projects including Refugee Legal Support Athens.

In 2020 Stephen was appointed as a Judge of the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) and as an Employment Judge.

English (native)French (working knowledge)

Executive Committee of the Criminal Bar Association

Jurisprudence and Legal Theory LLM, Distinction, University College London. Bar Professional Training Course, City Law School. Law with French LLB, First Class with distinction in spoken French, University of Sheffield.