Three Raymond Buildings

Ciju Puthuppally has a broad practice across Chambers’ main areas of expertise, including criminal law, extradition, public law, inquests and inquiries, regulatory matters, and licensing.

Ciju has acted successfully for requested persons in extradition proceedings involving a wide range of issues encompassing human rights, convictions in absentia, delay, abuse of process and expert evidence. During pupillage, he assisted on the case of Julian Assange. Ciju has also worked on matters concerning requests for mutual legal assistance both during and after pupillage.

Ciju has advised on, and is currently instructed on, several matters relating to Russian sanctions, involving inter alia questions as to the provision of legal services, the conduct of litigation, the payment of debts, the transfer of bonds, and the management of trusts.

Ciju appears regularly in the Magistrates’ Courts, Youth Courts, and the Crown Court in relation to a wide range of offences. He has also appeared before the Military Court. Ciju has a particular interest in white collar crime and POCA cases.

Ciju is regularly instructed by the Metropolitan Police in both the Magistrates’ Court and the Crown Court in POCA cash forfeiture and account forfeiture applications and appeals. He has also successfully represented the defence against both Account Freezing Orders and Account Forfeiture Orders. As junior counsel to Simon Farrell KC, he persuaded HMRC to set aside Account Freezing Orders in respect of over £3 million, and helped secure favourable court findings in relation to HMRC’s decision to pursue an ex parte application and its inadequate pre-application investigations. Ciju is also acting as junior counsel on high-value High Court cash forfeiture and civil recovery cases concerning money exchange services, and on two multi-million pound confiscation appeals before the Court of Appeal. Ciju has experience of dealing with complex points of law in confiscation matters. He has recently acted as junior to Simon Farrell KC in confiscation appeals to the Court of Appeal in relation to multi-million pound orders, one of which was quashed. In addition, Ciju has particular experience dealing with the intersection between POCA proceedings and civil claims against banks. He is currently acting in a challenge to a bank’s suspension and closure of accounts in connection with Suspicious Activity Reports, and has also advised successfully on liaising with a bank to secure the release of suspended funds. Ciju is co-author of the Lexis PSL practice note on restraint order.

Ciju accepts instructions across all areas of public law. He has advised on numerous issues relating to judicial review and human rights, in particular in the context of policing, and has experience drafting letters before action. Ciju has also acted in an inquest concerning the response of emergency services to calls for assistance. In addition, Ciju gained extensive experience of public law and human rights cases during the course of pupillage. Notable matters on which he assisted include: El-Gizouli v SSHD (concerning the provision to the USA of evidence that was likely to lead to the imposition of the death penalty on members of Isis); the question of a public inquiry into allegations of rendition and torture by the security services after 9/11; the Undercover Policing Inquiry; the Inquest arising from the 2017 London Bridge Terrorist Attack. Prior to joining chambers, Ciju was ranked joint-first for Judicial Review during his bar course and third for Public Law at Cambridge University. He has also interned at the European Court of Human Rights where he drafted single-judge judgments.

Ciju regularly accepts instructions in licensing and regulatory matters. He has acted for both the Metropolitan Police and the applicant in contested premises licence hearings. He recently represented an applicant in obtaining a premises licence in the face of numerous objections by local residents. He has also advised on pavement licences. Ciju is regularly instructed by Transport for London in licensing appeals in the magistrates’ court and at the Old Bailey.

Ciju is regularly instructed by the Metropolitan Police on applications for the full range of Civil Preventative Orders, in particular closure orders, sexual risk orders, sexual harm prevention orders, and stalking protection orders. Ciju has special experience dealing with gang injunctions involving sensitive evidence and ex parte applications in the County Court and Youth Court, and with related contempt of court proceedings. He is regularly instructed on such proceedings from the pre-application stage. Ciju has acted for both the applicant and the defence in contempt proceedings, appearing in both the County Court and the High Court. In addition, Ciju has acted in civil actions against the police involving claims of wrongful arrest, false imprisonment, breaches of human rights and discrimination.

Call 2017

Criminal Bar Association Young;  Fraud Lawyers Association; Defence Extradition Lawyers Forum ;United Kingdom Environmental Law Association

BPTC (BPP University) – Outstanding (ranked third nationally at BPP and joint-first for Judicial Review); LLM (Cambridge) – First Class (ranked first for Legislation); BA in Law (Cambridge) – Double First Class (ranked third for Public Law and Contract Law)