John Crawford

Criminal   Regulatory   Private Prosecutions

John practices in all areas of criminal law, and has been instructed in cases of robbery, rape, sexual assault and burglary. He has experience acting for a range of different bodies in criminal proceedings ranging from local authorities, government bodies, and also private prosecutors. John joined Chambers in January 2021 having previously practiced in London and the South East.

Crime

John has been instructed in a range of Crown Court and Magistrates Court matters for the defence and prosecution. He has been instructed in cases involving vulnerable witnesses and issues relating to insanity and fitness to plea. He has also acted on behalf of clients facing a range of violent, drug related or fraud charges either at trial or for sentencing. John has developed expertise in serious youth court cases, representing youths accused of rape, sexual assault, robbery and fraud.

In addition, John has acted for local authorities in relation to a range of criminal prosecutions concerning housing and planning law and enforcement. This included prosecuting cases in the Crown court and Magistrates Court on their behalf as well as pre-charge advice on cases.

John also has experience of dealing with POCA proceedings included contested hearings. He has also dealt with other post-conviction matters including applications for football banning orders.

John has a variety of experience in disclosure matters, he has conducted LLP reviews on behalf of the Police and has also been instructed as a disclosure junior in a large county lines case and was responsible for reviewing numerous phone downloads.

Private Prosecutions

John has experience in conducting various stages of a private prosecution. He has acted as a disclosure officer to review material to comply with initial, and ongoing, disclosure obligations. As a result, John is aware of the significant burden that disclosure obligations place on a private prosecutor and the importance of ensure the process is carried out effectively.

He has also been instructed in numerous trademark and fraud prosecutions from first appearances through to trials and sentencing hearings. John is comfortable with the legal and practical hurdles that can arise when bringing a private prosecution and presenting the case to the Court. He also has significant experience of costs applications following successful prosecutions, both against Defendants personally and from Central Funds.

Regulatory

Alongside his Criminal practice, John has been instructed in a number of related regulatory matters. This has included a prosecution on behalf of the Forestry Commission, as well as extensive experience of breach of trademark offences.

John has also been involved in prosecutions on behalf of local authorities for breaches of health and safety at work regulations, HMO conditions and licensing cases. This has included drafting advices for clients' pre-charge as well as representation at hearings.

APPOINTMENTS

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Grade 2 Prosecutor

EDUCATION BPTC: University of Law: Outstanding BA Law (Cantab): Cambridge: First AWARDS Gray’s Inn Reid Scholarship University of Law Employment Law award (BPTC) Lamb Building Advanced Criminal Procedure award (BPTC) Ng Law award (Jesus College Cambridge) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

John is direct access qualified and is able to accept instructions from the public or businesses directly.

John is a door tenant at 5 St Andrew’s Hill where he maintains a practice in extradition law.

Expertise Criminal

 

Regulatory

 

Private Prosecutions