Law
Winter
2013
4
5
charged with a crime does not mean I
condone what they do or that I like them.
You have to act professionally and get on
with it. I usually ask the person posing the
question if they like everyone they work
with. Inmost instances the answer I get is
“No”, so there may be an analogous scenario
to consider.
I have been fortunate enough to have
appeared in a number of high profile
and interesting cases. The advantage of
prosecuting and defending is that when
appearing for the “other side”, I am able to
look at the case frommy opponents’ point of
view and prepare my case accordingly.
Duringmy career I have appeared for the
Prosecution in a large number of multi-
million pound frauds, a series of cases
involving international criminal gangs
(including the Godfather of the Turkish
Mafia in the UK), as well as a varied diet
of murder and other violent and sexual
offences. When prosecuting, I work closely
with the Investigating Officers, be they
police, SOCA (Serious and Organised
Crime Agency) or Customs and Excise. This
usually involves advising the Investigation
Team onmatters of evidence, procedure and
law, includingmatters of national security
and sensitivity.
My defence practice has seenme
represent clients as varied as murderers,
serial sex offenders, fraudsters and other
career criminals, as well as those whose
experience of the criminal justice system
is limited and unfamiliar. Throughout my
career I have represented – and continue to
represent – the interests of police officers
(including cases of corruption, perjury and
perverting the course of justice), members of
the Armed Services, professional sportsmen
and others regularly in the public eye (no
names I’m afraid!) in both criminal and
internal disciplinary hearings, as well
as advising themprior to proceedings
being instigated. As a direct result of my
occupation I have met and represented
a multitude of personalities who are
sometimes interesting, sometimes famous,
sometimes strange and often downright
dangerous. I have learned about people’s
lives in ways that other occupations would
not have afforded and about subjects of
which I knew nothing prior to involvement
in the case, such as coarse fishing on the one
hand and international arms dealing on the
other.
Earlier this year I was appointed Queen’s
Counsel. Aside fromhaving to dress in an
evenmore bizarre wig and gown, and swear
my allegiance to Her Majesty at a ceremony
inWestminster Hall, it nowmeans that I am
instructed to appear in cases of the utmost
sensitivity, gravity, seriousness and difficulty,
usually assisted by a junior barrister or
advocate. In the last fewmonths for example,
I successfully represented an ex-public
schoolboy from a decent law-abiding
family charged with attemptedmurder,
resultant fromhis historical use and abuse
of prohibited drugs. At the time of writing I
have just concluded the representation of a
foreign national (and career criminal both
here and in his homeland) on charges of
murder and attemptedmurder. The murder
was as barbaric, heinous and appalling as
one can think of. Nonetheless, however
grave the allegation and whatever one’s
personal abhorrence to it, it is only right
that those on trial have their interests
represented by advocates acting without
fear or prejudice. I take professional pride in
doing just that.
For those of you contemplating a career
in law, either as a solicitor or barrister, I
commend it but encourage you to proceed
with caution. Despite the best efforts of the
press and ignorant, inadequate politicians to
suggest it, not all lawyers are “Fat Cats”; the
reality is quite the opposite. The majority of
those entering the profession will, without
exception, have accrued large student debts.
Those who undertake publicly funded work
will have little hope of paying off their debt
for many years. Legal Aid fees have been
the subject of savage cuts for the last fifteen
years and continue to be so. In these current
austere times, the commercial legal sector is
not faringmuch better.
That being said, qualifying as either
a barrister or solicitor is as useful a
springboard to practising as a lawyer as it
is in the business world. To do so you will
need a qualifying law degree (2.1 or First are
a minimum requirement). Competition to
study law at university is as tough as ever
and you will need three good A level passes
to get a place. If you have not studied law,
then a number of institutions offer a one
year conversion course called the Common
Professional Exam (CPE) or Graduate
Diploma in Law (GDL), the passing of
which will qualify you to obtain a place to
undertake the Bar Professional Training
Course (BPTC) or the (Solicitor’s) Legal
Practice Course (LPC).
Thereafter, to finally qualify as a
barrister you will need to undertake a
pupillage of at least one year’s duration in
either a barrister’s Chambers or with an
approved pupillage provider, such as the
Crown Prosecution Service. As a solicitor,
you will need to obtain a two year training
contract with a firm of solicitors, working
as a trainee. At the end of each term you
are not guaranteed a permanent position.
It will very much depend on how you
acquit yourself during your pupillage or
traineeship!
Ultimately I cannot compare my
professional experience to any other walk of
life for excitement, personal experience and
professional job satisfaction. Good luck if
you choose to do the same and enjoy.
MTS 1st XV
1982-83
