Category: News

1MCB Chambers recently hosted its annual charity quiz night. The event was well-attended by leading solicitors’ firms and members, who competed in teams over several rounds of questions.

There was also a raffle with an excellent array of prizes, including a meal for two generously donated by the Punjab Restaurant in Covent Garden.

The proceeds of the raffle went to the winning team’s chosen charity, which this year was the Alzheimer’s Society. The Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity, which works to support and provide services to families and carers impacted by dementia and Alzheimer’s.

It was a fantastic evening, and we would like to thank everybody who attended.

We are excited to announce that Matthew Hunt has joined 1MCB as our new probationary tenant. Please join us in welcoming Matthew to the team!

Matthew accepts instructions in Magistrates’ Court, Youth Court, and Crown Court matters. He is a CPS Grade 2 prosecutor.

Following a five-day trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, David Langwallner, instructed by Mark French of Montague Solicitors, secured acquittals on counts of unlawful wounding with intent (s.18 GBH) and unlawful wounding (s.20 GBH). The jury could not decide on a third count relating to the possession of a bladed article, and the Prosecution is not seeking a retrial.

The case concerned a stabbing outside a Pub in Islington. The Prosecution alleged that the Defendant and a group of other males approached the victim and stabbed him multiple times in a targeted attack. The victim of the stabbing did not attend court to give evidence, so the case was based largely on CCTV covering before and after the incident as well as other circumstantial evidence. The video evidence showed the Defendant in possession of what was contended to be a machete.

The Defendant accepted that he was present at the time of the stabbing, however disputed having anything to do with the attack or any intention to cause really serious harm; he also denied summoning others to attack the victim. The Defendant argued that had not taken the alleged machete to the scene but instead picked it up after the attack to stop it being used in any further violence.

The case involved complex legal arguments about intention. Further, the Defence argued that key witnesses had not been identified at the scene and that other reasonable lines of enquiry had not been followed by the police.

Ranjeet Dulay, led by Tana Adkin KC and instructed by Len Furlong of LF Law, represented MT in both his initial trial and subsequent re-trial at the Central Criminal Court.

MT along with his co-defendants PY and MY were charged with murder, with the first trial commencing in November 2023. Following a successful submission of no case to answer, the learned Judge directed the jury to acquit Ranjeet’s client, MT, of murder. He remained on trial for manslaughter and he and his co-defendants were acquitted of all counts by the jury at the first trial. However, after the jury and defendants had been discharged, a note was received and the parties were called back to court only to be informed by the trial Judge there had been a ‘mistake’ in the verdicts delivered. The jury were placed back into retirement. The jury were eventually unable to reach any verdicts on the manslaughter count against MT, and the murder / manslaughter counts against PY and MY. The jury were discharged once again and the defendants remanded into custody pending a re-trial.

The defence teams commenced proceedings before the High Court for a writ of Habeas Corpus, and in the alternative a judicial review of the decisions to revoke the unanimous Not Guilty verdicts and to re-constitute the discharged jury before placing them back in retirement. The applications were dismissed by the High Court. Subsequently, an abuse of process argument was mounted before the Crown Court but rejected and the three defendants faced a re-trial commencing in December 2024.

In the re-trial, MT faced trial for manslaughter, while his co-defendants, PY and MY, faced trial for murder and manslaughter. After a trial lasting five weeks, the second jury acquitted all three defendants unanimously after 55 minutes of deliberations.

The case was widely reported in the media given the controversy sparked by the revocation of the unanimous Not Guilty verdicts in the first trial and the proceedings that followed.

The matter arose from an incident outside the Cubana bar in Waterloo. MT had been enjoying an evening out with his two friends, PY and MY, at the bar. While MT remained inside the venue, his friends were attacked by the deceased’s group as they exited the venue. This initial interaction quickly escalated into a violent confrontation lasting over four minutes. CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts revealed that the deceased’s group, who were larger in their number and older in age, broke glass bottles, used them to threaten others, and hurled them into the crowd outside the bar. PY was struck to the head by the deceased with a glass bottle which he smashed to PY’s head causing a deep wound. After these events, and approximately three and a half minutes into the incident, MT exited the bar to a scene where the deceased’s group were armed with broken bottles. He had not seen any of the violence before and nor did he arm himself with any weapons. MT’s actions thereafter were ultimately determined to be defensive.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/adrian-keise-retrial-court-jury-b2679985.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2kyr8nkl1o

https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/yusuff-and-others-v-the-governor-of-his-majestys-prison-belmarsh/

1MCB is pleased to announce that James Murray-Smith has been appointed to Level 4 on the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Advocate Panel. This appointment recognises James’ exceptional advocacy skills and his extensive experience in handling complex criminal cases.

All of us at 1MCB are proud of James’ accomplishment and look forward to his continued success in this role.

The Defendant, a man with no previous convictions, was arrested and charged after being seen waving a large kitchen knife around and making threats outside his home.

At trial at Southwark Crown Court, the jury heard evidence from psychiatric experts for the Defence and Prosecution. It was accepted that the Defendant was suffering from a relapse in a long-standing mental illness, however the experts disagreed as to whether he “knew what he was doing” at the time of the offence. The Defence were required to prove this.

In addition to careful cross-examination of the Prosecution expert, Tetevi played 999 calls from members of the public who described the Defendant as looking very unwell. He also adduced evidence from medical professionals who had examined him around the time of his arrest and explored the custody record, which showed that he had made strange outbursts and requests for medication shortly after his arrest.

After approximately an hour of deliberations, the jury returned a unanimous special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Tetevi was instructed by Yusuf Bismillah of Tuckers solicitors.

We are thrilled to announce that James Murry-Smith, Shekinah Anson, Michael Chambers, David Parvin and Michael Peters have recently been appointed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) panel. This is a significant achievement and testament to the expertise and dedication of our barristers in handling complex and sensitive cases within the criminal justice system.

The CPS RASSO panel is a specialist team tasked with prosecuting some of the most challenging cases in the UK, including rape, sexual assault, and other serious sexual offences. Panel members are selected based on their legal expertise, experience, and ability to navigate the intricacies of these serious cases with sensitivity and professionalism.

Our five members bring a wealth of experience to the panel, having successfully worked on a broad spectrum of criminal cases over the years. Their inclusion further strengthens our chambers’ reputation for excellence in advocacy and legal services.

We congratulate our barristers on this outstanding achievement and look forward to supporting them as they continue their vital work in this critical area of law.

Yesterday, the trial of Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman before the International Criminal Court in The Hague entered its final stage after two and a half years, as the prosecution, defence and legal representative for victims began presenting their closing oral arguments. Iain Edwards has been co-counsel for Mr Abd-Al-Rahman’s defence since July 2021.

Mr Abd-Al-Rahman is alleged to have been a commander of the Arab militia in Darfur, Sudan commonly known as the Janjaweed. He is charged with 31 counts of murder, rape, forcible transfer, persecution and torture as crimes against humanity, and numerous war crimes, all arising out of the conflict in West Darfur between August 2003 and April 2004.

One of the key issues in the case is the client’s identity. Many witnesses testified that they knew the Janjaweed commander to be a man with the nickname “Ali Kushayb”. The prosecution claims that Mr Abd-Al-Rahman and Ali Kushayb are the same person, but this is disputed by the defence. The Trial Chamber heard from over 100 witnesses, both orally and in writing, in a trial significantly complicated by the outbreak of civil war in Sudan in April 2023.

This case is the first at the ICC to deal with the conflict in Darfur. It is also the first case to be referred to the ICC by the United Nations Security Council in respect of a State (Sudan) that is not a party to the Court’s Statute. This has provided a unique opportunity for the defence to advance novel jurisdictional challenges.

The Trial Chamber’s verdict is expected in the first half of 2025.

We are delighted to announce the addition of three outstanding barristers to 1MCB, further strengthening our expertise across a broad range of practice areas. Their wealth of experience and dedication to excellence will enhance the services we offer our clients. We warmly welcome them and look forward to their contributions to Chambers’ continued success.

Brian Cox KC

Practice Areas: Crime and Family

Brian Cox KC brings extensive experience in both criminal and family law, having represented a wide range of clients in high-profile and complex cases. With a proven track record of delivering successful outcomes, he is highly regarded in his field and was shortlisted for The Legal 500’s Circuit Silk of the Year award in 2018.

Expertise:

• Homicide
• Complex Care Proceedings
• Complex Crime

Shekinah Anson

Practice Areas: Crime

Shekinah joins us with a strong background in criminal law, having previously worked in-house for the CPS as a senior advocate. She has advised and represented the prosecution at all levels of court. Committed to delivering excellent advocacy, Shekinah excels in navigating complex legal challenges and presenting compelling arguments.

Expertise:

• Criminal Law

Derek Barry

Practice Areas: Crime

We are excited to welcome Derek Barry. Derek qualified as a solicitor in 2001 and transitioned to solicitor advocate in 2005 before joining the Bar in 2015. He is a highly respected advocate known for his clear reasoning and outstanding client care honed over two decades of legal practice.

Expertise:

• Homicide
• Kidnap
• Fraud

We are confident that these new members will be an asset to both our clients and Chambers as a whole. Their arrival marks an exciting time for Chambers, and we look forward to witnessing their continued growth and success within the team.

John Benson KC and his junior, Mike Hollis, recently secured convictions for murder and s.18 wounding at Oxford Crown Court. The first defendant stabbed a man in the neck, who subsequently died. The second defendant stabbed another man in the ribs, causing his serious injury. The stabbings occurred when one group chased another and took place approximately 200m apart, but both men were convicted of both offences under the joint enterprise doctrine. Both men were sentenced to life imprisonment; the first defendant must serve at least 25 years before he can apply for parole and the second 22 and a half years.

1 MCB Chambers is pleased to announce that Bernadette Smith has been appointed as a Fee-Paid Judge of the First Tier Tribunal, sitting in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber. 

Bernadette will sit part time whilst maintaining her practice at 1 MCB Chambers. She is a highly valued and Legal 500 ranked barrister who brings a wealth of experience and expert knowledge.

We are pleased to announce that Ranjeet Dulay successfully defended her client at Derby Crown Court, where the client was found Not Guilty after a lengthy trial. The case involved allegations of acquiring gifts and money transfers over a period of 8 years.

Ranjeet’s client stood trial alongside his wife, who was convicted of fraud and false accounting. The overall value of the fraud exceeded £1.4 million, making this a highly complex and high-stakes case.

Ranjeet Dulay was instructed by Nigel Misson of Foys Solicitors.

If you wish to read more about this story please follow the below link to the Derbyshire Times article posted about this case.

https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/courts/pictured-bookkeeper-who-stole-ps14m-from-chesterfield-bosses-splashing-out-on-next-and-amazon-shopping-cars-luxury-holidays-and-home-improvements-4809161