'A masterful advocate; he makes winning look easy.’Legal 500 2021
Call 2000
Jonathan is a specialist criminal and appellate advocate with a wide experience of serious and complex cases, often involving complex financial organised crime. He is regularly instructed by Complex Casework Units and Headquarters Divisions as well as corporations and individuals. Jonathan is ranked as a leading junior in Chambers & Partners UK Bar Guide 2018 (Band 1) and the Legal 500. Jonathan was appointed Junior Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court by the Attorney General in November 2017.
He is particularly experienced in dealing with the issues arising out of cases that involve intelligence-led policing and RIPA-regulated activity and is often instructed pre-charge to advise law enforcement agencies as well as a leading junior at trial, often against silks. Jonathan has a wealth of experience in dealing with financial crime, corruption, direct and indirect taxation and money laundering as well as restraint and confiscation.
Having previously worked in the computer industry, Jonathan is particularly at ease when conducting cases involving the internet, computer, electronic or mobile phone evidence. He has developed a particular specialism in cases with a cyber angle, including corporate blackmail. Jonathan has lectured on the GDPR.
Jonathan accepts instructions from all specialist divisions of the Crown Prosecution Service, Solicitors and when appropriate Direct Professional Access "DPA". Instructions in privately funded matters are accepted subject to The (New) Standard Contractual Terms for the Supply of Legal Services by Barristers to Authorized Persons 2012. Jonathan's Privacy Notice can be downloaded here.
8 January 2021
Jonathan Polnay opens the prosecution case at the start of the sentencing... Read More
‘He is highly intelligent; he is prolifically hard-working and has endless stamina and he is a great strategist and his judgment is pretty perfect. He is one of the best junior Treasury Counsel at the Old Bailey. A masterful advocate; he makes winning look easy.’ Legal 500 2021
Has the ability to simplify complex prosecution cases that might be strong evidentially but are on paper difficult to communicate to a jury." "He is good with the jury and is also someone whose judgement you can trust.’ Chambers & Partners 2021
“He has extensive experience of how the criminal justice system operates in practice, particularly in relation to the processes used by law enforcement and the mechanics of the various powers available to law enforcement agencies. He has excellent judgement and is able to offer simple, but highly useful suggestions.” Chambers UK 2020
"There are not enough superlatives to do this gentleman justice; he has a prolific energy that galvanises his cases." Chambers UK 2019
"He instils great confidence in clients." Legal 500 2016
‘A very effective prosecutor, and also a very hardworking defence junior, who gets on very well with clients.’ Legal 500 2017
‘A masterful advocate – eloquent, sharp and irresistibly persuasive.’ Legal 500 2020
Chambers of Sarah Forshaw QC &
Mark Heywood QC
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