At 5KBW we understand that a wrongful conviction or an unfair sentence can have life-changing consequences for defendants and their families.
Our Criminal Appeals Unit has a wealth of experience in challenging convictions and sentences in a wide variety of cases and at all appellate levels.
The Unit is headed by Paul Taylor KC, the general editor of Taylor on Criminal Appeals, the leading practitioners’ textbook for those involved with a potential criminal appeal or judicial review.
5KBW remains at the forefront of developments in appellate law. The Unit produces newsletters summarising recent appellate cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (The Appeal Brief), and in the Caribbean courts (The Appellate Brief), with expert commentaries provided by members of chambers, including Harry O’Sullivan, the author of Banks on Sentence, and the consultant editor of Halsbury’s Laws of England latest sentencing and offender management volumes.
Our members provide specialist advice and representation in:
We can provide expert ‘second opinion’ advice, either via a solicitor or through Public Access, allowing individuals to instruct a barrister directly in certain cases. This can be especially valuable where trial counsel has advised that there are no grounds for an appeal or where the defendant has dismissed their original team.
Our barristers carefully assess all aspects of an appeal, offering:
Conscious of the potential cost of second opinions, our members are happy to provide advice in stages for fixed fees. This staged approach ensures that, following an initial overview, lay clients only incur further fees and proceed where their chances of success have been examined, explained and understood.
Members of 5KBW have advised and acted in high-profile and complex appeal cases, including:
The breadth of our criminal coverage, our extensive experience and, above all, our members’ leading expertise in appellate work means that we can provide defendants with the most rigorous representation in even the most challenging appeal cases.
Criminal appeals often rely on forensic re-evaluation and updated or previously unheard expert testimony. Our barristers have significant experience working with:
Certain appeal cases can be undertaken via the Public Access Scheme, enabling clients to instruct a barrister directly. This approach can be valuable in offering swift access to expert legal advice without having to first instruct a solicitor.
At 5KBW we are dedicated to achieving justice for our clients. Our commitment to excellence, combined with our in-depth knowledge of appellate law, makes us a leading choice for criminal appeals of all kinds.
If you require expert advice on challenging a conviction or sentence, contact us today to discuss how we can assist you.
