Justine Davidge

Current Practice

I practise both Criminal and Prison law and prosecute and defend in equal measure in the Crown Court. I also accept privately funded instructions in the Magistrates Court and have specific experience in the field of regulatory offences. I have prosecuted for the CPS, RCPO, HMRC, DWP, BERR and the Inland Revenue and have recently been appointed to the Attorney-General's ‘C' list of prosecution counsel instructed by the Serious Fraud Office.

I have a particular interest in confiscation and asset forfeiture law, including restraint and enforcement, having recently undertaken a secondment in the Asset Forfeiture Division of the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office in late 2008 / early 2009 and continue to do in house consultation work for them thereafter on an ad hoc basis.

I am well practiced in dealing with young, mentally disordered and otherwise vulnerable defendants and witnesses.

I also have experience of preparing cases for Case Stated and Judicial Review proceedings in the Administrative court, and for Appeal to the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords. During my secondment at RCPO I assisted with the recent successful House of Lords appeal of R v Islam (confiscation).

General areas of work undertaken include substantial deception and forgery, fraud, robbery, serious violence, sexual offences, drug supply and importation, arson, racially aggravated offences, public order, dangerous and careless driving, perverting the course of justice, witness intimidation/revenge and restraint/confiscation proceedings.

Professional Courses:

• European Convention of Human Rights 2001
Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
• Expert Witnesses 2004
• Forensic Science & Criminal Justice 2006
• Public Interest Immunity 2007
Serious Sexual Offences 2008
Mutual Legal and administrative assistance overseas 2009

Chambers Activities

Co-editor of the Crime Team Newsletter.

Education and Qualification

Sept 2000-July 2001: Inns of Court School of Law, London. WC1R 5DX.
BVC: Overall Grade - Very Competent

Sept 1996-Sept 2000: Cardiff Law School (CLAWS), University of Wales
Cardiff, Museum Avenue, PO Box 427, Cardiff.
Sept 1999-Sept 2000: MPhil Postgraduate Degree: Successfully completed
The production of a 60,000 word research thesis on the Historical Development of the Criminal Law Concept of Culpability and A System of Criminal Justice.
Sept 1996–June 1999: LLB (Hon.) Degree: 2:1 Classification

Sept 1989–June 1996: Jones West Monmouth Comprehensive School;
Gwent Tertiary College, Pontypool Campus, Pontypool, Gwent.

Pupillage

Sept 2002-Apr 2003: Non-practising at Francis Taylor Building, London. Pupil master Jonathan A Ingram.
Focus on primarily criminal law including observation and preparatory work on a number of large multi-handed cases involving Queens counsel and senior junior counsel.

Apr 2003-Jun 2004: Practising period of pupillage at Francis Taylor Building. Pupil masters James W Mason and Christopher Meredith.
Focus on solely criminal law, undertaking daily criminal court (Crown and Magistrates) appearances throughout London, Kent, Northamptonshire and Essex.

Other Legal Experience

Secondments
Aug 2008-Feb 2009: Asset Forfeiture Division, RCPO.
6 month secondment specialising in confiscation and asset forfeiture law.

Research and Teaching

Sept 2001-2002 & 1st-31st Mar 2001: Part-time employment as a personal/research assistant to Alun Jones QC and James Lewis, 3 Raymond Buildings, Gray’s Inn, London.

Part-time employment as a personal/research assistant to Charles Flint QC and Paul Goulding QC, Blackstone Chambers, Temple, London.
1st Jun-1st Sept 2000: Temporary employment as a research assistant to The
Honourable Mr Justice Thomas, presiding judge on the Wales and Chester circuit:, Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London. WC2A 2LL.

21st Sept- Dec 1999: Part-time tutor in Law: Cardiff University Law School, Museum
Avenue, PO Box 427, Cardiff. CF1 1XD.

21st May –Sept 1999: Temporary employment as a Research Assistant: to Professor R.G. Lee and Professor C. Wells: University of Wales Cardiff, Law School, PO Box 427, Museum Avenue, Cardiff.

Mini-Pupillages and Para-legal work

3rd July-Sept 2001: Temporary Employment as a Para-Legal; working as part of a 8 member defence team and as joint supervisor of a 30 person team searching 17 tons of unused prosecution material, on a large criminal fraud trial heard at Bristol Crown Court in September 2001; at Morgans Solicitors, 4 Richmond Road, Roath, Cardiff.
22nd-26th Mar 1999: Mini-pupillage: Doughty Street Chambers, London.
15th –28th Aug 1998: Mini-pupillage: Government Legal Service, The Welsh Office,Cardiff.
15th –22nd June 1998: Mini-Pupillage: Chambers of A.Shaw QC, 4 Brick Court,London.
1st –14th June 1997: Mini-Pupillage: Chambers of Mr W Williams QC, 33 Park Place,Cardiff.
Jul 1996: Mini-Pupillage: Temple Chambers, Newport, S.Wales.

Publications

Co-author of a new court guide currently published in instalments within the New Law Journal.

Advice and Representation

Oct 2000-2001: Secretary, Association of Gray’s Inn Students, Gray’s Inn.
Mar-Dec 2000: Citizen’s Advice Bureau Voluntary Advice Worker at Central Cardiff CAB (Mar-Sept) and Putney Legal Advice Clinic (Sept-Dec).
June 1995 –Sep 1996: (June 95-June 96) Secretary, Gwent Tertiary College,
Pontypool Campus Student Union.(Dec 95-Sept 96) General Secretary, GTC Cross-Campus SU.

Awards and Scholarships

Oct 2001: Awarded the Bird & Bird senior scholarship by Gray’s Inn for pupillage.
Mar 2000: Awarded the Lord Justice Holker Award by Gray’s Inn to help fund the BVC.
Jun 1999: Awarded a Cardiff University Law School Studentship for my MPhil year.

Mooting / Public Speaking Experience

Nov 2000: Participated in multi-moots at Gray’s Inn.
Feb 2000: Presented an original research paper at the University of Wales annual
Legal Research Conference held at Gregynog, Wales.
Sep 1999-Jun 2000: Member of the University of Wales, Cardiff Debating Society.
Jun 1999 & 2000: Presented original research papers at the annual Legal History
Symposium of the University of Wales Cardiff and the University of Munster, Germany. Held in Cardiff in 1999 and Munster in 2000.

Memberships and Professional Bodies

Gray’s Inn
Criminal Bar Association
Proceeds of Crime Lawyers Association
Liberty

Interests

Literature, live music, Formula One motor racing.