About

This blog is maintained by Mark Newby and colleagues from QS Jordans who specialise in Criminal Law with expertise in appeal cases, defending false allegations of abuse and prison law cases. We are proud to be involved in putting right a great many miscarriages of justice.

It is not always possible to list every case, and some must be anonymised but a selection of our Appeal and Crown activity is listed below.

Whether or not you seek our help, we ask that when you select your representation think carefully and ask for evidence of your solicitors track record in what are highly technical and complex cases.

This blog is not to advertise our services and is simply our comments and resources which we hope will be helpful. However, should you need our help then feel free to get in touch, we undertake work on a fixed fee private basis or legal aid.

Our Track Record – Appeals 

• R v Sheikh [2004] – Historical Allegations Conviction quashed
• R v Grierson [2005] – CCRC Referral Historic Cases – Law on Delay Clarified
• R v Lay [2005] – CCRC Referral Consecutive sentences to an extended sentence [Acted as Counsel]
• R v Robson [2006] – Substantial Historic Case [Acted as Junior Counsel]
• R v Sheikh [2006] – Key decision on Historic Cases
• R v Wake [2008] – CCRC Referral on issue of alternative indictments
• R v Joynson [2008] – Historic Care Home Case conviction quashed
• R v Lawless [2009] – Murder conviction quashed on basis of fresh expert evidence
• R v H [2010] – Law on doli incopax confirmed for historic cases
• R v B [2010] – Historic Allegations quashed
• R v France [2010] – Sexual Offences quashed due to fresh evidence
• R V S [2010] – IPP quashed
• R v L [2012] – Historic Convictions quashed due to misdirection's on complaint evidence [Subsequently successfully defended Court ordered re-trial]
• R v S , B , C & R [2012] – Sexual Offences quashed on fresh gynaecological evidence undermining original evidence of abuse
• Ali , Dennis , George , Lawless & Tunbridge v Secretary of State for Justice [2012] – The only successful challenge to the Govt of Ian Lawless was navigated by Mark Newby as his Solicitor .
• R v Nealon [2013] – Conviction quashed on Fresh Evidence showing DNA on Clothing related to unknown male and not appellant
• R v Lawless [2015] – Possession with Intent to Supply CCRC Referral
• R v H [2018] Court of Appeal Northern Ireland – Historical Conviction quashed on basis of misdirection on complaint evidence and sense of unease following CCRC Referral
• R v Z [2018] CCRC Referral on non-Disclosure - Lost but further clarification on Courts approach to Fresh evidence disclosure cases

Our Track Record – Crown Court Cases

Extensive history of successfully defending Historical Allegations of Abuse.

• Operation Pallial – North Wales Cases – Successfully defended all 5 out of 6 Defendants Trials instructed to represent so far. Remaining major case was returned with a large number of not guilty verdicts against expectations.

Successful appearances in a number of other care home cases across the UK.

Our Track Record – Judicial Reviews and Other Actions

• Miscarriage of Justice Compensation Challenge Again Government – Supreme Court Refusal - Now in the ECHR + Successfully won last test case on the scheme in 2013 in Barry George and others v SSJ.

Our Track Record Prison Law – We regularly represent clients in complex parole cases, tariff reviews and adjudications . We have pursued a number of judicial reviews successfully for our Clients.

Even when a Jr does not succeed we seek to get something out of it - See Jeremy Bamber v SSJ [2020] - Further clarification of CCRC responsibility in fresh disclosure investigations.

We don’t just represent our clients …..we fight their corner!