Maryam is a highly regarded criminal and child law practitioner who also has a keen and active interest in international human rights.
Business Crime and Crime
Maryam is a respected criminal practitioner-both as Leading Counsel and Counsel alone - with substantial experience in high profile serious cases ranging from murder, rape, drugs, serious sexual offences, fraud and terrorism. Her prosecution work again involves the most serious of offences.
Ranked in Legal 500 (2010) for Crime.
She appears as a Legal Commentator on the Islam Channel SKY Television.
She is highly experienced in child abuse cases often spanning abuse over decades.
She regularly represents those charged with organised crime, gang violence and regularly appears for those charged in Operation Trident cases.
She further has a great deal of experience representing those with mental health and learning difficulties and the very young in the Crown Court.
Specialist Defence Counsel of Sex Shops specialist prosecutions under Obscene Publications and Video Recordings Acts Specialist experience of sensitive disclosure, PII hearings and SOCPA agreements Particular experience of dealing with high level sex offenders, breaches of Sexual Offences Prevention Orders and their amendment Instructed as Independent Counsel to consider 3rd party material in Crown Court Experienced Counsel dealing with POCA, Restraint Orders and Confiscation hearings.
Key Cases
- R v Barry George - The murder of BBC TV Presenter Jill Dando. Representing the defendant, Barry George, from pre-arrest through trial at the Old Bailey and appeal and applications to the House of Lords and European Court. Led by Michael Mansfield QC. Maryam assisted in making submissions to the CCRC who referred the case back to the Court of Appeal in summer 2007.
- R v Cattermole - The "S Club 7 Sex Case". Representing Gerald Cattermole, father of Paul, a member of the pop group S Club 7 on multiple charges of sexual assault on under-age girls.
- Operations Athlete/Adverb/Atropine - a £3.5 million conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Representing a semi-professional footballer at two trials in 2006 and 2007; acquitted of all charges.
- King Coke" case - representing the partner of Lincoln White in the UK’s biggest single seizure of crack cocaine as part of a £170 million international drugs ring.
- The "Chelsea Crash Case" - prosecuting the assault on the millionaire Phillip Carter, the Chelsea FC Board member who was killed in a helicopter crash.
- 2009 Leading Counsel in Operation Saltus - Crimewatch Argos Robberies - only defendant to be acquitted of the main conspiracy.
- 2009 Defence Counsel alone R v Akiniyi Operation Trident Attempted Murder.
- 2009 Sole Defence Counsel R v S £1.8m Customs Evasion Cigarettes Importation-only Defendant to be acquitted.
- 2009/10 Prosecution Counsel in R v Johnson – young drama teacher convicted of repeated sexual assaults on young girls.
- 2010 Prosecution Counsel in R v Lunn – Cellist with LSO and contemporary of Jaqueline Du Pres - prosecuted for abuse of boys over 40 years in schools across England.
- 2010 Sole Prosecution Counsel in R v Keene – Attempted Murder.
- 2010 Leading Counsel Operation Saltus – now acting for 2 defendants in successful appeals against sentence before the Court of Appeal.
- 2010 Sole Defence Counsel in R v Urbartas – Wisbech murder of Lithuanian woman-defendant exonerated after Crown dropped all charges
- 2010 Sole Prosecution Counsel R v Umar and Another - 2 trials conviction for £1.2m Class A Drugs dealing 14.5 yr sentence.
- 2010 Sole Prosecution Counsel R v Nedko Nedev - UKBA Prosecution smuggling 4 kilos of heroin in Mitsubishi Pajero.
- 2010 Sole Prosecution Counsel R v Kwame/Richard Ennin - multiple indictments for Perverting Course of Justice - Creating Criminal Conviction Record in name of cousin/ substantial multi company fraud/domestic violence.
- 2010 Sole Defence Counsel R v A and - Representing both Accused - Honour Crime Kidnapping and False Imprisonment extensive applications for 3rd party and police disclosure ultimately both Defendants acquitted.
- 2011 Sole Prosecution Counsel R v Adam Spittles Class A Drugs and Firearms Convictions sought escape by jumping from 6th floor flat - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-14682882
- 2011 Sole Prosecution Counsel Trial 1 R v DW - Convicted of Gang Kidnapping and Grievous Bodily Harm Second Trial 2 Further Accused April/May 2012.
- 2011 Sole Prosecution Counsel R v Rhys Moriarty and 2 Others - Robberies, Domestic and Commercial Burglaries - Instructed by both the Crown Prosecution Service and Youth Offending Probation http://www.bedfordshire.police.uk/about_us/news/offenders_brought_to_justice/111129_-_burglar_given_prison.aspx 29/11/11
Current instructions 2012
- Sole Prosecution Counsel Multiple counts of Child Rape Trial January 2012.
- Sole Defence Counsel Multiple Counts of Arson with Intent Endangering Life January 2012.
- Sole Defence Counsel 9 handed Conspiracy to Rob Trial January - February 2012.
- Sole Defence Counsel Separate trials familial sexual abuse February 2012.
- Sole Prosecution Counsel Court of Appeal Fresh psychiatric evidence on imposition of IPP February/March 2012.
- Sole Defence Counsel Substantial Fraud pursuant to Fraud Act 2006 Trial February/March 2012.
- Sole Defence Counsel Death by Dangerous Driving 3 separate experts instructed trial March 2012.
- Sole Prosecution Counsel Multi handed Kidnapping and Assault April/May 2012.
Family and Child Law
Maryam is also an experienced family practitioner with again emphasis on children. Maryam’s care work includes cases for mentally disordered clients, for those with learning difficulties and where Munchausen By Proxy Syndrome is a feature. Experienced in all other Children Act matters, her caseload is also multi-jurisdictional with particular emphasis on cases in Pakistan.
Instructed in Crown Court on behalf of Social Services re disclosure issues in criminal rape/child sex trials.
Instructed in relation to Fact Finding Hearings on child sexual abuse and domestic violence.
Publications
Fighting Terror. Counsel (2007) October pp.24-25: examines the legislative approaches in the UK and Pakistan to the "War on Terror". Co-authored with Paul Snowdon.
Appointments
Grade 3 Prosecutor for CPS
Memberships
- Criminal Bar Association
- Family Law Bar Association
- Lawyers for Liberty
- Solicitors' International Human Rights Group (Associate Member)
Languages
- Urdu
- Hindi
- Punjabi
Understanding of cultural and religious issues arising from religious and racially motivated crimes.
Contact Maryam Syed
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7242 3555
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7242 2511
Email: clerks@7br.co.uk