Crime

7 Bedford Row is consistently ranked as a leading set for crime by Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500. Members of Chambers have appeared in many of the most serious criminal cases in recent years, for both defence and prosecution. We have a large number of silks and juniors renowned for the quality of their advocacy - a Chambers tradition going back more than half a century.

Though much of our general criminal work has been based around the Midlands, we cover the whole country, with a major presence in London and the South-East. As well as high-profile murders, sex and drug cases, the work of the general crime team has broadened recently to encompass terrorist cases and extradition.

Notable recent cases include:

• R v Ian Huntley & Maxine Carr ("Soham case"- murder of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman - Central Criminal Court, London, 2003)

• R v Pennell (the fatal stabbing of schoolboy Luke Walmsley by a fellow pupil - Nottingham Crown Court, 2004)

• R v Marcus Ellis & Ors (drive-by shooting of two teenage girls in Birmingham; trial involved novel procedures for anonymous prosecution witnesses - Leicester Crown Court, 2005)

• R v Hudson & Ors (torture and murder by many members of a Nottingham family of an in-law living with them - Nottingham Crown Court, 2005)

• R v Colin Gunn & Ors (Lincolnshire contract murder - Birmingham Crown Court, 2006)

• R v Morris ("The Clydach murders" - murder of three generations of the same family in their home - Newport Crown Court, 2006)

• R v Omar Altimimi (first post-9/11 terrorism trial held outside London - Manchester Crown Court, 2007)

• R v Parviz Khan & Ors (Birmingham terrorist kidnap plot - Leicester Crown Court, 2008)

• Republic of Rwanda v Vincent Bajinya & Ors (Request by Government of Rwanda to extradite four individuals to face trial for offences of genocide and crimes against humanity, ongoing).