1 Inner Template Lane, Barristers Chambers
Joanna undertakes a broad spectrum of criminal defence work across London and the South East. She prides herself on a warm, professional approach and exceptional levels of client care. Joanna firmly believes in combining legal precision with robust advocacy at all stages of criminal proceedings. Year of call: 2010
Experience:
Joanna holds a First Class Law degree from King’s College London. She was awarded a postgraduate scholarship and remained at King’s to read for her Masters in Law (specialising principally in Criminology and Criminal Justice), graduating with a Distinction.
Joanna was the recipient of the prestigious Harmsworth Scholarship from Middle Temple and undertook the Bar Vocational Course at BPP Law School. She was graded as “Outstanding” in the following areas: Advanced Criminal Litigation, Cross-Examination, Submissions and Drafting.
Joanna commenced pupillage with One Inner Temple Lane in 2010 under the supervision of joint Head of Chambers Mrs Marion Smullen. During her first-six she was exposed to an array of high-profile and legally-intricate work in both the Crown Court and Court of Appeal.
Joanna appears regularly in the Youth, Magistrates’ and Crown Courts on behalf of legally-aided and private clients alike. She is experienced in a broad spectrum of criminal matters including violence, domestic violence, public order, sexual offences, drugs, weapons, harassment, burglary, robbery and fraud.
Joanna is often instructed to represent young and vulnerable defendants. She has experience representing clients as young as twelve and fully understands the importance of building effective client relationships with teenagers and young people facing criminal charges. Through her work defending youths she has become well-versed in the increasingly important evidential use of social networking sites including “facebook”, “twitter”, “MSN” and “youtube.”
Joanna often represents private and legally-aided clients in road traffic proceedings. Her experience in this area includes both fully-contested trials and complex sentencing hearings - particularly where clients may be facing disqualification and/or asserting “exceptional hardship” or “special reasons.”
Recent and Current Crown Court Work:
R v P – (Wood Green Crown Court) – First on the indictment defending a man of previous good character accused of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation against the DVLA in relation to “impersonation” attempts. A successful legal argument to exclude the guilty plea of an alleged co-conspirator was made on the first day of trial.
R v A – (Inner London Crown Court) – Defence counsel for a young defendant facing an allegation of commercial burglary stemming from the recent London riots.
R v K (Canterbury Crown Court) – Instructed on forthcoming matter of facilitation involving an allegation of assisting entry to the port of Dover of a person who had previously been deported from the United Kingdom.
Recent and Current Youth and Magistrates’ Court Work:
R v M – Successful half time submission in relation to separate charges of Violent Disorder and Burglary arising from the recent London riots where the issue at trial was identification.
R v R –Successful legal argument at the outset of a multi-handed robbery trial to exclude an ABE interview of the child complainant following breaches of ABE Guidelines and inadmissible questioning techniques.
R v M –Trial counsel for a youth accused of multiple burglaries stemming from the London riots and allegedly identified from photographs circulated in the media.
R v F– Acquittal of a female police officer (suspended pending trial) accused of assaulting another female in a London nightclub. The issue at trial was one of pre-emptive self-defence.
R v J– Acquittal of a man accused of violently assaulting two child family members. The matter involved cross-examination of a six year old child via video link.
R v H – Acquittal of a student charged with assaulting four police officers during a London riot. The trial involved extensive cross-examination of six police officers. The client was acquitted of all charges.
R v M – Acquittal after trial of a 15-year-old charged with a violent street robbery who conceded presence but denied participation in an alleged joint enterprise.
R v P – Successful submission of no-case-to-answer in relation to a defendant accused of brandishing an axe in her back garden during a historic neighbour dispute.
R v M – Robbery trial for which there was a successful submission of no-case-to-answer in relation to the sole evidence stemming from the identification of the defendant by a police officer. The defendant went on to be acquitted of handling stolen goods in the alternative.
telephone: +44 (0)20 7427 4400
fax: +44 (0)20 7427 4427
email: clerks@1itl.com
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