Our Expertise
St Pauls Chambers provides legal services throughout the UK and worldwide. We are known for providing excellence in our areas of focus.
As a leading barristers chambers in Leeds, our expertise span the depth and breadth of a number of key areas of law.
Our People
St Pauls Chambers have an excellent team of Barristers, Clerks & Administration, with our barristers including KC’s, Members and Pupils.
View our teams in full detail, or browse by expertise to find a barrister.
Call 2019
Emma Handley regularly appears for the prosecution and defence in cases involving fraud and money laundering, serious violence, sexual offences, firearms/weapons, drugs, dishonesty offences, and serious road traffic offences.
Emma has experience dealing with complex legal arguments including abuse of process; applications to dismiss, and submissions of no case to answer. Emma is regularly instructed to prepare skeleton arguments addressing legal issues arising in POCA proceedings, including piercing the corporate veil, the division of equity and enforceability of financial orders. Emma is experienced at dealing with expert evidence focusing on cell site evidence, DNA, financial analysis and fitness to plead issues.
Emma has experience conducting Ground Rules Hearings and Section 28 cross examinations with young and/or vulnerable witnesses in cases involving serious sexual offences (rape/sexual assault) and violence (section 18/kidnapping).
Emma has experience dealing with complex legal arguments including abuse of process; applications to dismiss and submissions of no case to answer. Emma is experienced at dealing with expert evidence focusing on cell site evidence, DNA, financial analysis and fitness to plead issues.
Emma is a Grade 3 Prosecutor and regularly instructed to prosecute and defend in cases involving drugs, offensive weapons, kidnapping, false imprisonment, sexual offences, robbery, aggravated burglary and other serious offences.
R v L (2024)
Emma defended a Defendant charged with false imprisonment, permitting a premises to be used for the supply of class A drugs and multiple assaults. The Crown alleged a vulnerable Complainant had been ‘cuckooed’ by a group of Defendants.
R v M (2023)
Emma prosecuted a Defendant charged with s.18 GBH. It was alleged the Defendant stabbed, punched and kicked the Complainant. The case involved careful consideration of the Complainant’s extensive mental health issues and his capacity to provide evidence. The Defendant subsequently pleaded guilty to s.20 and was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment
R v G (2023)
Emma defended a Defendant charged with robbery, criminal damage, battery, blackmail, aggravated burglary, burglary, and possession of an offensive weapon (machete). Emma successfully persuaded the court to draw back from imposing a finding of dangerousness by focusing on the Defendant’s age, the isolated and unprecedented nature of the offending and the work that could be done with the Defendant during a determinate sentence.
Operation Spikemount (2022)
Emma successfully defended a Defendant charged with aggravated burglary. The case involved expert evidence on cell site evidence used to track the Defendants movements from the south of England to West Yorkshire on two consecutive days.
R v H (2021)
Emma prosecuted an attempted robbery at Sheffield Crown Court. The case involved issues with identification and DNA evidence. During the trial Emma successfully opposed a submission of no case to answer. Following a unanimous guilty verdict, the Defendant was deemed dangerous, and an extended sentence of 8 years’ imprisonment was imposed.
R v W & M (Youth Court – 2021)
Emma successfully prosecuted two youths charged with robbery of a vulnerable Complainant. During the multi-day trial Emma was required to address issues such as joint enterprise, duress, and Modern Slavery. Both Defendants were found guilty.
Emma is regularly instructed to prosecute and defend cases involving fraud and financial crime.
R v E (2024)
Emma is currently instructed by the CPS to prosecute a Defendant charged with money laundering involving the transfer of unidentified credits into cryptocurrency. The case involves extensive expert evidence.
Operation Brightly (2023 – 2024)
Junior counsel for a Defendant prosecuted by the National Crime Agency for money laundering/smuggling. The case involved the transfer of £104 million in cash from the UK to Dubai between November 2019 and October 2020 via commercial flights.
Operation Safeway (2023 – 2024)
Junior counsel for a Defendant charged with multiple counts of fraud by abuse of position and false representation for his involvement in a Ponzi scheme multi-million-pound fraud. Emma conducted witness handling of experts tasked with exploring whether the scheme and the Defendant’s conduct amounted to a breach of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). Emma assisted with legal submissions resulting in a successful submission of no case to answer for two counts, including the FSMA charge.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-65594547
R v S (2023)
Emma successfully prosecuted a Defendant charged with theft of £40,000 in his capacity as an employee of a family-run BnB. The case required consideration of various means of theft including via bank accounts, card machine transactions and online bookings.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-65985701
R v M (2023)
Emma prosecuted a Defendant convicted of fraud by abuse of position from August 2016 to March 2021 during his role as a bookkeeper for a family business. The Defendant’s fraud involved unfettered access to the company’s bank accounts and assigning invalid employee numbers to himself to siphon funds, amounting to over £300,000, from the company to his bank account. The Defendant was sentenced to 2 years 8 months’ imprisonment
SFO v Glencore Energy UK (2023)
Emma was instructed by the Serious Fraud Office as disclosure counsel in the criminal investigation into money laundering and bribery perpetrated by Glencore Energy UK Ltd to gain preferential treatment for oil contracts in Africa.
https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Judgment-reporting-restrictions-final-26-Oct-22.pdf
Axiom Legal Financing Fund (2021 – 2022)
Emma was instructed by the Serious Fraud Office as disclosure counsel in the criminal investigation into the collapse of the Axiom Legal Financing Fund. Emma was required to review documents to assess their evidential value. Consideration was also given to Litigation Professional Privilege given the nature of the Defendant’s profession as a solicitor.
Operation Gong
Emma advised the CPS Specialist Fraud Division and HMRC on Litigation Professional Privilege for the prosecution of two Defendants charged with ‘Tax Evasion.’ Emma was required to consider and advise on whether privilege had been waived or lost
Emma is experienced at dealing with matters relating to confiscation proceedings and cash seizure/forfeiture under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Recent cases have involved legal arguments dealing with ‘piercing the corporate veil’, third party beneficial interests (s.10A POCA) and retrospectively extending the permitted period.
R v A (2023 – 2024)
Prosecution counsel on behalf of West Yorkshire Trading Standards for POCA proceedings for a Defendant convicted of 43 offences concerning the sale and possession of illegal tobacco under the Trade Marks Act.
R v A (2023 – 2024)
Defence counsel for a Defendant facing enforcement proceedings for a compensation order of over £120,000. The case has required consideration and application of s.143 Sentencing Act 2020 and analysis of changing third party interests.
R v R (2023)
Defence counsel for a Defendant convicted of possession with intent to supply class A drugs. Emma drafted a skeleton argument outlining a third party’s beneficial interest in the former matrimonial home. After negotiation, the Prosecution reduced the Defendant’s equity in the home from the traditional 50% to 33%.
Emma has a background representing claimants in civil ‘Actions Against the Police’ alleging false imprisonment, wrongful arrest, trespass to person and property. Emma is now accepting instruction on behalf of the Police.
Notable experience
Emma had to deal with various legal arguments, cross-examine officers about the Codes of Practice and legal guidance and present persuasive closing speeches. Emma secured a rare finding from the jury that the Claimant was falsely imprisoned due to the officer’s failure to inform the Claimant he was under arrest at the scene. In a subsequent, unrelated trial, following detailed written submissions, the Judge found it was not necessary to arrest the Claimant who at the time was a vulnerable youth. In 2023, after a multi-day trial, Emma persuaded a jury that the arrest of the Claimant by the MET Police was unlawful on both limbs of R v Hayes. In 2024, after a jury trial Emma successfully persuaded the jury that the Claimant’s arrest was unlawful as the arresting officer did not honestly believe the arrest was necessary.
Junior counsel for a Defendant prosecuted by the National Crime Agency for money laundering. The case involved the transfer of £104 million in cash from the UK to Dubai between November 2019 and October 2020 by a large criminal network via commercial flights.
Junior counsel for a Defendant charged with multiple counts of fraud by abuse of position and false representation for his involvement in a Ponzi scheme multi-million-pound fraud.
Chambers is centrally located within walking distance of the train station, secure car parks and the Courts.
St Pauls Chambers
Park Row House
19-20 Park Row
Leeds
LS1 5JF
For out of hours assistance please call the senior clerk on 07854170429.
The switchboard will open from 08:30 until 17:30
Phone: +44 (0)1132 455 866
Email: [email protected]
CJSM: [email protected]
