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 1980
Jeremy Barnett is Head of Regulatory at St Pauls Chambers, with over 30 years’ experience in many areas of law. He represents both companies and professionals before tribunals, and in regulatory and fraud cases.
As an experienced barrister and astute businessman, Jeremy advises businesses and professionals on matters concerning regulatory investigations, hearings, trading standards, health and saftey and environmental law. With a background in advanced computing, he is currently involved in leading research and development of Blockchain and Smart Contracts.
Jeremy represents a number of firms of solicitors and individual partners and other members of staff faced with investigations by the Solicitors Regulation Authority [SRA]. Advice has been given to major law firms, medium size practices and sole practitioners on a range of issues that include acting with integrity, acting in the best interests of clients, and various compliance including conflicts of interest, self-reporting, mortgage fraud and financial services.
Jeremy is currently instructed in 4 separate cases before the SDT. In two of these he represents a number of solicitors as a specialist disciplinary lawyer, who face allegations in respect of non-payment of the Assigned Risks Pool premium [ARP] and associated run off cover, following the administration of their solicitors practice. He is also advising a number of firms Referral Fees, new CFA and DPAs and projects to set up an ABS.
Ms K accepted signing loan applications with inaccurate representations about a £1m investment, amounted to lack of integrity. SRA alleged dishonest which was rejected by the SDT. Result: Fine £15000, Costs £25,0000.
SRA v X
Advice to a regulator re actions by in house solicitor and potential self reporting.
Re F
Advice to Claims Management Company regulated by the FCA as to compliance with Prohibition of Referral Fees under s 56 of Legal Aid and Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO). Advice on definition of a ‘referral fee’, hot keys, and payments to 3rd party providers.
Re PM
advice to Partner in firm of solicitors re termination arrangements with consultant who advised in respect of class action litigation of circa £13m.
Criminal
The Criminal Law as been developing as international law enforcement concentrates on large transfers of assets around the world, enabled by emerging financial services technologies.
The starting point for such an application for a Freezing Order is S303Z1 of the POCA 2002 as amended on 26.6.2022. Application for account freezing order.
Crypto-assets are defined as “a cryptographically secured digital representation of value or contractual rights that uses a form of distributed ledger technology” as per Section 84A(1) Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. The provisions of seizure and confiscation will extend to Crypto-asset related items which are defined in Section 47C(5B) Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. These related items are a new class of recoverable property and will include electronic hardware which provide access to crypto-wallets or currencies.
Schedule 8 of Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 amends Part 2 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to allow search and seizure powers for Crypto-assets and Crypto-asset related items. These provisions are contained in Section 47A onwards. There are also further powers introduced in respect of enforcement proceedings contained in Section 67ZA onwards.
There have been further developments which have led to the creation of new Magistrates Court Rules in respect of civil proceedings relating to Crypto-assets.
The Crypto-asset provisions in the Act came into force on 26 April 2024.
Jeremy Barnett is an expert on Crypto Asset Law and Regulation. He is a joint author of Artificial Intelligence Law and Regulation (edited by Charles Kerrigan, EE publishing 2022, in particular bias, ethics and benchmarking: chapter 26 ‘Automation and Fairness’.
Crypto assets - Freezing Order
Crypto Wallet Freezing Order section 303Z36 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 for the freezing of $1m crypto-assets held in a crypto wallet administered by crypto-asset exchanges and custodian wallet providers.
Advice re definition of crypto assets, Section 84A(1) Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, Section 47C(5B) Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, Schedule 8 of Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 and the new Magistrates Court Conversion of Cryptoasset Rules and Crown Court Rules 2024.
Consideration of civil law relating to common law and equitable tracing and following, and whether cryptocurrency is a chose in possession or action and the First in First Out [FIFO] principle of tracing cryptocurrency transactions.
Jeremy has defended hundreds of people and companies accused of fraud around the county. He is an expert fraud lawyer who has represented people charged with the following types of offences:
Jeremy has also represented a number of directors who have been made subject to Directors Disqualification proceedings in the High Court by the DTI and BIS. In many cases, the Director is involved with the running or management of other companies that are solvent, so an application is made for leave to act under s17 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.
His experience in dealing with huge data sets as a fraud lawyer resulted in him being appointed as a visiting professor of Law Informatics at Leeds University, where he specialised in IT systems for major trials and dispute resolution.
Has represented a number of taxpayers on licensed access instructions from Chartered Accountants in respect of appeals against assessments to the First Tier (Tax Chamber).
Assessment following Court of Appeal decision re international phone card reclaims business.
Claim for cost of HSE prosecution costs as taxable expense.
Assessment against a director for company’s non-payment of VAT.
Jeremy has had considerable experience in casesinvolving the Company Director Disqualification Act 1986 (CDDA). Much of Jeremy’s involvement in these matters have either forced the Insolvency Service to halt court proceedings, settle the dispute, or win at Court.
Successful application for interim and final Permission to Act as a Director following 7 year Disqualification for serious breaches.
Currently representing principal defendant in ‘Pensions Liberation’ CDDA proceedings.
Recent decision in Sec State v PP [2015] EWHC 2626 (Ch). Rare case under s8 Company Director Disqualification Act.
Chairman of Luton Town FC.
Large private company where representations resulted in withdrawal of proceedings.
Jeremy is head of the St Pauls Chambers Professional Disciplinary team. Members of the team are recognised legal experts specialising in conduct of all professional regulation. Jeremy has particular experience in the following areas of work:
Jeremy has conducted cases before both the Interim Orders Panel [IOP] and the Fitness To Practise [FTP] tribunal. These include highly contested hearings involving allegations of dishonesty and clinical under performance where the panel has drawn back from erasure following detailed representations. Jeremy is currently representing a number of specialists who are facing differing issues before the GMC.
Jeremy is a Legal Advisor for Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), General Dental Council (GDC) and General Social Care Council (GSCC).
Leading counsel in the First Tier Tribunal Regulatory Chamber Appeal against £850,000 fine in Zahier Hussain v MOJ. Investigation under Compensation (Claims Management Services) Regulations 2006.
Provided substantial advice re PPI fees in respect of Conduct of Authorised Persons Rules 2013 [Re Direct Assist].
Advice provided to numerous firms in respect of Referral Fee ban [LASPO 2012].
Jeremy’s particular area of expertise includes compliance and corrective action in Product Recalls. He has conducted numerous product safety defence cases regarding dangerous products (baby products, wigs masks, GHD hair straighteners).In one case damages for loss of profits of approximately £100,000 were recovered from the Trading Standards.
For over 20 years Jeremy has acted as a Trading Standards Lawyer, advising importers, distributors, manufacturers of products who face allegations around the country. He has unparalleled experience in defending cases involving a vast array of consumer goods, including babywalkers, pushchairs, fireworks, pharmaceuticals, Hair Straighteners and other electrical goods.
For a number of years, Jeremy represented the manufactures of wigs masks and gowns who faced prosecution and product recalls over allegations that Halloween masks and clothing could catch fire. On every occasion, the prosecution was successfully defended and on one occasion, over £200k damages were recovered where a product suspension order was wrongly imposed.
Jeremy has acted as a Trading Standards lawyer in approximately 100 companies and individuals in trading standards prosecutions, including international manufacturers and importers, major retail chains and SMEs who source their own products from the Far East, in particular China.
Re D
Advice to distributor of sports equipment to grass roots cricket programs for children. The subject was four types of PVC cricket balls, which were each found to have a phthalate content above the limit(s) specified in Annex XVII of the REACH Regulations.
Advice in respect of Toy Safety Directive, the intention of the manufacturer, and distinctive characteristics. Jeremy recommended a suitable expert witness to be instructed who commissioned independent toxicology research.
Further advice as to a potential Product Recall under the provisions of the General Product Safety Regulations.
Re BG
Advice to a sports regulator as to whether or not items supplied to children under their authority contravened the phthalate content limits specified in the REACH Regulations and potential product recall issues.
Jeremy has provided advice to Trading Standards re Food Labelling prosecutions against manufacturer and supermarket. He has provided regulatory advice regarding Food Safety cases relating to Dioxins & Furans in Pig gilts.
Jeremy Barnett regularly advises in Food Crime cases, both for the Prosecution and the Defence. Cases concern selling food which is damaging to health, not of the quality that consumers expect or mistakes in the way in which the food is labelled, advertised, packaged and presented, which result in allegations that the labelling is false or misleading.
The majority of cases turn on whether or not the Defendant company has a defence that he took all reasonable steps in Due Diligence. There is a great deal of case law on this subject, but it is clear that modern manufacturing techniques make many of the decisions of the courts obsolete. It is a question of fact and degree in each case which often turns on highly specialist expert evidence.
Jeremy Barnett is an Environmental lawyer, specialising in carbon, global climate change, energy storage and waste packaging. He is a leading UK Climate Change Lawyer and has a special interest in the Circular Economy, Energy Storage biofuels, algae fuel (oilgae), carbon fertilisers produced from biomass (biochar) and other carbon technologies. He has recently advised a national government on legal and regulatory issues relating to COP 18 in Qatar.
In 2012, together with research scientists and economists, he formed Resilience Partners Ltd, a consultancy in Climate, Technology and Energy Issues for Business and Policy makers. Resilience specialises in economic and policy issues around Energy Storage, Resilient networks and Shale Oil and Gas.
He is part of the Sino UK Energy Storage research team by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He also has been instructed on a number of issues by the Centre for Low Carbon Futures, the UK’s leading ‘Green Think Tank’, based at York. CLCF is an academic joint venture between the Universities of Leeds, York, Sheffield and Hull. Jeremy was invited as an environmental lawyer to a seminar at Chatham House, in May 2012 on the Localism Act and funding for Green Infrastructure projects.
Jeremy has experience advising on the Producer Responsibility Obligations (packaging waste) Regulations 2007 and the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007. The use of the National Waste Packaging Database and electronic PRNs and PERNS (for export) is a complex issue that requires a detailed knowledge of the terms and conditions of the database.
Prosecution for ePRNTransfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations. Successful defence of database regulations.
Prosecution under Environmental Protection Act, depositing inert and non- inert waste.
Advice on climate change law, regulation policy to a national government.
Environment Agency Flood Control enforcement where Planning Permission granted in form of Certificate of Lawfulness.
Complex EU procurement, planning and general contractual issues for Carbon Capture Storage Research programme.
Enforcement under Flood and Water Management Act 2010 and Lawful Development Certificate, Town and Country Planning Act 1990, s191 (as amended).
Issue of Temporary Stop Notice Section 171E of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in relation to Recycling Plant.
Part of leading research in energy storage and smart cities.
Jeremy Barnett is a specialist Health and Safety Lawyer, having represented a number of companies who have been investigated and prosecuted for offences under the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974 [HSWA].
All companies need to ensure that their undertaking complies with the obligations imposed by the HSAW to their employees, neighbours, visitors to site and others. Most cases involved consideration of risk assessments. In particular, Jeremy has acted as a health and safety lawyer in cases involving:
Jeremy has represented the HSE and companies involved in Care Homes, textiles and soft furnishings, the manufacture of chemicals and Fireworks. Cases where he has appeared as a lawyer in the Crown Court and at Coroners inquests include a major explosion and fire at a chemical production site, a fire at a care home where 60 aged and infirm patients were evacuated at night with one fatality, a death to a patient at a care home who became entangled in a cot side and a fatal accident to an employee who was climbing in racking without permission.
The storage of fireworks by retail outlets and also importers and manufacturers has also been the subject of a number of prosecutions around the country. There are prescribed regulations governing the sale of fireworks and their storage and display by retail outlets. Also, the storage of huge quantities of fireworks that have been imported from China is closely regulated by the fire brigade, trading standards, planning authorities and health and safety executive.
Jeremy was visiting Professor of Law Informatics at Leeds University for 5 years. He is currently leading on the research and development of Blockchain and Smart Contracts for Construction, Data Protection and Recruitment through Resilience Partners Limited and UCL.
By instructing Jeremy to act or manage the case/transaction in this way, the client receives a top quality service, often making significant savings on the fees that have been quoted elsewhere.
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]
