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 2020
Matthew Moore-Taylor principally accepts instructions in the areas of Crime, Family and Parole Board.
Matthew recently completed his pupillage under the supervision of Helen Chapman and accepted the offer of tenancy in September 2022 garnering much praise in the process.
Matthew has a rapidly developing criminal practice accepting instructions in all areas of crime for both Defence and Prosecution, appearing regularly in the Crown Court and the Magistrates’ Court.
Matthew’s growing criminal practice covers myriad offences including being instructed in his own name to Defend in multiple jury trials (including a multi-handed ABH which took place in a prison as well as PWITS Class A). Matthew’s Defence work in the Magistrates’ Court has spanned road traffic matters to offences of theft and domestic violence as well as preliminary hearings such as a first appearance in a grooming case involving 25 defendants.
While Matthew’s work for the prosecution routinely comprises committals for sentence and other such hearings this has also involved successfully prosecuting a GBH s.20 trial in the Magistrates’ Court which resulted in the Complainant suffered life changing injuries stemming from a single blow to the head which caused a fractured skull. Further, a recent case involved Matthew appearing for the Crown at an FCMH a week before trial concerning possession of indecent images of children (over 800 images, many of which were moving) wherein the Defendant pleaded guilty, Matthew also appeared for the Crown at sentence.
Matthew is also a CPS Grade 2 prosecutor.
R v B
Prosecuting a Defendant in the charged with 3 counts of making indecent images of Children in Sheffield Crown Court.
R v W
Successfully prosecuted a Defendant charged with s.20 GBH at trial in Harrogate Magistrates’ Court.
R v C
Represented a Defendant in Bradford Crown Court who was charged with three counts of Assault on an Emergency Worker (biting, kicking and spitting blood/phlegm), securing a suspended sentence order.
R v W
Secured a community order for a Defendant found guilty of ABH after a trial in a domestic context.
R v H
Representing a Defendant in Sheffield Crown Court at sentence who had pleaded guilty to a second-strike bladed article offence which involved attacking a man in a car with a machete, securing a suspended sentence order.
R v W
Successfully prosecuted a Defendant in the Magistrates’ Court charged with a number of ABHs in a domestic context despite the Complainant not attending Court and needing to rely on res gestae.
R v W
Defending at sentence in Leeds Crown Court a Defendant who had breached a suspended sentence order by attempting to headbutt a police officer – able to avoid activation of the custodial term.
Matthew has a keen interest in Family Law, specifically in relation to public law children law and care proceedings which involve non-accidental injuries.
Matthew is now regularly instructed in the Family Courts, in private and public law children matters as well as a range of family matters regularly appears for parents as well as local authorities at various stages of proceedings up to and including final hearings.
Before coming to the Bar Matthew spent time as an intern within East Riding of Yorkshire Council embedded into the Children’s services department. This entailed a number of roles, comprising primarily drafting, bundle preparation, research and attending hearings on a range of matters with both solicitors and counsel.
Matthew has recently begun accepting instructions in matters concerning financial remedy and financial provision.
Matthew’s interest in criminal law has also led to an interest in prison law, appearing regularly before parole board panels in applications for the release of inmates who have been recalled to prison or are applying for initial release. This experience has involved successfully applying for the release of those convicted of offences such a people trafficking, robbery and rape.
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]
