Supporting Our Juniors: Opportunity, Responsibility and Progression at St Pauls Chambers

At St Pauls Chambers, we are proud of the opportunities afforded to our junior barristers and the support they receive from senior members and our clerking team. Our ethos is simple: juniors are trusted with meaningful, high-quality work, while being supported, guided, and developed at every stage of their practice.

Recent instructions and outcomes demonstrate the breadth and seriousness of work undertaken by members of Chambers under 10 years’ call.

Several of our juniors are currently instructed in long-running, complex Crown Court trials, often alongside leading counsel. Emma Handley has recently concluded her role as disclosure junior in a multi-million-pound fraud prosecuted by West Yorkshire Trading Standards, with evidence concluding on day 77 of trial on Friday 6 February.  Jonathan Sandiford KC leads the case with James Lake as his Junior

Gabrielle Coates is instructed as junior to Derek Duffy in a six-week money-laundering trial in Newcastle.  The case is prosecuted by Alasdair Campbell, leading Ayman Khokhar. Henry Fernandez is instructed as second led junior for the Crown in a five-month fraud trial commencing later this year, while Ayman Khokhar is currently being led by Nick Worsley KC in a six-week murder trial in Leeds.

Further forthcoming work includes Matthew Moore-Taylor, who has been instructed as leading junior in a ten-week money-laundering trial in Newcastle, and Ollie Norman, who is instructed as led junior to George-Hazel Owram in a four-month importation case due to begin later this year in Sheffield. Tayo Dasaolu is instructed on an eight-week trial in Woolwich for National Trading Standards, led by Kristina Goodwin, and Beatrice Allsop is being led by Michelle Colborne KC in a five-week GBH trial in Sheffield.

During the week commencing 2 February 2026, Harry Crowson was listed to deal with three significant matters: sentence following a guilty plea to a charge of rape, a case involving allegations of threats to kill, and a prosecution trial against four defendants. Having successfully resolved each of those matters on the Monday, Harry was subsequently drafted in at short notice as replacement defence counsel in a Rape and Sexual Assault trial commencing the following day.

Preparing the case overnight, the trial began without delay at 10:30am on Tuesday. Following four days of evidence, Harry’s client was acquitted of Sexual Assault, and the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the allegation of Rape.

Matthew Baron, Chambers’ Civil and Regulatory Junior, continues to develop a strong and diverse practice across inquests, professional discipline, and complex civil work. His growing reputation in this field has been formally recognised in the 2026 edition of The Legal 500, which describes him as a “Rising Star.”

Matthew is regularly instructed in inquests, where he is valued for his careful preparation, clear advocacy, and sensitive handling of complex and often challenging evidence. His work in this area frequently involves public bodies, regulators, and professionals facing scrutiny, and he is trusted to navigate both procedural complexity and reputational risk.

At St Pauls Chambers we are proud of our longstanding work on behalf of the Police Federation of England and Wales, providing expert advocacy and legal support in matters of significant public and professional importance. Under the leadership of Sam Green KC, Head of Chambers, many of our junior members have been instructed in high-profile and sensitive police-related proceedings, including acting for the Federation in the Hillsborough Inquests, one of the most complex and consequential public inquiries in recent UK legal history.

Tom Cowan has recently secured notable outcomes following contested hearings. He was instructed by Bradford Law Solicitors to defend a client charged with improper use of a public electronic communications network, contrary to section 127 of the Communications Act 2003. Following a two-day trial at Bradford Magistrates’ Court, Tom secured an acquittal, having exposed inconsistencies in the prosecution evidence and the absence of any objective forensic linkage between the alleged calls and the client’s phone.

Tom was also instructed by Musa Patels Solicitors to oppose the Crown’s appeal against a Magistrates’ Court decision not to impose a Football Banning Order under section 14A of the Football Spectators Act 1989. Following detailed submissions on proportionality, practicality and personal mitigation, the Crown Court concluded that imposing such an order would be unjust in all the circumstances, and dismissed the appeal.

Most recently Tom Cowan has been onboarded to provide his support to the defence team of a £90+m fraud being prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office.

We are also pleased to see the continued development of our newer tenants. Corey Boothe, who accepted tenancy in September 2025, has established a growing motoring defence practice, recently securing multiple outcomes with clients retaining their licences, avoiding disqualification, and having charges dismissed. Sophie Lamb, who also became a tenant in September 2025, is being afforded wide-ranging opportunities across criminal and regulatory work, reflecting Chambers’ commitment to building strong, versatile junior practices.

Looking ahead, we are delighted to welcome our new pupils Anna Boaden and Josh Sykes, who will commence their second six at the end of March 2026. We look forward to providing them with the same level of opportunity, responsibility, and support enjoyed by our junior members.

This is what you get at St Pauls Chambers: a genuinely supportive environment, where senior members, clerks, and colleagues work together to ensure that junior barristers are given the tools, trust, and opportunities they need to thrive.