R (BJL) v Police Appeals Tribunal (High Court, ongoing)
Acting for a former Detective Constable in a judicial review challenge to his dismissal via an accelerated misconduct hearing without an opportunity to cross-examine witnesses against him.
Ciju Puthuppally is an experienced junior with expertise across the spectrum of public law and human rights, regulatory law, crime, the proceeds of crime and extradition. He has experience at all levels, including as sole counsel before the High Court and junior counsel before the Supreme Court. He was appointed to the Attorney-General’s Civil Panel of Junior Counsel (London C Panel) in 2024.
Ciju has appeared in a number of complex cases of national and international significance, including El-Khouri v USA [2025] AC 845 in the Supreme Court (on dual criminality in extradition law and the scope of territorial jurisdiction in criminal law); R (Victor) v West Mercia Police [2023] EWHC 2119 (Admin) (on vetting-based dismissals of police officers in the aftermath of the Sarah Everard murder); and World Athletics v Russian Athletic Federation & Tomashova 2023/O/9506 (on the disqualification of an Olympic silver medal in the fallout from the Russian doping scandal).
He is ranked by Legal 500 as a ‘Leading Junior’ in the fields of Extradition and Proceeds of Crime/Asset Forfeiture, and by Chambers UK 2026 as ‘Up and Coming’ in Extradition.
Ciju accepts instructions across all areas of public law. He is instructed on judicial review and other public law challenges across a range of complex matters, including in particular in the context of policing and regulatory enforcement. He was junior counsel in R (Victor) v West Mercia Police [2023] EWHC 2119 (Admin), a judicial review of national significance concerning the dismissal of police officers via vetting removal, and he advised on a large-scale public law challenge to an enforcement order made by the Office of Rail and Road. He also has experience applying to the European Court of Human Rights, where he previously assisted in drafting rulings.
Ciju is regularly instructed on inquest matters on behalf of both public authorities and companies, in particular in relation to assisted living/care home settings and policing operations.
In addition, Ciju has experience assisting on:
Prior to joining chambers, Ciju was ranked joint-first for Judicial Review during his bar course and third for Public Law at Cambridge University. He has also interned at the European Court of Human Rights where he drafted single-judge judgments.
Acting for a former Detective Constable in a judicial review challenge to his dismissal via an accelerated misconduct hearing without an opportunity to cross-examine witnesses against him.
Acted for two police officers following the death of a drug-intoxicated man they had restrained in prone position. Secured jury findings that the police had used appropriate prone techniques and that the restraint was lawful.
Acted for the Metropolitan Police in a jury inquest concerning a police ‘welfare check’ on woman who committed suicide. Secured findings that involved no criticism of the police.
Acted for the Metropolitan Police in a jury inquest concerning a police pursuit of a motorbike. Secured findings that the police acted lawfully, followed protocol, and maintained a safe distance from the motorbike at all times.
Junior counsel in a judicial review of national significance determining the extent to which police officers may be dismissed via vetting removal rather than formal disciplinary proceedings.
Ciju is a widely sought-after junior in extradition matters. He has acted successfully for requested persons in extradition proceedings involving a wide range of issues including human rights, political persecution and abuse of process. He is frequently instructed as sole counsel on extradition appeals before the High Court, and also has experience acting for the National Crime Agency (R (Pabian) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court [2025] EWHC 1255 (Admin)). He was junior counsel for the requested person in the successful appeal in El-Khouri v USA [2025] UKSC 3 (on dual criminality and territorial jurisdiction), where he had a speaking role before the Supreme Court. He was also junior counsel in the long-running and complex proceedings in Weinzierl v USA [2025] EWHC 391 (Admin), where the requested person was discharged on the principal offence indicted and an assurance on prison conditions was extracted from the US Department of Justice. Similarly, he helped secure the requested person’s discharge as junior in Russia v Malyshev (2021). He has also previously assisted on the case of Julian Assange.
Led by Ben Watson KC, representing the requested person in connection with a large-scale money laundering and embezzlement allegation.
Successfully represented the requested person in an appeal against bail.
Secured the requested person’s discharge on drugs supply offences on the basis that dual criminality was not proved and the evidence relied upon by the CPS was legally flawed.
Led by James Lewis KC and Ben Watson KC for the requested person in a highly complex case arising out of the Brazilian Odebrecht corruption scandal, raising a wide range of issues including abuse of process, dual criminality, prison conditions in the USA, and mental health. The requested person was discharged on the principal offence indicted (lack of dual criminality), and a prison assurance was extracted from the US authorities. A Rule 39 application was made to the European Court of Human Rights.
Acted for the NCA. Successfully resisted a judicial review challenge seeking the requested person’s discharge on the basis of delay by the NCA in extraditing him.
Led by Clair Dobbin KC in the Supreme Court, with a speaking role. Successfully acted for the requested person in an appeal relating to the proper approach to assessing dual criminality and the scope of territorial jurisdiction in criminal law.
Led by Ben Watson KC. Successfully represented the requested person, who was discharged under s.81 (political motivations), ECHR Article 6 and ECHR Article 3.
Led by Ben Watson KC. Successfully appealed to the High Court against the refusal of bail.
Successfully represented a requested person in securing the withdrawal of an EAW due to the expiry of a limitation period following an appeal to the High Court.
Represented the requested person. Secured an assurance on French prison conditions under Article 3.
Successfully represented a requested person discharged under both section 20(5) (re-trial rights) and Article 8 of the ECHR. The case involved expert evidence in relation to Slovakian law and engaged arguments on convictions in absentia, delay, medical issues, and abuse of process.
Successfully represented a requested person discharged under Article 8. The case raised sensitive issues in relation to the likely impact of extradition on family members.
Ciju has particular expertise acting in complex and high-value claims involving the proceeds of crime (civil recovery, forfeiture and confiscation proceedings), both for the defence and for law enforcement
He is currently instructed in three Unexplained Wealth Order proceedings for the defence and for two law enforcement agencies, respectively.
He is regularly instructed by the CPS in applications to the High Court for Production Orders, Disclosure Orders and Property Freezing Orders. He has also acted as junior defence counsel on high-value High Court cash forfeiture and civil recovery cases concerning money exchange services. Recently, he acted for the defence in a £29bn civil recovery investigation concerning a challenge to a Disclosure Order involving intelligence obtained from China (NCA v Hao [2024] EWHC 2240 (Admin)); the challenge prompted a settlement.
Ciju is also regularly instructed by police forces and respondents in both the Crown Court and the magistrates’ courts in POCA cash and account forfeiture applications and appeals. As junior counsel to Simon Farrell KC, he persuaded HMRC to set aside Account Freezing Orders in respect of over £3 million, and helped secure favourable court findings in relation to HMRC’s decision to pursue an ex parte application and its inadequate pre-application investigations.
Similarly, Ciju has experience dealing with complex points of law in confiscation matters. He has acted as junior to Simon Farrell KC in confiscation appeals to the Court of Appeal in relation to two multi-million pound orders, one of which was quashed.
In addition, he has special experience dealing with the intersection between POCA proceedings and civil claims against banks. He acted in a challenge to a bank’s suspension and closure of accounts in connection with Suspicious Activity Reports, and has also advised successfully on liaising with a bank to secure the release of suspended funds.
Ciju is co-author of the Lexis PSL practice note on restraint orders.
Acting for the defence in relation to an Unexplained Wealth Order.
Acted for the NCA in an application for an Unexplained Wealth Order.
Junior to Nicholas Yeo in a challenge to a without-notice disclosure order in the context of a civil recovery investigation involving over £29bn.
Junior to Simon Farrell KC. Helped secure the quashing by the Court of Appeal of a confiscation order for over £8 million, which was remitted for a re-hearing.
Acted for the police in securing an Account Forfeiture Order for £90,000 in relation to a supposed door-to-door trader suspected of fraud.
Led by Simon Farrell KC. Persuaded HMRC to withdraw Account Freezing Orders in respect of over £3 million and helped secure favourable court findings in relation to HMRC’s decision to pursue an ex parte application and its inadequate pre-application investigations.
Acted for the police in obtaining an Account Freezing Order for over £350,000 in relation to a supposed lettings agency.
Ciju appears regularly in the Magistrates’ Courts, Youth Courts, and the Crown Court in relation to a wide range of offences. He has also appeared before the Military Court.
Ciju has a particular interest in white collar crime and POCA cases. He recently secured acquittals and hung juries in an FCA prosecution for insider dealing and in a six-handed prosecution for money laundering involving bitcoin and foreign exchange. During pupillage, he assisted with the defence case in the SFO’s prosecution of four Barclays executives in connection with their capital raisings during the 2007 financial crisis.
Before coming to the Bar, he worked as a paralegal acting for a high-profile company in a multi-national investigation into corruption in the Middle East.
Represented the second defendant (led by Guy Ladenburg) in a two-handed FCA prosecution for insider dealing. The prosecution offered no evidence against the second defendant following a hung jury.
Persuaded the prosecution to discontinue its case against a woman charged with assaulting four police officers after submitting an abuse of process application in relation to her mental health.
Secured the acquittal of the fourth defendant in a six-handed prosecution for a money laundering conspiracy involving the seizure of approximately £1m.
Secured the acquittal of a police officer charged with a racially aggravated offence of intentionally causing harassment, alarm and distress.
Advised and secured a suspended sentence for a police officer who pleaded guilty to a serious offence of coercive and controlling behaviour.
Successfully represented the defendant in an appeal to the Crown Court against a harassment conviction.
Successfully represented the defendant in an appeal to the Crown Court against sentence (refusal to find special reasons in relation to a driving conviction).
Ciju is regularly instructed in a wide range of professional discipline contexts including cases involving police misconduct, medical misconduct, and the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA). He was junior counsel in R (Victor) v West Mercia Police [2023] EWHC 2119 (Admin), a judicial review of national significance determining the extent to which police officers may be dismissed via vetting removal rather than formal disciplinary proceedings. He also acted as junior counsel in World Athletics v Russian Athletic Federation &Tomashova 2023/O/9506 in relation to the disqualification of an Olympic silver medallist in the fallout from the Russian doping scandal.
Ciju is equally experienced in licensing matters. He has acted for both the Metropolitan Police and the applicant in contested premises licence hearings. He recently represented an applicant in obtaining a premises licence in the face of numerous objections by local residents. He also has extensive experience acting for Transport for London in taxi licensing appeals in the magistrates’ court and at the Old Bailey.
In addition, Ciju has expertise in regulatory law more broadly, including advising on a large-scale and technically complex statutory challenge to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). He has particular expertise in environmental law, having previously worked as legal assistant to an environmental NGO.
Acting for a former Detective Constable in a judicial review challenge to his dismissal via an accelerated misconduct hearing without an opportunity to cross-examine witnesses against him.
Junior counsel in a judicial review of national significance determining the extent to which police officers may be dismissed via vetting removal rather than formal disciplinary proceedings.
Ciju is frequently instructed in complex sanctions matters for high net worth individuals and companies. He has experience dealing with de-designation applications and has advised on several matters arising from the Russian sanctions regime, including as to the provision of legal services, the conduct of litigation, the payment of debts, the transfer of bonds, the management of trusts, and the sale of Chelsea Football Club.
Ciju is regularly instructed by the Metropolitan Police on applications for the full range of Civil Preventative Orders, in particular closure orders, sexual risk orders, sexual harm prevention orders, and stalking protection orders.
Ciju has special experience dealing with gang injunctions involving sensitive evidence and ex parte applications in the County Court and Youth Court, and with related contempt of court proceedings (reported on in the press, eg here). He is regularly instructed on such proceedings from the pre-application stage.
Ciju has acted for both the applicant and the defence in contempt proceedings, appearing in both the County Court and the High Court.
In addition, Ciju has acted in civil actions against the police involving claims of wrongful arrest, false imprisonment, breaches of human rights and discrimination.
Acted for the Commissioner of Police in obtaining interim gang injunctions in respect of two members of a dangerous gang involved in knife crime and drug-dealing. The order prevented access to gang territories and made provision for the monitoring of gang-related activities on social media.
Acted for the Commissioner of Police in obtaining, exceptionally, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order with an indefinite term against a man previously convicted of assault occasioning ABH and accused of possessing indecent images of children.
R v (FCA) v S (2024)
Represented the second defendant (led by Guy Ladenburg) in a two-handed FCA prosecution for insider dealing. The prosecution offered no evidence against the second defendant following a hung jury.
R v C (2024)
Persuaded the prosecution to discontinue its case against a woman charged with assaulting four police officers after submitting an abuse of process application in relation to her mental health.
R v G (2023)
Secured the acquittal of a police officer charged with a racially aggravated offence of intentionally causing harassment, alarm and distress.
R v N & ors (2023)
Secured the acquittal of the fourth defendant in a six-handed prosecution for a money laundering conspiracy involving the seizure of approximately £1m.
R v C (2022)
Advised and secured a suspended sentence for a police officer who pleaded guilty to a serious offence of coercive and controlling behaviour.
R v S (2021)
Successfully represented the defendant in an appeal to the Crown Court against a harassment conviction.
R v G (2021)
Successfully represented the defendant in an appeal to the Crown Court against sentence (refusal to find special reasons in relation to a driving conviction).
NCA v Hao [2024] EWHC 2240 (Admin)
Junior to Nicholas Yeo in a challenge to a without-notice disclosure order in the context of a civil recovery investigation involving over £29bn.
R v K (2021)
Junior to Simon Farrell KC. Helped secure the quashing by the Court of Appeal of a confiscation order for over £8 million, which was remitted for a re-hearing.
Commissioner of Police v A (2021)
Acted for the police in securing an Account Forfeiture Order for £90,000 in relation to a supposed door-to-door trader suspected of fraud.
HMRC v R (2020)
Led by Simon Farrell KC. Persuaded HMRC to withdraw Account Freezing Orders in respect of over £3 million and helped secure favourable court findings in relation to HMRC’s decision to pursue an ex parte application and its inadequate pre-application investigations.
Commissioner of Police v M (2020)
Acted for the police in obtaining an Account Freezing Order for over £350,000 in relation to a supposed lettings agency.
Commissioner of Police v J & O (2021, ongoing)
Acted for the Commissioner of Police in obtaining interim gang injunctions in respect of two members of a dangerous gang involved in knife crime and drug-dealing. The order prevented access to gang territories and made provision for the monitoring of gang-related activities on social media.
Commissioner of Police v N (2020)
Acted for the Commissioner of Police in obtaining, exceptionally, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order with an indefinite term against a man previously convicted of assault occasioning ABH and accused of possessing indecent images of children.
El-Khouri v USA (2024 – ongoing) (Supreme Court)
Led by Clair Dobbin KC. Acting for the requested person in an appeal relating to the proper approach to assessing dual criminality.
Russia v M (2021)
Led by Ben Watson KC. Successfully represented the requested person, who was discharged under s.81 (political motivations), ECHR Article 6 and ECHR Article 3.
USA v W (2021 – ongoing) (High Court)
Led by James Lewis KC and Ben Watson KC, representing the requested person.
W v USA [2021] EWHC 1847 (Admin)
Led by Ben Watson KC. Successfully appealed to the High Court against the refusal of bail.
Lithuania v Z (2021)
Successfully represented a requested person in securing the withdrawal of an EAW due to the expiry of a limitation period following an appeal to the High Court.
France v I (2021)
Represented the requested person. Secured an assurance on French prison conditions under Article 3.
Slovakia v S (2020)
Successfully represented a requested person discharged under both section 20(5) (re-trial rights) and Article 8 of the ECHR. The case involved expert evidence in relation to Slovakian law and engaged arguments on convictions in absentia, delay, medical issues, and abuse of process.
An EU Judicial Authority v X
Successfully represented a requested person discharged under Article 8. The case raised sensitive issues in relation to the likely impact of extradition on family members.
Judicial reviews re: dismissal of police officers via vetting (2022 – ongoing)
Led by Kevin Baumber in a number of cases of national significance challenging the legality of dismissing police officers via removal of vetting instead of misconduct proceedings.
“Ciju is a brilliant draftsman with very good written advocacy. He has a razor-sharp mind and is a very powerful advocate.” Chambers UK 2026: Extradition
“Ciju Puthuppally is a knowledgeable junior with a keen eye for detail.” Chambers UK 2026: Extradition
“Ciju is a very sensible and able advocate who takes the right points.” Chambers UK 2026: Extradition
“Ciju is a very impressive advocate. He is hard-working and details oriented. As an advocate he has a measured and persuasive style.” Legal 500 2026: Extradition
“Ciju has incredibly strong technical written ability and knowledge.” Legal 500 2026: POCA & Asset Forfeiture
Administrative Law Bar Association
Criminal Bar Association
Health & Safety Lawyers Association
Young Fraud Lawyers Association
Defence Extradition Lawyers Forum
United Kingdom Environmental Law Association
UK Centre for Animal Law
BPTC (BPP University) – Outstanding (ranked third nationally at BPP and joint-first for Judicial Review)
LLM (Cambridge) – First Class (ranked first for Legislation)
BA in Law (Cambridge) – Double First Class (ranked third for Public Law and Contract Law)
Scholarships and prizes
Second Place, Kalisher Trust Essay Prize 2018 on corporate criminal liability
Winner, UK Environmental Law Association Essay Prize 2017 on Brexit
Best Orator and Winning Team, ELSA Moot in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg 2016
Finalist, Cambridge Blackstone’s De Smith Moot 2014
Finalist, International Criminal Court Moot 2013
Winner, Cambridge Quadrant Moot 2012
Downing College Senior Harris Scholarship
BPP Scholarship
Lincoln’s Hardwicke Award
Dead in the water? Sentencing practice and the future of water prosecutions (2023) UK Environmental Law Association e-Law (co-author: Saba Naqshbandi)
LexisPSL Practice Notes on Restraint Orders (co-author: Nicholas Yeo)
Working in partnership: a new approach to economic crime (2018) Financier Worldwide (co-authors: Alison Levitt KC and Gareth Minty)
New test for criminal dishonesty: all bets are off (2017) Practical Law (co-authors: Jo Rickards et al)
Asserting and maintaining privilege in SFO investigations (2017) The Law Society (co-author: Jo Rickards)
Science, Expertise and Due Deference [2014] King’s Student Law Review Vol.5(2)
The Human Rights Act 1998 s.2(1) Taken into Account [2013] UK Law Students’ Review Vol.1(2)
List of Specialist Regulatory Advocates in Health & Safety and Environmental Law (Panel C)
Attorney-General’s Civil Panel of Junior Counsel (London C Panel)
Before starting pupillage, Ciju worked as a litigation paralegal in Mishcon de Reya’s White Collar Crime & Investigations team. He assisted on many of the firm’s major cross-border cases concerning bribery, fraud, POCA proceedings, private prosecutions, extradition and regulatory issues.
Ciju has also worked as legal assistant for an environmental NGO and spent a month assisting a criminal defence barrister in India. He has interned at the European Court of Human Rights, the Council of Europe, and the Public International Law & Policy Group where he worked on legal issues regarding the conflicts in Libya, Syria and Yemen.
I, Ciju Puthuppally, am a data controller and can be contacted at 3 Raymond Buildings, Gray’s Inn, London WC1R 5BH or by telephone on 020 7400 6400 or by email at ciju.puthuppally@3rblaw.com. My Data Protection Policy can be found below.
All personal data that I process is for the purposes of providing legal services, conducting conflict-checks, marketing, defending potential complaints, legal proceedings or fee disputes, keeping anti-money laundering records, training other barristers and pupils and when providing work-shadowing opportunities, and/or exercising a right to a lien. The types of data I process vary upon the nature of the legal matter in relation to which I am engaged to advise, but can include names, contact details, biographic details and ‘special category personal data’ (such as details of racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, health, sex life and criminal convictions and proceedings).
Depending upon the circumstances of the case, the legal bases upon which I process personal data are (i) the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract, (ii) the processing is necessary to comply with legal obligations to which I am subject, or (iii) the processing is necessary for the legitimate interests set out above, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subjects which require protection of personal data, in particular where the data subject is a child. When I rely on (iii) legitimate interests, my ‘Legitimate Interests Assessment’ can be found here. When I process data which has not be obtained directly from the data subject (e.g. personal data contained in evidential materials), it will have been supplied to me as part of my instructions in circumstances covered by legal professional privilege.
Depending upon the circumstances of the case, I may share the personal data with:
I retain personal data for no longer than 7 years after the case has come to an end or as otherwise required by law.
I do not intend to transfer data to any country which is not either within the European Union, ‘white listed’ by the EU or otherwise permitted by EU law (e.g. to the USA under the provisions of the ‘Privacy Shield’).
Under the GDPR, data subjects whose personal data I process have the right to request from me access to, and rectification or erasure of, their personal data, the right to the restriction of processing concerning them, the right to object to processing as well as the right to data portability. Data subjects also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk).
In cases where there is a contract between me and the data subject, the provision of personal data is a contractual requirement and the data subject is obliged to provide the personal data in order that I can supply legal services. A failure to provide such data may mean that I will not be able to provide the legal services.
Rev 1.1 – 12.04.2019
Ciju Puthuppally is qualified to accept instructions direct from clients under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme. This means that members of the public who seek specialist advice can come direct to him. In addition, he welcomes instructions from solicitors, in-house law departments, qualified foreign lawyers, and clients licensed by the Bar Council to give instructions direct to barristers under the Bar Council’s Licensed Access Scheme.
For further information please contact our Clerks.
| Address | 3 Raymond Buildings, Gray’s Inn, London WC1R 5BH |
|---|---|
| DX | 237 LDE |
| Opening hours | 08:30 – 18:30 |
| Telephone | +44 (0)20 7400 6400 |
|---|---|
| clerks@3rblaw.com | |
| Senior clerk | Ciju Puthuppally |
