Jonathan Ashley-Norman KC

Call: 1989 / Silk: 2016

"Jonathan is a well-respected health and safety practitioner." "He is very impressive."

Chambers UK 2023: Health & Safety

"His written work is exceptional and his advocacy highly persuasive - he can turn judges round.”

Chambers UK 2023: POCA

“Jonathan is exceptional in all areas.”

Legal 500 2023: Fraud

His written submissions are par excellence with great attention to detail.”

Legal 500 2023: Fraud

“Jonathan brings a thoughtful and intellectual approach to the knotty questions of POCA, but without ignoring the sharp end.”

Legal 500 2023: Proceeds of Crime and Asset Forfeiture

Jonathan Ashley-Norman KC is a specialist in law enforcement in a corporate setting.

He defends, prosecutes and advises individuals and corporates caught up in regulatory and criminal investigations.

He has advised and defended people from all walks of corporate life and all manner of businesses. His business regulatory and crime work often requires him to master other legal disciplines including sanctions, employment, insolvency, competition, pensions and many other areas.

His experience as both a prosecutor and as defence counsel makes him a popular choice for private prosecutions.

Before taking silk, he was Standing Counsel to the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy and a member of the Attorney General’s A List of Prosecutors, and consequently instructed to prosecute in the most serious of cases. He retains prosecution instructions at the highest level.

He has a substantial health and safety practice, prosecuting and defending in cases brought by the Health and Safety Executive and the Office of Rail and Road.

He has advised people and corporates under investigation and prosecution by the Competition and Markets Authority, the Environment Agency, the Financial Conduct Authority, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the Insolvency Service, local authorities, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the National Crime Agency, Ofcom, the Serious Fraud Office, Trading Standards and many other agencies. He has been instructed by many of those agencies too.

Most of Jonathan’s business crime work necessarily involves suspected money laundering and he frequently helps with the strategic decisions around Suspect Activity Reports.

His offshore practice, especially on the Isle of Man and Gibraltar, has left him familiar with labyrinthine offshore structures, and securing or tearing aside the corporate veil.

He has extensive experience of confiscation work, both defending and prosecuting, including successfully resisting the repatriation of offshore funds, the protection of the interests of third parties and litigating civil recovery orders.

Legal Expertise

Business Regulatory & Crime overview

Jonathan has defended and advised in fields as diverse as anti-dumping duty on lever arch files, Caribbean property schemes, carbon trading, chicken slaughtering, dot.com bubbles, estate agency, football transfer schemes, land registration fraud, lettings premiums, the on-line sale of contact lenses, post office fraud, telephone premium lines, town and country planning, waste disposal, wine importation, and many others.

Notable Business Regulatory & Crime cases

Tescos

Jonathan directed the strategy for a senior executive which headed off disciplinary proceedings, ensured severance on favourable terms and deflected SFO interest.

Viagogo

Jonathan advised on a strategy to secure Viagogo compliance with the terms of an Enterprise Act court order and drafted the documents which delivered the strategy.

Telecoms

Jonathan has advised major telecom businesses about their potential criminal liability and advised on regulator engagement accordingly.

Fulfilment Houses

Jonathan secured the acquittal of fraud offences of the director of a major importer operating a fulfilment house business model.

Health & Safety overview

Jonathan has prosecuted and defended in any number of health and safety related cases in sites as diverse as breweries, building sites, care homes, country fairs, fun fairs, meat rending works, ports, schools, welders and many more.

Notable Health & Safety cases

BUPA

Jonathan prosecuted BUPA following a death in a care home.

Babcocks

Jonathan defended this engineering company following an injury on rail related works.

Veolia

Jonathan prosecuted Veolia following a death at a waste transfer plant in Kent. A fine of £1 million was imposed.

London Underground

Jonathan has prosecuted London Underground in separate cases, one involving maintenance staff at a disused tube station, the other a runaway train on the Northern Line.

Private Prosecutions overview

Jonathan’s long and varied experience in both prosecuting and defending business regulatory and criminal work makes him a popular choice for instructions in private prosecutions.

Notable Private Prosecutions cases

C Limited v L Limited

Jonathan advised upon the institution of proceedings against L Limited for offences arising out of the purchase and sale of coal mining assets in Siberia.

H Limited v L

Jonathan advised upon and secured the quashing of the summons issued against his client following the launch of judicial review proceedings.

S v AAM

Jonathan advised a private prosecutor in proceedings arising out of the ‘fake Saudi princess’ case.

K v H & Others

Jonathan acted for the private prosecutor at the costs stage of proceedings related to a multi-million allegation of property fraud against professional advisors.

Money Laundering & Confiscation overview

Jonathan has had a long interest in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, drafting part of the Criminal Bar Association training when the Act was first introduced. It has played a major part of his practice ever since, often taking him to the Court of Appeal in cases involving the evasion of excise, quotas in fishing, wine fraud and theft and others. Jonathan continues to lecture and write in this field.

Notable Money Laundering & Confiscation cases

SARS

Jonathan has advised domestic and off shore banks, trusts and lawyers about their reporting obligations and guided the steps to be taken accordingly.

R v Ghulam, Ghulam & Butt

Jonathan appeared in the Court of Appeal in a case dealing with the protection of third party interests in confiscation proceedings.

SFO v Saleh

Jonathan appeared for the wife of a senior African diplomat said to have received shares in an oil prospecting company pursuant to a corrupt arrangement.

R v Alan Yeomans

Jonathan advised in complex confiscation proceedings where both the prosecution and the receiver had an interest in the proceeds of confiscation.

“It’s like you look in my heart and tell my story.” (Successfully acquitted Hong Kong client)

“I recently saw him perform one of the most impressive pieces of cross examination in my career during a fraud case against our client who was a Commercial Director of a large national organisation.” (Senior partner in major national business crime firm of solicitors).

“Jonathan is a well-respected health and safety practitioner.”  “He is very impressive.”  Chambers UK 2023:  Health & Safety

“His written work is exceptional and his advocacy highly persuasive – he can turn judges round.”  Chambers UK 2023:  POCA

“Jonathan is exceptional in all areas.”  Legal 500 2023:  Fraud

His written submissions are par excellence with great attention to detail.”  Legal 500 2023:  Fraud

“Jonathan brings a thoughtful and intellectual approach to the knotty questions of POCA, but without ignoring the sharp end.”  Legal 500 2023:  Proceeds of Crime and Asset Forfeiture

“… highly sought after.” Chambers UK 2022:  Health & Safety

“… his advocacy is excellent and his strategic acumen is second to none.”  Chambers UK 2022:  POCA

“He is an outstanding advocate …”  Chambers UK 2021:  Financial Crime

“He’s brilliant with clients – he’s sensitive and good at explaining things in an easy-to-understand way.”  Chambers UK 2021:  Health & Safety

 “… charming, engaging and persuasive advocate.”  Chambers UK 2021:  POCA

 “He has great strategic vision. A hugely persuasive advocate and commands the respect of the court.”  Legal 500 2021:  Business & Regulatory Crime

“He’s the complete article … an exceptional advocate.”  Chambers UK 2020:  Financial Crime

“…a strong advocate who operates with a great deal of skill and charm, and who tends to be liked by the jury.”  Chambers UK 2020:  Health & Safety

“…insightful and clever”.  Chambers UK 2020:  POCA

“Operates with a great deal of skill and charm…tends to be liked by the jury.” Chambers UK 2020: Health & Safety

“He’s the complete article…an exceptional advocate.” Chambers UK 2020: Financial Crime

“Very insightful and clever…inspires confidence” Chambers UK 2020: POCA

“An excellent strategic thinker.” Legal 500 2021: Fraud

“Erudite and thorough.” Legal 500 2021: Business & Regulatory Crime

“A calm hand on the tiller.” Legal 500 2021: Proceeds of Crime & Asset Forfeiture

“An eloquent and persuasive advocate who excels as a tactician and a strategist.” Legal 500 2019: Business & Regulatory Crime

“Top drawer in every way. Legal 500 2019: Proceeds of Crime

“He is able to change the minds of judges 180 degrees from the position that they had previously taken.” Legal 500 2017: Fraud

  • Criminal Bar Association
  • Health & Safety Lawyers Association
  • Licensed advocate (for particular purposes) on Isle of Man
  • Exeter University, LLB
  • Bar finals
  • Standing Counsel to Department for Business for Energy and Industrial Strategy
  • ‘A’ List of the Attorney General’s Unified List of Prosecuting Advocates
  • Recorder of the Crown Court 2010 and sits regularly
  • SFO List of Counsel (A panel) 2013
  • SFO PoCA List (A Panel) 2013
  • Silk 2016

Regularly writes and lectures on diverse criminal law topics, especially concerning fraud, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and the Proceeds of Crime Act .

I, Jonathan Ashley-Norman KC, 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 jonathan.ashley-norman@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:

  1. my Chambers, which supplies professional and administrative support to my practice;
  2. Courts and other tribunals to whom documents are presented;
  3. my lay and professional clients;
  4. potential witnesses, in particular experts, and friends or family of the data subject;
  5. solicitors, barristers, pupils, mini pupils and other legal representatives;
  6. ombudsmen and regulatory authorities;
  7. current, past or prospective employers;
  8. education and examining bodies;
  9. business associates, professional advisers and trade bodies.

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 06.12.2018

Data Protection Policy

Legitimate Interests Assessment

Jonathan Ashley-Norman KC 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.

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