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Details of practice

Long recognised as a leading silk in Crime, Financial Crime, Inquests and Public Inquiries. Richard is renowned for his advisory and advocacy work across a wide range of disciplines and proceedings. He was Treasury Counsel from 1991 to 2006 (First Senior Treasury Counsel from 2002 to 2006) during which he prosecuted many high profile cases involving murder and terrorism. Since taking silk he has defended in numerous notable cases and has been instructed in prominent Inquests and Public Inquiries ranging from the Inquests touching the death of the Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed to the Litvinenko Public Inquiry. He advises prosecuting authorities in and outside this jurisdiction and since the announcement of the Goddard Inquiry has advised schools and other organisations how to respond to it. Richard is regularly instructed to advise on independent inquiries, including the recent Home Office review into the collapse of the R v Mouncher & Others Trial in 2011.

Main areas of practice:

Inquests and Public Inquiries
Murder and manslaughter
Sexual offences
Fraud
Money laundering
Corruption and misfeasance in public office
Police discipline
Search warrants
Appellate advice and advocacy

Directory recommendations

‘He is someone that you want in your camp as he’s an intimidating cross-examiner with a great legal brain.” Chambers UK 2016: Crime

“He is noted for his capabilities in cases where discretion is paramount.” “He is very affable” and “Seriously classy.” “His advice is like gold dust.” Chambers UK 2016: Inquests

“An incredible drafter who is clearly very on top of the papers and able to deal with difficult questions.” “Has an excellent work ethic.” Chambers UK 2016: Financial Crime

“He brings a very valuable sixth sense to case strategy.” The Legal 500 2015: Crime

‘He is one of the top QCs in general crime and has huge amounts of experience and skills which he brings to cases’. ‘Has notable expertise in cases that straddle the divide between criminal law and human rights.’ Chambers UK 2015: Crime

‘An extremely wise and experienced advocate.’ Chambers UK 2015: Inquests

‘He has the ability to talk about something which is fairly complex in a way that everyone can understand.’ Chambers UK 2015: Financial Crime

‘Experienced in public inquests’ The Legal 500 2014: Administrative & Public & Law

‘His ability on the defence side is hard to match.’ The Legal 500 2014: Crime

‘A superb barrister.’ The Legal 500 2014: Fraud

“Extremely experienced barrister” Richard Horwell QC’s “knowledge of the law is vast, and his ability to apply it is undoubted.” His practice covers all criminal law matters and he is a veteran of handling cases that go all the way to Strasbourg. Commercial fraud, terrorism and murder all figure prominently in his caseload, and he is noted for the strength of his appellate practice. In the case of Overmeer he successfully defended a Brazilian national accused of the attempted murder of his girlfriend. Chambers UK 2013: Crime

The “excellent” Richard Horwell QC has a broad criminal practice, with a substantial fraud element to it. Solicitors comment that “he’s so good in front of a jury because he has that gravitas that comes with years of experience.” Recently, he dealt with a restraint order imposed on the UK assets of a Brazilian hedge fund following a Brazilian fraud investigation. Chambers UK 2013: Fraud

“A significant track record in appellate cases” The Legal 500 2011 Crime

“An exceptionally talented counsel with a huge breadth of experience” The Legal 500 2011 Fraud: Criminal

“Methodical and thorough” The Legal 500 2011: Public and Administrative Law

“Richard Horwell QC is applauded for his broad commercial fraud practice and his expertise in relation to multi-jurisdictional matters.” Chambers UK 2011: Fraud

“Richard Horwell QC has a stellar commercial fraud practice and is particularly experienced at advising on multi-jurisdictional issues” Chambers UK 2010

“The impressive Richard Horwell” is “a barrister long admired for his poise and precision” Chambers UK 2009

Appointments

Bencher of Gray’s Inn 2009
Appointed Queen’s Counsel 2006
Appointed a Recorder 2004
First Senior Treasury Counsel 2002 – 2006
Senior Treasury Counsel 1996 – 2006
Appointed Treasury Counsel 1991
Called 1976

Direct access

Richard Horwell QC 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.

Notable cases

Inquests/Inquiries

Counsel for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police at the inquests into the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed. The Guardian in 2008 reported that: “Horwell was the only barrister to enhance his reputation at the inquests with a series of devastating cross-examinations of key witnesses, including Fayed and his head of security, John Macnamara, which fully exposed the weaknesses of their allegations.”

Counsel for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police at the inquest into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes.

Counsel for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police at the Public Inquiry into the death of Alexander Litvinenko.

Continuing to advise ACPO (now The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC)) and the Metropolitan Police Service on the implementation and development of the post-Stockwell changes.

Advised ACPO on the drafting of part of the ‘Police Use of Firearms Manual’.

Gave presentations in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Perth to the Australian Federal Police on the lessons learnt from Stockwell and the need to record decisions and their rationale.

Counsel for the family in an inquest where the Mental Health Trust was criticised for failings in its care for the deceased.

Instructed by a leading university in respect of an inquest following the suicide of one of its members of staff.

Crime

P: Represented the Deputy Head Master of a famous school charged with historic sexual abuse of pupils. Prosecution stayed as an abuse of the process of the court.

R: Represented a lawyer charged with the historic sexual abuse of a child. The defence highlighted the inadequacies of the investigation and eventually the prosecution offered no evidence.

C: Represented a high profile publicist at his trial and appeal following allegations of historical sexual abuse.

J: Represented a businessman charged with money laundering. After long negotiations the prosecution offered no evidence.

D: Importation of drugs. Client acquitted of importing cocaine from Columbia.

B: Counsel for the defendant in the ‘N’Dubz’ GBH trial. Client acquitted of section 18 wounding.

I: Counsel for the son of an international businessman. Client acquitted of murder.

B: Counsel for an appellant in an appeal against conviction for supplying drugs and instructed in the re-trial.

T: Advised the Managing Director of a Jersey based Trust Company in connection with charges of forgery and perverting the course of justice. Acquitted following advice identifying flaws in the prosecution case.

Bamber: Represented Jeremy Bamber at his appeal against sentence in this jurisdiction and his subsequent application to the European Court of Human Rights as to whether the imposition of an irreducible life sentence amounts to a violation of Article 3. The full court held that the UK Government’s sentencing policy violated Article 3.

O: Represented a Brazilian national who was charged with attempted murder after he had stabbed his girlfriend. Found not guilty by reason of insanity. Apart from the preparation of the psychiatric defence, also advised on issues concerning immigration and the Mental Health Act.

Police discipline

Advising a Chief Constable in Operation Kalmia.

Search warrants

Advised Avon and Somerset Constabulary on the legality of an entry and search warrant.

Counsel for ‘G’ who challenged and successfully quashed an entry and search warrant which the Administrative Court described as ‘casual and slipshod’.

Advised a foreign prosecuting authority as to its search warrant legislation and procedures.

Fraud/financial crime

P: Counsel for a Ghanaian banker charged with money laundering in the series of trials connected to Ibori, a previous Governor of the Delta State, in Nigeria.

Instructed by solicitors registered in the Cayman Islands to advise large investment company ($500 million Hedge Fund) registered in the British Virgin Islands. Multi-jurisdictional issues relating to BVI, Brazillian and European law.

Gangar and White: Counsel for the director of an investment company prosecuted by the SFO in a £140m Ponzi fraud and the corruption of a US prosecutor.

Instructed on behalf of a director arrested by the SFO in its investigation into payments made by BAE.

Advised the FSA re Insider dealing.

Instructed on behalf of a solicitor charged with a land registration fraud.

Advised regarding the SFO’s investigations re ‘Oil for Food’.

Advised a company director under SFO investigation for conspiracy to defraud and money laundering.

Instructed on behalf of a company director charged with money laundering.

Prior to taking Silk

Instructed by the Serious Fraud Office in Grob and Posgate; Guinness; and advisory work in respect of other investigations.

Represented the managing director of MTM who had been charged by the Serious Fraud Office.

The Security Express robbery: Ronnie Knight, Freddie Foreman and others – then the largest cash robbery in British history.

Various IRA prosecutions including: the plot to assassinate the Prime Minister; the Stoke Newington lorry bomb; the Heathrow mortar bomb attacks; and the conspiracy to obtain munitions from Iraq – this involved an operation which covered five other jurisdictions.

Badat: The terrorist who trained with Richard Reid and who conspired to bring down a passenger aircraft when in flight.

Trooper Williams: Instructed after this British soldier had been charged with the murder of a citizen in Iraq.

Regan, Horncy and Rees: The murder of three generations of the Chohan family. The longest and most complex murder case to have been tried at the Old Bailey.

Harris, Rock, Cherry and Faulder: The consolidated appeals in which the Court of Appeal reviewed the medical evidence and hypotheses surrounding “shaken baby syndrome”.

Smith: The murder of school girl Toni-Ann Byfield.

Hanson and White: The murder of the banker John Monckton.

Nelson: The murder of PC Patrick Dunne and William Danso.

Gonzalez: The London and south coast serial killer.

Carty and Brown: The murder of the solicitor Tom ap Rhys Pryce.

Ali Dizai: The trial of a Commander in the Metropolitan Police Service for misconduct in a public office.

Instructed on behalf of a group of directors who were considered for prosecution by the SFO in the investigation into price fixing in the pharmaceutical industry.

Hearings before the General Medical Council and the RAC Motorsport Tribunal.