Find Barrister by Expertise:
- View All
- Personal Injury
- Travel & International Law
- Civil Fraud
- Employment
- Crime
- Health & Safety
- Clinical Negligence
- Regulatory & Disciplinary
- Criminal Fraud
- Inquests
- General Common Law
- Industrial Disease
- Insurance
- Sports Law
- Credit Hire
- Professional Negligence
- Public Inquiries
- Public Law
- Trusts & Probate
- Costs
- Mediation & Arbitration
- Commercial
- Public Access
- Education
He is experienced, talented, assiduous in his preparation and much sought-after in his field.
Legal 500 2020 - Leading Silks, Tier 1.
Paul Lewis KC practices nationally, with particular emphasis on Wales, the Midlands and London. He both prosecutes and defends. He has been regularly recommended in crime in both “Chambers UK” and “The Legal 500”.
Paul has now appeared in over 200 homicide cases, and in many major frauds. His practice also includes terrorist cases, serious sexual offences, sports law, and regulatory and Health and Safety work. He has a particular expertise in homicide cases involving children and babies, and has prosecuted and defended in many such high-profile cases across England and Wales.
Paul has sat as a Recorder of the Crown Court since 2000. He was formerly a Chairman of Bar Disciplinary Tribunals, and he sits as a Legally Qualified Chair of Police Disciplinary Tribunals. From January 2014 until December 2016, he was Leader of the Wales and Chester Circuit. He has served on the Bar Council, and is a former member of the Criminal Bar Association Executive Committee. He is a current member of the Criminal Bar Association, and of the Wales and Chester Circuit. He is a Bencher of Gray’s Inn.
Crime
Paul has now appeared in over 200 homicide cases, and in many major frauds. His practice also includes terrorist cases, serious sexual offences, sports law, and regulatory and Health and Safety work. He has a particular expertise in homicide cases involving children and babies, and has prosecuted and defended in many such high-profile cases across England and Wales.
R – v – Lewis and Lloyd (Swansea Crown Court – the “Aaron Gilbert” case.)
R –v – Riches (Norwich Crown Court – the historic killing of a child by his father more than 20 years earlier.)
R – v – Abu-Hamza (Birmingham Crown Court – the “Khyra Ishak” starvation case.)
R – v – Joel Smith (Central Criminal Court – the “Toni – Ann Byfield” double murder case.)
R – v – Shuttleworth (Birmingham Crown Court – the murder by a mother of her young child.)
R – v – Mark Jones (Newport Crown Court – the murder by a grandfather of his six week old grand-daughter.)
R –v – SJ (Cardiff Crown Court – the alleged attempted murder by a mother of two of her children.)
R – v – Scully-Hicks (Cardiff Crown Court – the murder of a child by her adoptive father two weeks after the child’s adoption.)
Notable Cases
R v Clifford & 6 Others (Newport Crown Court)
Following a trial lasting almost 10 weeks, seven defendants were all unanimously convicted of homicide.
R v Sana Khan (Central Criminal Court)
Defence of a wife charged jointly with her husband with serious terrorist offences.
R v Beckford and others (Birmingham Crown Court)
Led the successful defence of the principal defendant charged with three counts of murder arising from events during the Birmingham riots.
R v Odukoro & Others (Southwark Crown Court)
Led the successful defence of a school finance officer charged with conspiring to defraud the public purse of large sums of school funds.
R v Duvall & Others (Lewes Crown Court)
Acted for the prosecution in the multi-handed trial of a gang who attacked and killed a man on his own doorstep.
R v Osbourne & Others (Central Criminal Court)
Acted for the first defendant in a 5-month trial of a drugs-related contract murder.
R v Morrissey & Others (Birmingham Crown Court) 2018
Acted for the defence in the trial of four men charged with the armed robbery of a Worcestershire Post Office / murder of the postmaster’s son / attempted murder of the postmaster himself.
R v Rogers and John (Swansea Crown Court) 2018
Successfully prosecuted a mother and son for the murder of an elderly relative in her own home.
R v Powell (Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court) 2018
Successfully defended a farmer charged with multiple counts of fraud by allegedly interfering with bovine TB tests in order to dishonestly claim government compensation.
R v Woods and Baines (Mold Crown Court) 2018
Successful prosecution of two men for the murder of a rival drugs dealer.
Ongoing cases include the representation of a 17-year old defendant charged (with others) with the robbery and murder of a drugs dealer (Wolverhampton Crown Court.)
If you would like to instruct Paul Lewis KC or would like help or advice in doing so, please call and talk to our excellent clerking team, led by Chief Executive/Director of Clerking, Paul Cray. Our phone number is +44 (0)20 7583 9241. Alternatively, please email us at chambers@farrarsbuilding.co.uk
For more information about our clerking team, please click here for the clerks page.
Appointments & Memberships
- Criminal Bar Association
- Bencher (Gray’s Inn)
- Recorder (Crown Court)
- Leader of the Wales & Chester Circuit
- Chairman of Police Disciplinary Tribunals
- Former Chairman of Bar Disciplinary Tribunals
Directory Quotes
Paul Lewis K.C. is listed as a leading silk for crime in both Chambers and Partners and the Legal 5OO.
Paul Lewis KC is noted as an expert in child murder cases, and he has appeared on either side of the docket in over 200 homicides across the whole of England and Wales. He is hugely respected by both clients and fellow professionals.
“He has a natural talent for speaking and knows his cases very well.”
“He is very experienced and a charming barrister.”
“He is a top-notch silk and is a polished and experienced performer.”
“He has a lot of charisma in court and commands the room and is very thorough.”
“He is a very good silk and has a very good manner with everyone he deals with.”
“He is a very senior silk who fights hard for his clients.”
“He is superb – a real big hitter for tough, high-profile cases. He is very robust.”
“Paul is a fearless and determined advocate who always has complete mastery of the detail of a case.”
“He is very good for heavy violence cases. He has great gravitas and he is an excellent cross-examiner.”
Chambers UK – Tier 1 Silk
“He is experienced, talented, assiduous in his preparation and much sought-after in his field.”
Legal 500 – Leading Silks, Tier 1.
“He is hugely respected both by clients and fellow professionals.”
“He is a very, very good prosecutor.”
“He has a strong, robust courtroom presence.”
Chambers UK 2020. Ranked Band 1.
“He impressively cuts through the details of a case to focus on what was important.”
Recent work: Prosecuted Matthew Scully-Hicks for the murder of his recently adopted daughter.
Chambers UK 2019.
“He has a national reputation as a top criminal silk.”
“One of the best criminal defence silks.”
‘One of the most able silks at the criminal Bar.’
Legal 500, 2018 Rated as a Tier 1 silk.
“Noted as an expert in child murder cases, he has appeared on either side of the docket in almost 200 homicides across the whole of England and Wales. He is hugely respected by both clients and fellow professionals.”
“He’s very, very good, he stands out over other barristers.”
Rated as a Band 1 silk.
Chambers UK, 2017.
Personal Interests
Paul’s interests include sport (particularly rugby,) music and travel.