Daniel Robinson

Call: 2010

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    This is an excellent set that has worked hard to secure a well-deserved position amongst the leading sets at the Criminal Bar.

    Chambers UK Bar, 2022
    Daniel Robinson

    Personal profile

    Daniel has built a successful practice encompassing International Criminal Law, public inquiries and heavyweight Crime. He is a sought after led junior for both prosecution and defence, has a wealth of experience in complex Fraud and Bribery & Corruption investigations, and has significant experience in public inquiries.

    Most recently Daniel was instructed in the Dobbs Review into Lloyds Bank. Daniel is a Grade 3 advocate for the CPS, including specialist panels for serious crime and fraud, and a Panel B advocate for the SFO on both the general prosecution list and the POCA list. Daniel has spent time working with City of London Police, advising on confiscation and intellectual property offences and providing training.

    Before coming to the Bar, Daniel worked for NGOs in Rwanda and Jamaica. His work encompassed genocide and war crimes, crimes against humanity and human rights. Daniel has worked with defendants on Death Row in Jamaica and advised as to their prospects of appeal to the Privy Council, and has delivered human rights training to police recruits in Jamaica.

    Daniel is on the counsel list for the Special Tribunal in Kosovo.

    Business Crime & Fraud

    Daniel has a wealth of experience related to complex Fraud investigations, financial crime and regulation. He has been instructed by the FCA, HMRC and the SFO and for private clients, including Airbus.

    Daniel is a Grade 3 advocate for the CPS on the specialist fraud panel and a panel B advocate for the SFO.

    Daniel has spent time working with the City of London Police, advising on intellectual property, confiscation and asset recovery.

    Featured cases

    • R v LM (2020) – Instructed as led junior for the defence in multi-handed complex fraud.
    • R v RB (2020-2021) – Instructed as led junior for the defence in this multi-handed fraud involving the manufacture of passports and other identity documents. Investigated by SO15 due to the risk of passports being used by terrorists.
    • R v JB (2019) – Instructed as a led junior for the defence in this multi-handed complex fraud, involving corrupt practices by local authority employees manufacturing and processing fraudulent applications for housing benefit.
    • Instructed by Airbus (2018) – Instructed to advise and carry out an internal investigation into SFO charges of bribery and corruption. Authority for workstream within the investigation and presented findings to SFO.
    • Operation Dovercourt (2014-2015) – Instructed on behalf of the FCA/ Investigated traders alleged to have attempted to manipulate the foreign exchange market and formed part of the negotiating team leading to settlement. Later instructed to assist the SFO investigation into individual traders pending potential criminal charges.

    Proceeds of Crime and Confiscation

    Daniel has a wealth of experience related to Money Laundering & Proceeds of Crime. He is a Panel B advocate for the SFO on the POCA list and a Grade 3 advocate for the CPS on the specialist POCA panel.
    Daniel has spent time on secondment to the City of London police, advising on POCA, with a focus on civil recovery.

    Featured cases

    • R v B and others (2016) – Instructed to prosecute confiscation proceedings post-conviction in a multi-million, multi-handed fraud (led junior).
    • City of London Police (2015) – Spent three months with the City of London Police Asset Recovery and Confiscation teams, focusing on enforcement and proceeds recovery. Advised on internal procedures, legality of investigations and court applications.
    • R v R and others (2014) – Instructed to defend confiscation proceedings following life sentences for aggravated burglary, with legal argument focusing on hidden assets (junior alone).

    Murder & Manslaughter

    Daniel has built a successful practice in heavyweight Crime, with a focus on murder cases. He is a sought after led junior in complex multi-handed murder cases.

    Featured cases

    • R v B (2020) – Instructed as led junior for the first defendant of two accused of murdering an acquaintance.
    • R v R (2018) – Instructed as led junior in a ten-week murder trial involving four defendants arising out of the activities of a ‘county lines’ drug syndicate.
    • R v B and others (2016) – Instructed to defence the second of five defendants in this conspiracy to murder by contract killing, involving copious phone and cell site evidence and cut-throat defences. (led junior).
    • R v F and others (2013) – Instructed to defend an alleged hitman in a five-handed conspiracy to murder, in a feud between drugs gangs. Extensive cell site material and expert evidence applied and the client was acquitted (led junior).

    Health & Safety

    Daniel has experience as a led junior in serious Health & Safety cases. Daniel was recently instructed by a local authority for the prosecution in a health and safety case involving a fatality.

    Featured cases

    • R v FRC – Instructed as led junior for the prosecution in a serious case involving a fatality, brought by a local authority after a complex investigation by multiple bodies.

    Serious Violence

    Daniel has built a successful practice in serious Crime. Daniel is a Grade 3 advocate for the CPS on the specialist serious crime panel.

    Featured cases

    • R v B (2016) – Instructed to defend in this retrial of a possession of a firearm count, after acquittal of attempted murder and conspiracy to rob. Successfully resisted the Crown’s application to cross-examine the defendant on inconsistencies with his previous trial evidence. The jury again failed to agree and the Crown offered no evidence (junior alone).
    • R v S (2015) – Instructed to defend multiple charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent (attacking two men in a potentially gang related fracas). Convicted of a lesser s20 offence. Also instructed in the Court of Appeal, where the sentence was reduced.
    • R v L (2015) – Instructed to defend the first of two defendants (aged 19 and 17) accused of robbery by allegedly inveigling themselves into the victim’s home with promises of sexual intercourse, and then attacking him and breaking his leg. The defendants asserted self-defence and the client was acquitted.
    • R v D (2015) – Instructed to defend the first of two defendants accused of robbery at the home of a man with whom he suspected his partner had an affair, assaulting him with a baseball bat and stealing valuable items. The client was acquitted.

    Drugs Offences

    Daniel often takes instructions in serious Drugs Offences cases, often involving county lines and particularly where serious violent offences have occurred, including murder.

    Featured cases

    • R v R (2018) – Instructed as led junior in this ten-week murder trial involving four defendants arising out of the activities of a ‘county lines’ drug syndicate.
    • R v M (2016) – Instructed to defend possession of a kilogram of almost pure heroin. The charge was withdrawn after the defence successfully asserted that the police had confused lab results from a separate case.
    • R v A (2015) – Instructed to represent the third of four defendants on multiple counts of possession with intent to supply and possession of a firearm. Following negotiation, no evidence was offered against the defendant on the drugs charges.
    • R v C (2015) – Instructed to represent the first of two defendants in guilty plea to possession of a shotgun and possession with intent to supply. After legal argument the judge ruled a Newton hearing was unnecessary and sentenced in the lowest category of the drugs guidelines.

    Road Traffic Offences

    Daniel has a wealth of experience in Road Traffic Offences and has conducted multiple trials and hearings for the defence. He is often instructed by private clients, in particular company directors.

    Featured cases

    • R v B (2016) – Instructed to defend a self-employed company director who was due to fall foul of the “totting” provisions if further points were added to existing points gained for speeding offences. A short disqualification was imposed which avoided triggering the totting provisions.
    • R v A (2015) – Instructed to defend a company director who fell foul of the “totting” provisions with 14 penalty points. The defendant kept his licence on the basis of exceptional hardship.
    • R v C (2015) – Instructed to defend a driver who attempted to drive his articulated lorry at speed through a railway crossing as the lights changed and hit the barriers causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. The defendant kept his licence on the basis of exceptional hardship.

    Regulatory & Professional Disciplinary

    Daniel spent eight months working as a full time legal advisor and caseworker for the General Medical Council, seconded to the Fitness to Practice team and dealing with cases requiring consideration of the suspension of the doctor’s practising licence.

    He managed a busy caseload, liaised with doctors, advised on evidence and legal matters and gained experience of GMC tribunals.

    Daniel has also advised on Military Law matters.

    Featured cases

    • R v A (2014) – Defence of the first of three serving army medics who had become involved in a fight with local civilians at a nearby bar in Sennelager, Germany, and were charged with multiple counts of grievous bodily harm.

    Inquests & Inquiries

    Daniel has significant experience dealing with Public Inquiries. Daniel is currently instructed as part of a team of counsel assisting Dame Linda Dobbs DBE with the Dame Linda Dobbs Review. The review is investigating whether issues relating to HBOS Reading were investigated and appropriately reported to authorities by Lloyds Banking Group, following its acquisition of HBOS.

    International

    Daniel has built a successful International Criminal Law practice. Daniel is on the list of counsel for the Special Kosovo Tribunal. Daniel has been instructed to provide advice and training to a range of non-governmental organisations. He was part of a team of lawyers who advised and assisted in drafting, for filing before the ICC, an amicus curiae brief on behalf of Bangladeshi NGOs, in respect of the ICC’s jurisdiction over the Rohingya crisis.

    Most recently Daniel has worked on projects with Global Legal Action Network and Bellingcat, advising on domestic accountability for international arms transfers and the admissibility of digital evidence captured by civilians in war zones.

    Daniel has worked with defendants on Death Row in Jamaica and advised as to their prospects of appeal to the Privy Council, and has delivered human rights training to police recruits in Jamaica. Before coming to the Bar, Daniel worked for NGOs in Rwanda and Jamaica. His work encompassed genocide and war crimes, crimes against humanity and human rights.

    Education

    • BA (Hons) English Literature, University of Durham
    • Graduate Diploma in Law, Nottingham Law School: Distinction
    • Bar Vocational Course, BPP: Outstanding

    Awards

    • Prince of Wales Scholarship, Gray’s Inn
    • Advocacy Scholarship, Gray’s Inn

    Memberships

    • CBA
    • South Eastern Circuit
    • Gray’s Inn

    Languages

    • Moderate French

    Other expertise