Patricia is a meticulous advocate with an impressive intellectual background. Prior to coming to the Bar, Patricia enjoyed an academic career, holding posts at Oxford, Cambridge and Brunel Universities, specialising in European and International human rights law. Her doctoral thesis was awarded the Babsybanoo Marchioness of Winchester Thesis Prize by Oxford University for most outstanding thesis in the area of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Patricia practices in the areas of serious crime, extradition, public law and human rights. Her recent high-profile work includes acting as disclosure counsel in a 10-handed £250m fraudulent trading and corruption case and being instructed in an appeal against conviction in excess of thirty years old for multiple murder. She is currently a member of the counsel team instructed by the Metropolitan Police responding to the Undercover Policing Inquiry chaired by Sir John Mitting. Patricia is an experienced lecturer and is Editor-in-Chief of Arlidge, Eady and Smith on Contempt. She is a member of the SFO Prosecution Panel, and the CPS Fraud, and Serious Crime Panels. She has also been appointed to the list of specialist regulatory advocates to prosecute on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency.
Jan 2017- Present
Patricia is a member of the core counsel team instructed by the Metropolitan Police responding to the Undercover Policing Inquiry. She was part of the counsel team involved in the anonymity exercise seeking Restriction Orders over the identities of former members of the Special Demonstration Squad. She is presently tasked to the team preparing for the first tranche of evidential hearings, which will deal with undercover work carried on between 1968 and 1982.
August 2019 – March 2020
Patricia was instructed as a member of the counsel team to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
Sample cases include:
Sample cases include:
Arlidge, Eady and Smith on Contempt (Sweet and Maxwell, 5th edn, 2017) Editor-in-Chief.
Chapters in Edited Books
Redrafting abortion rights under the ECHR: A, B and C v. Ireland in E Brems (ed) Diversity and European Human Rights: Rewriting Judgments of the ECHR (Cambridge University Press, 2013).
Defining Rape under the European Convention on Human Rights: Torture, Consent and Equality in C McGlynn and V Munro (eds) Rethinking Rape Law: National, International and European Perspectives (Routledge 2010).
Articles
Sir Cliff v BBC: A new era for police investigations? UK Human Rights Blog, 19 July 2018 [Press Report [BBC]] and The Law Society Gazette 23/07/2018 [Press Report [Law Gazette]].
Should sex offence suspects be granted anonymity? New Law Journal (8th September 2017) 13-14.
Human Rights, Positive Obligations and Domestic Violence: Kalucza v Hungary in the European Court of Human Rights (2012) 1 (2) International Human Rights Law Review 339-348.
Developing Human Rights Principles in Cases of Gender-based Violence: Opus v Turkey in the European Court of Human Rights (2009) 9 Human Rights Law Review 657-667.
The Executive, the Parole Board and Article 5 ECHR: Progress within an “Unhappy State of Affairs”? (2008) 67 Cambridge Law Journal 230-233.
Applying Convention Jurisprudence to the Needs of Women Prisoners (2007) Public Law 198–208.
Positive Obligations, Criminal Procedure and Rape Cases [2007] 2 European Human Rights Law Review 158-171.
Whilst in academia, Patricia developed and honed the skill of breaking down complex ideas into simple formulations, a skill she continues to employ to great effect in her practice.
LLB (Hons) 2001 (First Class)
MSc, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Oxford University 2002 (Distinction)
D Phil, ‘Women, Human Rights and Criminal Justice’, Oxford University 2006 (Prize winning)
Criminal Bar Association
Justice
South Eastern Circuit
Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association
Bapsybanoo Marchioness of Winchester Thesis Prize, Oxford University (2006)
Lord Denning Scholar, Lincoln’s Inn (2006)
Hardwicke Scholar, Lincoln’s Inn (2005)
Arts and Humanities Research Council Scholar (Doctoral Award) (Sept 2002-Sept 2005).
SFO Prosecution B Panel (2020)
Specialist List of Regulatory Advocates in Health and Safety and Environmental Law (List C) (2019)
CPS Specialist Panel: Fraud (Level 2) (2018)
CPS Specialist Panel: Serious Crime (Level 2) (2018)
Brunel Law School (2011-2012) Lecturer in Law
Trinity Hall, Cambridge (2007-2010) John Collier Fellow in Law
Jesus College, Oxford (2006-2007) Lecturer in Law (non-stipendiary)
Faculty of Law, University of Oxford (2006) Research assistant to Professor Sandra Fredman
Faculty of Law, Oxford University (2006) Teaching Assistant, Criminal Justice and Penology
Lincoln College, Oxford University (2004-6) Lecturer in Law (non-stipendiary).