Serena Gates KC
Call: 2001 | Silk: 2026
Personal profile
Appointed King’s Counsel in 2026, Serena is a leading barrister specialising in the most serious and sensitive cases, with particular expertise in homicide, terrorism, organised crime, sexual offences, and fraud. Most of her practice involves complex trials and multiple defendants. She also appears regularly in the Court of Appeal, and alongside her work for defence solicitors, she is also instructed by prosecuting agencies. She is recognised for her forensic approach, strategic judgment, and effective advocacy, and is consistently recommended as a leading practitioner by the editors of Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500.
Alongside her trial practice, Serena is instructed to advise at the investigative stage, including in relation to historic international investigations, parallel criminal and regulatory exposure, and high-stakes decision-making. She brings a clear understanding of the commercial and reputational risks faced by clients, and provides pragmatic and strategic advice from the outset of an investigation.
Serena’s background as an investigator with the United Nations Syrian Commission of Inquiry, together with her prior service in the UK military, and consultancy work for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, gives her particular expertise in international, complex and sensitive investigations. She has experience operating at a strategic level in high-pressure environments and is well placed to advise in cases involving serious allegations, cross-border elements and reputational risk.
Recommendations
― Chambers UKSerena is standout, highly impressive. She is great to communicate with and very clever.
― Chambers UK (2025)She is an outstanding barrister and fabulous on the law. She is an excellent advocate, respected by judges and colleagues.
― Chambers UK (2025)Serena is on top of the details, exercises good judgement, and cross-examines very well. She works under pressure effectively and efficiently.
― Chambers UK (2026)Gates is a talented barrister who, whilst committed to her brief, remained open-minded, approachable and easy to work with.
― Legal 500Serena has extraordinary intelligence and judgement. She is meticulous and inputted very effectively on legal issues. Her advocacy is exceptional and her case management skills are exemplary, and even when there is a crisis during a trial she can guide everyone through the problem.
― Legal 500As well as an impressive forensic approach she also has an effective and persuasive style of advocacy. This combined with an entirely sensible and reasonable approach makes her an extremely effective advocate.
Murder & Manslaughter
| Serena has extensive experience in complex homicide cases, including multi-handed trials involving murder and manslaughter and fatal road traffic offences. |
Featured cases:
- R v M and others (2025)- Central Criminal Court– Serena was instructed as leading counsel in a four handed conspiracy to murder case arising from a shooting in North London. The issues in the case focused on the admissibility of forensic evidence, the individual roles of defendants not all of whom were alleged to be present at the scene and their association with an address at which a large quantity of firearms and drugs were located.
- R v A and others (2025)- Snaresbrook Crown Court- instructed as junior in three-handed murder and attempted murder conducted as part of a revenge attack. Case involved complex cross-referencing of cell site, infotainment system data from a vehicle and overlaying CCTV sightings of vehicles and disguised persons.
- R v K and others (2025) – Central Criminal Court- Serena was instructed as junior counsel in six handed murder and manslaughter trial. Primary issues were joint enterprise, identity and intent. Defendants were alleged to use and interchange burner phones and the case relied on complex CCTV and phone evidence.
- R v R and others – Central Criminal Court- Serena was instructed as junior counsel in the trial and re-trial of gang members accused of murder and attempted murder of what were believed to be rival drug dealers. Issues in the case included identity and the admissibility of complex hearsay material arising from recorded prison calls between third parties where one or more defendant was present on part of the calls that incriminated others.
- R v B and S – Central Criminal Court- Serena was instructed as junior counsel in a two-handed murder resulting from a gang ‘ride out’ into rival territory. Issues included the admissibility of rap lyrics alleged to relate to the murder.
- R v M – Central Criminal Court- Serena was instructed as junior counsel in the prosecution of a 14-year-old boy for the murder of a 43-year-old father of three outside the victim’s home. The issue was self-defence and provocation as CCTV demonstrated that the victim had produced a weapon first before being stabbed by the defendant who took out and used a machete during the altercation.
Terrorism
Serena has extensive experience acting in terrorism cases, both as leading counsel and as a led junior. These have included cases involving preparation of terrorist acts, dissemination of terrorist publications, terrorist funding, and attempted murder cases alleged to have a terrorism connection. The cases in which she is instructed often involve vulnerable defendants, sensitive issues of disclosure and/or national security. Her previous experience working in conflict zones around the world make her exceptionally well placed to navigate some of the factual and legal issues that arise in such cases.
Featured Cases:
- R v B (2026) – Bristol crown Court- Serena was instructed is leading counsel in an attempted murder, alleged to have a terrorism connection. The case involves a vulnerable 18-year-old vulnerable female defendant, alleged to be right wing extremist who attempted to behead a member of the public with an axe.
- R v N – Kingston Crown Court- Serena was instructed as leading counsel in a case involving a vulnerable 15-year-old defendant with ASD and previous trauma who had been radicalised online to become an Islamic extremist. The defendant plotted to attack the Isle of Wight festival before switching targets to plan an attack on one of his teachers.
- R v AK – Birmingham Crown Court- Serena was instructed as junior, led by senior Treasury Counsel, to prosecute an individual accused of disseminating terrorist publications and possession of a copy of the Anarchists cookbook (s.58). The case involved complex legal arguments on disclosure, an application for part of the proceedings to be held in camera and an alleged abuse of process.
Fraud
Serena has previously been instructed as lead counsel and as a led junior in complex fraud and money laundering cases. These have included HMRC prosecutions for Construction Industry Scheme frauds, multi-million-pound insurance frauds and large-scale money-laundering of drug and other illicit funds. Many of the cases in which Serena has been instructed have multi-jurisdictional aspects and/or sensitive disclosure aspects to them.
Featured Cases:
- R v I & others Southwark CC– Serena was instructed as leading counsel in a multi handed complex insurance fraud involving the establishment of fraudulent companies and the laundering of the proceeds through multiple onward layers.
- R v S Maidstone CC- instructed as junior alone in case involving prosecution of orthopaedic surgeon for fraud, forgery and malicious communications.
- R v S, M & E – Isleworth Crown Court- Serena was instructed in a case involving the laundering of over £12 million in case through money service bureaus in West London. The case involved legal arguments of Autrefois convict.
Sexual Offences
| Serena has a wealth of experience in complex rape and sexual offences cases. She is also often instructed at the appeal stage in such matters. Many of Serena’s cases involve complex issues of disclosure, s.41 matters, legal arguments as to the admissibility of forensic and psychiatric evidence and cases with multiple complainants and vulnerable children or adults. Serena quickly gains the trust of both defendants and complainants and is adept at navigating the complex background between the parties that often exists in such cases. Her client care is exceptional and she goes the extra mile to take account of the reputational risks faced by parties seeking to protect their personal and professional lives. |
Featured Cases:
- R v R (2026) Snaresbrook Crown Court- Serena was instructed to prosecute a rape, non- fatal strangulation, ABH and perverting the course of justice trial in which Barron Trump witnessed part of the incident over Facetime. Serena expertly navigated the background sensitivities of the case including the reputational risks to all involved given the high level of media interest.
- R v G (2025) – Court of Appeal- Serena was instructed to resist an application by the Attorney General that the sentence imposed on Serena’s client for multiple counts of rape of his young step-daughter was unduly lenient. The Court agreed with her submissions that the trial Judge was right not to impose a finding of dangerousness on the Offender.
- R v N – Canterbury CC– Serena was instructed as leading counsel in the prosecution of a teenager with autism who had raped and sexually abused a very young complainant who also suffered from severe autism. Both defendant and complainant were assisted by intermediaries throughout.
- R v CP – Leicester CC– Serena was instructed as leading counsel to represent a defendant accused of the historical rape of multiple child complainants over several years. The defendant was a teenager and young adult at the time of the alleged incidents and both the complainants and defendant suffer from a variety of mental health conditions.
Serious & Organised Crime
Many of the cases in which Serena is instructed have involved serious criminality and organised crime gangs operating both in the UK and internationally. Such cases have included the large-scale importation of drugs, firearms and human trafficking into the UK in addition to serious violence within the UK and organised modern slavery. Her international experience often provides her with an advantage in understanding in navigating complex and sensitive disclosure and in understanding the international links and operational hierarchies of the criminal networks.
Featured Cases:
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Military Law
Serena has been instructed on behalf of the defendant in Courts Martials involving allegations including attempted murder and sexual offences. She also advises the Service Prosecution Authority pre-charge and on Victims’ Right to Review Cases.
Serena’s previous military experience, including operational tours, often gives her an in depth understanding of the background to such cases and an advantage in identifying potential issues that may arise such as previously undiagnosed PTSD that may arise from operational tours and traumatic experiences.
Professional Discipline
Serena has frequently been instructed on behalf of the General Dental Council to conduct hearings before the PCC and IOC.
Serena is adept at getting to grips with complex expert reports and issues within a short time frame in order to cross-examine complex and novel issues.
She is familiar with the law and practice of regulatory tribunals and happy to accept instructions from professionals and regulatory bodies alike.
Inquests & Inquiries
Serena deployed to the United Nations Syrian Commission of Inquiry between 2016 and 2018. Her role included conducting field investigations into war crimes and human rights violations committed by all parties to the conflict. She was then responsible for compiling and analysing evidence and producing the first report of the Commission focusing on the use of sexual and gender-based violence in the conflict, entitled ‘I lost my Dignity: Sexual and Gender Based Violence in the Syrian Arab Republic.’
Appeals
Serena has significant appellate advocacy experience having been instructed to appear on behalf of the Attorney General and offenders in Unduly Lenient Sentence hearings. She has also been instructed in cases involving the potential admissibility of new and expert evidence that has come to light post-conviction and cases involving complex points of law such as the availability of s.2(9) defences in terrorism prosecutions for disseminating terrorism publications.
International
Serena is currently instructed in a case involving historical war crimes allegations. She has also provided pre charge advice to the CPS in relation to the prosecution of war crimes in the UK under the International Criminal Court Act 2001 and to authorities abroad under comparable legislation
Serena has extensive UK and international advisory experience, particularly in a conflict or post-conflict context relating to terrorism, crimes against humanity, war crimes and human rights abuses including sexual and gender-based violence.
Serena is also a member of the Justice Rapid Response/UN Women roster of experts for investigating such matters. She has advised Ugandan prosecutors on the preparation and prosecution of historic war crimes before a specialist domestic tribunal, conducted in parallel to proceedings at the International Criminal Court.
In 2020 and again in 2024, Serena was deployed as an investigator by Justice Rapid Response in relation to allegations of genocide that form the basis of the International Court of Justice Case between the Gambia and Myanmar.
Between 2016 and 2018, Serena worked for the United Nations Syrian Commission of Inquiry. Her role included conducting field investigations into war crimes and human rights violations committed by all parties to the conflict, including ISIS. She was responsible for compiling and analysing evidence and producing the first report of the Commission focusing on the use of sexual and gender based violence in the conflict, entitled I lost my Dignity: Sexual and Gender Based Violence in the Syrian Arab Republic (You can see a video of Serena chairing the report’s launch at the UN by clicking here).
Serena is also a Senior Civilian Expert for the UK Office of Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation, a cross HMG unit based in the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, but conducting work for a range of Government departments including the NCA and HO. In this role she has frequently provided advice and technical expertise in developing and assessing security and justice capacity building programmes around the world.
She has also undertaken projects on behalf of the Home Office to assess the threat to UK interests from Serious and Organised Crime and UK policy responses to the same relating to different regions around the world including South Asia and the Caribbean.
Serena has been asked to present on sexual and gender based violence at UN events in New York (see Press Reports by clicking here) and at other international events such as the End SGBV Oslo event in May 2019.
Serena is a member of the International Advisory Committee for the NGO, Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) (you can read more about their work by clicking here). Her work on behalf of LAW has included training senior prosecutors in Sri Lanka in the prosecution of sexual violence under domestic and international criminal law.
This builds on other training and mentoring experience Serena has gained over the years including training Supreme Court Justice in Nigeria in the prosecution of terrorism cases and mentoring of the Afghan judiciary and terrorism prosecutors in Helmand Province on behalf of the UK FCO.
Education
- MA, University of Cambridge
Awards
- Halsbury Rule of Law Award, Lexis Nexis (2019)
- Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service, Operational Honours List (2008)
- Diplock Scholarship, Middle Temple (2000)
Professional Appointments
- Silk 2026
- Recorder of the Crown Court 2024
- Advisory Board Member – Legal Action Worldwide (NGO)
- Treasury Counsel Monitoree (September 2021 to March 2024)
- Senior Civilian Expert for UK HMG Office of Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation (A cross Whitehall unit providing specialist advice to HMG departments including FCDO, NCA, HO and others.)
- Halsbury Rule of Law Award 2019 (for war crimes work)
Languages
- Spanish