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Overview
Rachael joined Albion Chambers in March 2023 having previously been employed as a Senior Crown Prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service.
Prior to joining the Crown Prosecution Service in 2021, Rachael was an Associate at a law firm in the British Virgin Islands whereby she practiced primarily in commercial law with a focus on insolvency. Rachael was called to the Bar of the Virgin Islands in October 2019.
Rachael was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2016 and practiced in Northern Ireland until 2019.
She has been appointed to the CPS Advocates Panel (Grade 2) and to the List of Specialist Regulatory Advocates (Category C).
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Crime
Rachael has had a varied criminal practice since joining Chambers. She regularly prosecutes and defends in the Crown Court. She also acts on behalf of police forces and the Probation Service.
R v G (2025): successfully defended a man charged with sexual assault. Following cross-examination of the Witnesses during the Trial, the case was stopped by the Crown.
R v S (2024): successful prosecution of a defendant charged offences of strangulation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm within a domestic context.
R v D (2024): defence of man convicted of sexual assault. Following submissions, the defendant was sentenced to a 9-month Community Order. Due to the Order being under 12 months, he did not become subject to notification requirements.
Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Constabulary v R (2023): acting for the Chief Constable, Rachael obtained a Forfeiture Order in respect of frozen funds contained within the bank account of the respondent.
R v K (2023): defence of a man charged with non-fatal suffocation and battery offences within a domestic context. Following submissions at the sentencing hearing, the defendant received a Suspended Sentence Order.
R v P (2023): successful defence of a man charged with assaulting another man with a weapon causing injuries. The defence of self-defence was successfully argued, and the jury acquitted the defendant.
R v A (2023): defence of a 17-year old boy who was convicted of s. 18 grievous bodily harm and having a bladed article in a public place. Following submissions at the sentencing hearing, the boy was sentenced to a 12-month Youth Rehabilitation Order.
R v R (2022): successful prosecution of a defendant for breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a common assault within a domestic context.
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Regulatory
2023 – acted for a water company who sought a warrant for entry into a property to complete works to make safe the property.
SM v GP (2024): acted for a private landlord defending proceedings brought under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Rachael has recently been appointed to the List of Specialist Regulatory Advocates (Category C).
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Reviews and Inquiries
Rachael was a research assistant on the Independent Isle of Man Covid Review with Kate Brunner KC acting as Chair. She undertook research tasks which involved reviewing a large amount of material.
