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Overview
Ehsanul is a specialist advocate dealing with Criminal and Regulatory cases. He is regularly instructed to prosecute and defend in serious cases involving violence, drugs, firearms, dishonesty and sexual offences.
He is also instructed in Trading Standards, Health and Safety and Licensing cases. He is regularly instructed by the Police and lay clients on Firearms Appeals in the Crown Court.
Prior to pupillage, Ehsanul worked in East Africa for an international charity that provided pro bono legal assistance. He led a strategic litigation team that identified and conducted cases for the reform of criminal law in Uganda. In 2022, he worked with Advocates 4 International Development (A4ID), assisting in the development of a Training Handbook on International Criminal Law for Ukrainian Judges. He also worked as an Associate Lecturer.
He regularly accepts pro bono cases and was included in the inaugural Pro Bono Recognition List.
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Crime
Ehsanul regularly appears in the Crown Court and is instructed to do both defence and prosecution work in serious criminal cases. Ehsanul also has experience of appearing before the Court of Appeal.
Ehsanul is also instructed to advise local authorities and police during the investigation stage. He recently advised a local authority regarding the anonymity of young defendants in murder trials who were under the care of the local authority.
Some of the recent cases are noted below:
Recent appellate cases
R v JR (2024): Successful appeal against a sexual harm prevention order made 5 years ago on the basis that the Judge did not have the power to impose such an order. The Court of Appeal quashed the order, and prosecution for breach of the order was discontinued.
R v WP (2024): Successful expedited appeal after defendant received a custodial sentence for a sexual assault offence. The appeal was allowed, and the defendant received a suspended sentence leading to immediate release.
Recent Crown Court cases
R v KH, MK, AM (2024): Prosecution of three members of an Organised Crime Group (OCG) who attacked another group of men also involved in an OCG. They were charged with multiple offences of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and violent disorder.
R v CM (2024): Instructed to defend in a 3-week trial for fraud and perverting the course of justice. The defendants were accused of being part of a fraudulent “cash for crash” claim over £100,000 in value. The case involved legal arguments on abuse of process and disclosure issues.
R v TC (2024): Instructed to represent one of the three defendants accused of kidnapping and causing wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Ehsanul was instructed to represent the first defendant in the Indictment. The prosecution offered no evidence following robust representation before trial.
R v AK (2024): Instructed to defend in a case of Witness Intimidation. Successful half-time submission on the basis that there was no evidence of intimidation.
R v CT (2024): instructed to represent a defendant with significant mental health issues. The defendant was acquitted after a trial for the offence of causing grievous bodily harm.
R v JS (2024): instructed to represent a defendant accused of breaching Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and Notification Requirements. The prosecution offered no evidence after Ehsanul’s cross-examination of the prosecution expert, creating doubt on the reliability of the software used by the expert. There was also a successful application to exclude a confession under section 78 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.
R v LB (2023): instructed to defend in a case of causing wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (s.18) as part of a group attack on an individual.
R v MP (2023): instructed to defend a man accused of offences of False Imprisonment, Strangulation and Threats to Kill. The defendant was accused of holding the complainant at knifepoint for 6 hours before she escaped. The defendant was acquitted on all counts after a 6-day trial in the Crown Court..
R v DM (2023): Instructed by CPS Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate for a Fraud by Abuse of Position committed over 7 years. The defendant pleaded guilty. It was a high-profile case with attention from the national media. There was a confiscation order of £1.6 million. The case received coverage in various national media, including the BBC.
Advisory work
Re IW: Advice to Wiltshire Constabulary on dealing with legally privileged and sensitive material within devices seized from a solicitor suspected of being involved in a conspiracy to supply drugs.
Operation Bukoba: Advised Avon and Somerset Police on powers of surveillance and handling legally privileged material that an investigating officer had already seen in a double murder investigation at the pre-charge stage.
Re JC: Advice to the police regarding the retention of Special Procedure Material obtained from a suspect’s phone who was a high-level government official.
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Inquests
Ehsanul also receives instructions for Inquest cases. He has recently participated in the University of Bolton Coronial Law Short Course arranged by the Centre for Contemporary Coronial Law
He has experience of attending inquests on behalf of bereaved families and on behalf of local authorities.
Ehsanul’s articles on Inquest law can be seen below:
