Caroline Haughey

Year of Call: 1999

Specialist practice areas: Serious Crime, Criminal/Civil Fraud, Serious Sexual Offences, Regulation/Compliance, Asset Forfeiture, Anti-terrorism, Health & Safety, Inquests & Public Inquiries

Caroline's expertise spans all areas of criminal law. She prosecutes and defends across a wide variety of the most serious criminal cases with experience in asset forfeiture and a number of areas of regulatory work.

Caroline has a particular interest in organised crime, firearms drugs and violence offences. She has been instructed as junior counsel for the Crown in a number Operations including Bellavista (large-scale drug importation), Pauldings (firearms, perverting the course of justice, supply of drugs and money laundering), Brinzer (large scale drug supply) Goldmouth (firearms and drug supply) and Balivor (the Southwark Rapist). Caroline was involved in the first cases signed under section 73 Serious Organised Crime and Police Act, as well as the first prosecution of the importation of Ketamine in the United Kingdom.

She has also acted on behalf of the defence as junior in cases across the range of criminal offences from murder, fraud and dishonesty, drug offences, rape and other serious sexual and violent offences including supergrasses.

Caroline has had sole conduct of cases ranging from attempted murder, death by dangerous driving, serious sexual and violent offences, armed robbery and numerous drug and dishonesty offences.

Through her Criminal work, Caroline has developed a particular experience in disclosure both of national and internationally obtained material, SOCPA agreements and associated material as well as phone evidence and analysis.

Caroline has also regularly appeared in cases where mental health of the complainant or defendant has been at issue and has been interviewed on this issue by Radio 4.

Among Caroline's particular strengths are her skills in handling cases involving mental health issues, such as fitness to plead and insanity and juvenile defendants. She has had both training and experience in undertaking cases using intermediaries.

Caroline has an extensive knowledge of general forensic,  medico forensic and ballistic evidence and has advised both prosecuting agencies and the defence on the various avenues of expert evidence that can be explored - including the use of a canine DNA database.

Caroline has a depth of experience in Regulatory work including Heath and Safety,  Fire Authority  as well as pharmaceutical and veterinary practice and regulation ranging from incinerators to Lab ISO accreditation.  She has successfully stayed prosecutions on grounds of abuse of process as well as currently advising  a multi -  national company on an Environment Agency prosecution with multi jurisdictional dimensions.

Caroline's wide ranging knowledge on forensic and medical evidence means that she is often requested to advise on and or   mitigate in cases where injuries have been sustained and causation is in issue.

Caroline is a former lecturer in law in the subjects Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act, Criminology and Advocacy at the UEL and currently lecturers on disclosure in sexual offences and advocacy. She was an organizer and lecturer on the NSPCC / CBA "Young People and Criminal Justice System: Both sides of the Fence" series of lectures.

She is the author of a ‘White Paper on Decriminalisation of Prostitution' on behalf of the Irish Government and is a Joint author with Brian Barker QC (now the Common Sergeant) on "Codification of the Criminal Law" for the Administrative Law Society.

Caroline also wrote the Bar Council Fact sheet on Charging, Trial and sentencing procedures for young offenders in serious cases