Caroline Haughey

Year of Call: 1999

Grade 4 Prosecutor

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

Described in the Legal 500 2010 edition as "a brilliant junior".

Times Lawyer of the Week 14th April 2011.

Caroline prosecutes and defends across a wide variety of the most serious and high profile criminal cases with significant experience in a number of areas of health and safety law, regulatory work and associated areas such as inquests. She has developed a reputation for prosecuting and defending cases where ‘novel law' and or sensitive matters are in issue.

Caroline has a particular interest in organised crime, firearms drugs and violence offences. She has been instructed as junior counsel for both the Defence and the Crown in a number of 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), Montecarl, Dariole, Weave and Balivor (the Southwark Rapist).

As well as her Operational cases she has also acted on behalf of the defence as junior in cases across the range of criminal offences from murder, serious 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.

She prosecuted the first cases in Britain of modern day slavery as well as the first ever conviction for an offence of bribery under the Bribery Act 2010. Caroline was involved in the first cases signed under section 73 Serious Organised Crime and Police Act, the first prosecution of the importation of Ketamine in the United Kingdom as well as matters under RIPA s49. The Southwarks Rapist of whom Caroline was part of the successful prosecution team received the first ever "life means life" sentence for a non murder conviction.

Through both the Criminal and Regulatory aspects of her practice, Caroline has developed particular experience in disclosure both of national and internationally obtained material, medical disclosure, SOCPA agreements and associated material as well as phone and computer evidence and analysis.

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 and LCN DNA.

She has extensive experience in prosecuting and defending
in cases where internet material has been in dispute and has a working knowledge of various computer applications, encryption and software.

Caroline has a depth of experience in Regulatory work including Heath and Safety, GOC, Fire Authority as well as pharmaceutical and veterinary practice and regulation ranging from incinerators to Lab ISO accreditation. She recently succeeded in forcing a Local Authority to offer no evidence in a death in the work place allegation where there had been significant failings in disclosure at Reading Crown Court - "The Cure Tour at Bray Studios".

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 or death have occurred and causation is in issue.

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.
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 is particularly asked to lecture on LCN DNA. She was an organizer of and lecturer on the NSPCC / CBA "Young People and Criminal Justice System: Both sides of the Fence" series of lectures and has experience in dealing with evidence by way of intermediaries. She regularly lectures for LNTV (College of Law).

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. She had also been in involved in drafting the CBA response to the Coroners Act.
Caroline also wrote the Bar Council Fact sheet on Charging, Trial and sentencing procedures for young offenders in serious cases
 as well as being involved in the annotation of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

She is a member of the Middle Temple and the CBA and the BSB Conduct Committee. 
She also advises on scripts, productions and books concerning crime and the justice system and is regularly interviewed by the media in relation to the criminal law and its application.