Craig Harris

Year of Call: 2006

Specialist practice areas: Serious Crime, Serious Sexual Offences, Extradition, Asset Forfeiture, Immigration

Craig Harris specialises in all areas of criminal law, including extradition and asset forfeiture proceedings.  He is currently instructed as junior counsel in a case before the European Court of Human Rights.

Predominantly instructed for the defence, Craig has appeared in cases involving serious violence, firearms, drugs supply, arson, sexual offences, offences of dishonesty and proceedings for perverting the course of justice. 

He has prosecuted hearings on behalf of the CPS, DWP and RCPO, and also appears for appellants before the Independent Social Security Appeals Tribunal and the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. 

Serious Crime

Weapons and Violence.  This is an area of particular interest.  Craig is regularly instructed in cases involving firearms, section 18 GBH, robbery, ABH, violent disorder and affray. He is currently instructed in a cash-in-transit robbery case involving extensive cell-site evidence and has recently defended against  allegations of possession of Russian military sub-machine guns, ammunition and large quantitites of class A drugs intended for commercial supply.  Other notable cases include his instruction for the defence in Operation Balconi; concerning the wide-scale organised violence between West Ham Utd and Tottenham Hotspur football fans following a match in 2009, and Operation Halfpenny; concerning a spate of violent roberries of taxi drivers in Essex.

Sexual Offences.  Craig has experience of dealing with cases involving young defendants and witnesses and historical allegations.  He recently appeared for a juvenile charged with perverting the course of justice, arising out of allegations that she had been the victim of a double rape.  He has conducted cases of alleged historcial sexual activity with children,  the causing of children to engage in sexual activity by  penetration and the making and distribution of child abuse images.  Craig appeared in the Court of Appeal in R v Lyons [2010] EWCA Crim 155, a case concerning the appropriate length of sentence for multiple breaches of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

Drugs, Dishonesty and General Crime.  Craig has been instructed in cases concerning "cannabis factories", large-scale arson, allegations relating to false documents and alleged conspiracies to steal.   He also has also conducted  an unusual case concerning not-insane automatism and insanity defences. He is particularly interested in abuse of process applications and was instructed to conduct legal argument in a case of alleged police entrapment arising out of Operation OUSE, an undercover police sting relating to trade in illicit goods.

Extradition

Craig is currently instructed as junior counsel before the European Court of Human Rights (led by Mark Summers), arguing that the Applicant's return to the United States - where he would face a possible sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for an 'execution style' murder - would violate Article 3 of the European Convention.

He frequently conducts initial extradition hearings and has appeared at full hearings concerning both Category 1 and Category 2 territories.

Asset Forfeiture & Confiscation

Craig regularly appears in civil proceedings for the detention and forfeiture of seized cash, as well as confiscation hearings in the criminal arena.  Highlights have included:

Appearing on behalf of a defendant convicted of conspiring to commit armed robberies of jewellery stores to a value of approximately half a million pounds.

Successfully acting for the respondent in civil forfeiture proceedings relating to  cash suspected to be linked to the infamous £53m Tonbridge Securitas depot robbery. 

Notable Cases

Joshua Edwards v UK (European Court of Human Rights, ongoing) - Arguing that the applicant's return to the USA to face trial for an 'execution style murder' and possible imprisonment for life without the possibility of parole will violate Article 3 of the ECHR.

R v John (Isleworth Crown Court, 2010) - Defence of a man charged with historical allegations of sexual activity with children, concerning multiple complainants, and the making and possession of indecent images of children.

R v John Lyons [2010] EWCA Crim 155 - Successful appeal against sentence for multiple breaches of a Sexual Offenders' Prevention Order, against the refusal of the single judge to grant leave to appeal.

R v D (Oxford Youth Court, 2009) - Defence of a juvenile charged with perverting the course of justice, by making a false claim to have been the victim of a double rape.

R v Arslan & Others (Wood Green Crown Court, 2008) - Defence of an alleged gang member charged with possession of firearms, ammunition and large quantities of class A drugs.

Kent Police v Rusha (Maidstone Magistrates Court, 2007) - Appeared for the respondent in Kent Police's civil application for forfeiture of cash said to be linked to the £53m Tonbridge Securitas depot robbery.

Publications

Acknowledged contributor to 'Young, Summers & Corker on Abuse of Process in Criminal Proceedings' (Bloomsbury, 3rd ed, 2009).