Lisa Freeman

Year of Call: 2005

Serious Crime

Lisa Freeman is developing a broad criminal practice, both defending and prosecuting in the Crown Court. She has recently been instructed to defend in cases involving firearms (possession with intent), drugs (importation & supplying Class A and C), violence (GHB, ABH, violent disorder and affray), robbery, possession of false documents, facilitating illegal entry and dishonesty offences.

Lisa has experience of jury trials, contempt of court hearings, sentencing hearings considering “dangerousness”, and appeals against conviction and sentence from the Magistrates’ Court. She has also appeared in the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) for an appeal against sentence in contempt of court proceedings (R v Askew [2007] EWCA Crim 2719).

Lisa’s prosecution experience includes instructions from the CPS (Grade 2), Probation Services, DWP, Post Office, Transport for London and Westminster City Council. In 2006, she was seconded to the Serious Fraud Office to undertake a disclosure review for a £multi-million fraud case.

Lisa’s previous experience as a youth worker has contributed to her particular experience defending young and vulnerable defendants in Youth Court proceedings for serious offences.

Lisa has appeared in contested civil applications in the Magistrates’ courts and has recently successfully defended a five day stand alone ASBO application sought against five respondents.

Prison Law

Lisa has experience of prison adjudication hearings and has advised on the merits of judicially reviewing decisions effecting prisoner rights.

Asset Forfeiture

Lisa has experience in matters relating to confiscation proceedings under the Drug Trafficking Act 1994, the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Lisa has defended contested confiscation hearings, and advised in relation to restraint orders and receivership applications.

Lisa is presently seconded to the Asset Forfeiture Division of the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office as a Case Lawyer for restraint and confiscation proceedings. Lisa has gained considerable knowledge through advising Financial Investigators, drafting and applying for restraint orders, consent orders and applications for receivership orders.

Lisa also has experience of enforcement hearings and applications for certificates of inadequacy.

Current instructions include advising on an application to the Criminal Case Review Commission on a £1 million confiscation order under the Drug Trafficking Act 1994.

Extradition

Lisa has experience defending extradition proceedings under both Part 1 and Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003. Cases include allegations of attempted murder, large-scale drug importations and £multi-million frauds.

Contested hearings have involved arguments on the validity of the European Arrest Warrant, extra-territorial jurisdiction of offences and compatibility of extradition with the Human Rights Act 1998.

Forthcoming High Court cases concern the validity of the European Arrest Warrant (s.2(4)(c)) and the correct test for identifying whether the conduct occurred in the Requesting Authority in Framework List offences (s.10 and s.64(2)(a)).

LLM in International Human Rights Law (University of Essex, 2003) specialising in international criminal law and extradition. Thesis: “The prosecution of nationals for article 4 crimes, a corollary of ratification.”

Other

Lisa also welcomes pro bono instructions for assistance with death penalty cases; she gained considerable experience of the American legal system during an internship in the United States and has subsequently provided assistance on American and Caribbean cases.

Member of the Proceeds of Crime Lawyers Association and the Extradition Lawyers Association.