Lisa Wilson
Year of Call: 2006
Email: lwilson@furnivallaw.co.uk
Principally a defence advocate, Lisa is regularly instructed to appear in Crown Court trials in all areas of criminal law. She has appeared in cases involving Robbery, GBH, Affray, Sexual offences, Child Cruelty, Fraud, Drugs and Firearms offences. With a background in medical ethics, Lisa is regularly instructed to advise on and represent defendants who are suffering from mental health difficulties. She is highly recognised for her skilful handling of cases involving young and vulnerable defendants.
Lisa has appeared successfully in the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division). Most recently, she successfully appealed against the 3-year sentence imposed after a "3rd strike" dwelling burglary. The Court of Appeal agreed with her submission that the mandatory minimum was unjust in the appellant's case.
Lisa is on the CPS list and has experience prosecuting in busy magistrates' courts. She has also prosecuted in the Crown Court on behalf of the National Probation Service and has appeared in the High Court (Family Division) on behalf of the CPS.
Asset Forfeiture/ Confiscation/ Immigration/ Regulatory
Lisa also appears in civil proceedings for the detention and forfeiture of seized cash, confiscation hearings, and in Anti Social Behaviour Order applications.
She is also instructed to act on behalf of immigration detainees in bail applications and appeals before the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal.
Following a number of trials in which Lisa has successfully challenged the lawfulness of the actions of police officers, she is happy to advise on civil actions against the police.
Notable cases
R v Thomas (Court of Appeal, Criminal Division) [2011] EWCA Crim 1139: Successful appeal against ‘mandatory minimum' sentence in "3rd strike" dwelling burglary case. Three years reduced to 18 months.
R v Gordon (Court of Appeal, Criminal Division): Successful appeal against sentence for numerous fraud offences and possession of false identity documents.
R v Mark Weston (Reading Crown Court): Double jeopardy murder retrial. Lisa appeared on behalf of the defendant in lengthy legal arguments on media restrictions and successful bail application.
R v S: (High Court, Family Division): Appeared for the Crown to overturn an earlier ruling which allowed the disclosure of ABE evidence from the criminal proceedings to parties involved in parallel family proceedings.
R v Juma (Isleworth Crown Court): Defendant unanimously acquitted of all three counts of child cruelty.
R v Moon (Central Criminal Court): Represented the appellant in one of the first appeals against a post-acquittal restraining order.
R v Gurgzdyte (Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court): Defendant was acquitted of obstructions and assaults against the police, despite admitting entering into a crime scene and hitting a police officer in the face. The District Judge accepted Lisa's submission that the police had acted unlawfully when they initially arrested the defendant.
Other
Before joining Chambers, Lisa gained valuable experience as a Judicial Assistant for HHJ Wadsworth in R v Virendra Rastogi & Others, a £multi-million, seven-month fraud trial at Southwark Crown Court. The jury bundles ran to 10,000 pages and there were over 800,000 pages of served unused material. The trial involved 12 Silks & leading juniors.
Member of the South Eastern Circuit
Treasurer of the Association of Women Barristers.
Lisa is proficient in Live Note and has undertaken National Autistic Society training.
Publications
‘An Overview of Previous Working Party Reports’; Appendix to the Bar Working Party Final Report (Lord Neuberger)