Andrew Davidson
Year of Call: 2003
CPS Grade: 3
Direct Access
Accredited by the Bar Council under the Direct Access procedure and in suitable cases he is happy to accept instructions from members of the public. Please see the Direct Access section of the website for further details. Has already accepted a number of instructions from serving members of the Armed Forces.
Continuing Professional Development
Lectures to professional clients on various topics. Retained as consultant to an insurance company specialising in kidnap, ransom and emergency evacuation policies: briefings, seminars and lectures are common place.
Areas Of Specialism
Court's martial, Drugs & Gang-Related Offences, Financial crime, Murder & Manslaughter, Sexual Offences
Career overview
Mature entrant to the Bar following 24 years service in the Armed Forces.
Practice Summary
Details of practice
Instructed by prosecution and defence in the full range of criminal cases, at Crown Court and appellate level. Often instructed to represent former or serving members of the armed forces. Regularly instructed to prosecute on behalf of HMRC, the DTI and DWP, and to represent clients in regulatory matters involving health and safety, the security industry, licensing and company law.
Typical areas of practice:
- Homicide cases including murder, manslaughter and death by driving.
- Cases involving firearms, and other serious non-fatal violence.
- Frauds and theft.
- Serious sexual offences against children and adults.
- Drug importations and conspiracies to supply.
Financial crime:
- Leading junior representing a client charged with conspiracy to defraud: a multi-defendant case investigated by SOCA involving a complex international dimension.
- A multi handed white collar fraud involving high value performance cars.
Sexual offences:
- Leading junior representing one of a number of defendants charged with historic sexual offences against multiple complainants, where the Indictment contained over 50 counts including allegations of rape, sexual assault, inter familial sex and possession of indecent images.
Murder and manslaughter:
- Represented a client charged with murder where there was a significant issue of causation.
- Represented a defendant charged with manslaughter, principal issue one of self-defence.
Human trafficking and modern day slavery:
- Represented a defendant charged with people trafficking, settled effective grounds for extending legal aid order for instructing solicitor to travel to Tanzania in order to gather evidence.
Drugs and gang-related offences:
- Represented a client in a large scale conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs valued in excess of £1m, over several police areas.
Other notable cases:
- Defendant charged with firearms offences and causing grievous bodily harm with intent: a ‘gangland’ shooting following a drugs dispute.
- An unusual high profile case involving a Polish priest charged with removing a body from a grave without lawful authority, contrary to common law: it was said that the remains were of a boy who was considered a Saint by the Polish community.