Gillian Jones is an experienced advocate whose practice focuses on serious fraud, money laundering, mutual assistance, organised crime, homicide and major drug importations. She is instructed by defence solicitors, Financial Services Authority, Serious Fraud Office, Medicines and Health Regulatory Authority, Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office and the Crown Prosecution Service.
She is on the
Serious Fraud Office's Panel A and the
Attorney General’s List of prosecuting counsel, Panel B.
Gillian has recently started taking cases as a leader in serious criminal cases (multi handed counterfeit currency case acting on behalf of the second in command, prosecuted by the Serious Crime Directorate, CPS).
What the directories say
The
Legal 500 [2009]: “
Gillian Jones is … developing a very good serious crime practice”.
Chambers & Partners UK [2010]: She is individually ranked in crime in this year’s publication. The qualities on which rankings are assessed include technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, diligence, commitment and other qualities valued by the client.
Particular areas of experience:
Fraud / Money laundering
Gillian appears both on behalf of the prosecution and defence in multi-handed large scale fraud cases. Her experience extends to frauds involving MTIC/ Carousel, cartels, ratings, alcohol diversion, educational trusts and commercial property. An area of particular expertise is acting on behalf of the defence in Hawalha banking cases. She is thoroughly familiar with all aspects of disclosure and public interest immunity.
Current instructions for the Defence include:
- Large scale tax fraud involving abuse of the PAYE system.
- Conspiracy to supply counterfeit currency.
- Representing a solicitor charged with an immigration fraud.
Current instructions for the Crown include:
- Serious Fraud Office in a large scale commercial property fraud.
- Department of Health (MHRA) in a large scale counterfeit medicines conspiracy.
- Independent disclosure counsel in a large scale and sensitive MTIC fraud, which also involves advising on documents to which Legal Professional Privilege may attach.
Corporate Crime / Financial Services Authority
Gillian is currently instructed as first junior in the FSA’s flagship insider dealing / market abuse case. The details are currently confidential as this is an ongoing investigation.
She advises City law firms in respect of their obligations under the money laundering regulations, as well as conducting reviews on compliance procedures.
Gillian currently acts as a legal advisor to a large international energy company providing advice on anti-corruption issues.
Multi jurisdictional work
An area of work in which she has unique experience is in the field of Mutual Legal Assistance.
Silvio Berlusconi & David Mills (Husband of ex-cabinet minister)
Gillian acted as the UK’s lead advocate in obtaining evidence from prosecution witnesses in the highly politically sensitive prosecution of Silvio Berlusconi (represented by Clare Montgomery Q.C.) and David Mills (represented by Hugo Keith Q.C.). She was selected by the Milan Prosecutor’s Office, Italy to act on their behalf as prosecution counsel in proceedings conducted in the UK. Unusually the Milan Criminal Court convened in the UK to hear evidence being taken from key prosecution witnesses. Further proceedings were conducted via Live Link direct to the Milan Criminal Court.
She is also experienced in advising on, as well as drafting European Arrest Warrants leading to the extradition of defendants to the UK for prosecution. She is currently involved in proceedings involving the extradition of a defendant from Holland, acting on behalf of RCPO (SOCA investigation).
Restraint / Confiscation/ Asset Forfeiture
The nature of her work means that many of her cases both defending and prosecuting require consideration of confiscation issues, the obtaining of material from foreign jurisdictions, the use of forensic accountants and the understanding of complex bank movements and off shore transactions. She is thoroughly conversant with this rapidly changing area of the law. She has advised on restraint proceedings instructed on behalf of RCPO, as well as appearing on behalf of the defence in seeking to discharge restraint orders.
See:
R v Najafpour [2009]
Serious and Complex Crime & VHCC
Having been involved in the scheme since its inception in 2000, she is familiar with liaising with the Legal Services Commission and ensuring the needs and requirements of the defence in the proper preparation of serious, complex and often lengthy trials are met.
Vulnerable witnesses & Intermediaries
She is experienced in the specialised area of advocacy involving the cross examination of very young and vulnerable witnesses. Recent cases have involved the cross examination of a 5-year-old, as well as witnesses suffering from Autism and Asperger's Syndrome. Gillian has argued both for and against the use of intermediaries in cases involving witnesses with learning disabilities and mental health problems. She has also conducted the cross examination of a complainant, who had the assistance of an intermediary.
Illustrative cases
Financial Services Authority (ongoing)
Investigation into allegations of insider dealing and market abuse.
R v Gillespie & Others (ongoing)
Junior prosecution counsel in UK’s largest prosecution concerning the supply of counterfeit medicines.
R v Chambers & Others (ongoing)
Junior defence counsel in a large scale tax fraud.
R v Imtiaz (ongoing)
Defence counsel representing a solicitor charged with immigration fraud.
R v Harris (ongoing)
Defence counsel on behalf of a paramedic charged with misconduct in public office and allegations of perverting the course of justice. She argued successfully at Dismissal that a paramedic does not hold public office, causing that count to be dismissed.
R v Weaver & others (ongoing)
Leading counsel in a multi handed conspiracy to counterfeit currency. Described as the largest breach to the UK’s banking system to date.
R v Ali & Ali (ongoing)
Murder case, arising from the abolition of the year and a day rule.
Serious Fraud Office (2009)
Investigation into allegations of corruption of government agents and conspiracy to defraud centred on property deals.
R v Tasci & others (2009)
Multi handed conspiracy to facilitate the importation of illegal immigrants.
R v Burak & others (2009)
Murder case, involving complex medical evidence as to cause of death including pathology, epilepsy, neurology experts.
Silvio Berlusconi and David Mills (2007- 2009)
Prosecution counsel in UK MLA proceedings – involved taking of evidence from key witnesses; issues as to legal professional privilege both in UK and Italy; jurisdictional legal arguments and issues over transmission of material via UKCA.
R v Green & others (2008) Operation Nebula 1 & 2
R v Davies & others (2008) Operation Nebula 3
Junior prosecution counsel - drug / money laundering gang operating between the UK and Europe, investigation led by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency. The cases involved putting into understandable and presentable format vast amounts of surveillance evidence and search evidence; extensive legal arguments as to admissibility of evidence as well as expert evidence in the fields of forensic accountancy, drug analysis, DNA, Mass Spec. and others. Complex confiscation proceedings are ongoing.
R v Patel (2008)
Defence counsel – fraud – multi handed conspiracy to steal petrol using cloned credit cards and money launder.
R v Cornwell (2008)
Defence counsel – 13 handed conspiracy to steal from cash machines nationwide.
R v Ghandi (2008)
Defence counsel – breach of trust fraud – personal assistant of CEO.
R v Lanu (2008)
Junior counsel for the defendant in multiple knife-point rape of prostitutes; admissibility of unproven rape as bad character evidence; admissibility of previous ‘false’ complaints.
R v Najafpour (2008)
Junior counsel for the defence in £20 million hawalha banking money-laundering conspiracy
R v Jeffrey (2008)
Defence counsel for step father – serial rape of stepson with severe learning disabilities, part historic and part recent, involved use of intermediaries.
R v Pascal & others (2008)
Prosecution counsel - multi handed conspiracy to supply class A drugs, undercover police operation, large amount of probe evidence.
R v Thomas & others (2007)
Defence counsel for Uncle (with learning disabilities) accused sexual assault on 5 year old niece over number of months. Issues as to capacity of child to give evidence and admissibility of ABE video.
R v Mentesh (2007)
Defence counsel for step father charge with multiple rape (oral, vaginal, anal) of nine year old step daughter of twelve month period.
R v Dhillon (2007)
Junior counsel for the defence in 5-handed cut-throat murder involving multiple issues of bad character.
Lectures / Working Parties
Gillian is an experienced lecturer –
- McKay’s Law Lectures [2009] – “Turning intelligence into evidence” – changes in the law in respect of voice identification evidence and the implications of the Witness Anonymity Act.
- Presented lectures and workshops to solicitors, barristers and Magistrates on the Human Rights legislation.
- Acted as a facilitator during workshops at the Criminal Bar Association conference on Vulner-able Witnesses.
- Contributor to the College of Law professional development programme in conjunction with Legal Network Television, on a wide range of topics from sentencing to changes in the substantive law.
She has been involved in a number of working parties responding to Government Consultation Papers on behalf of the Bar Council and Criminal Bar Association, including reform of the sexual offences legislation, juveniles, community sentences, vulnerable witnesses, the Homicide Act (October 2008) and currently expert evidence in criminal proceedings (2009).
Books / Articles
- Chapter contributor – Cross Border Jurisdiction - Fraud Law, Practice and Procedure (LexisNexis) 2006 -2010.
- Contributing editor to Archbold - Magistrates Court Criminal Practice (Sweet & Maxwell) 2005 -2010
- She has over the years contributed to Rook and Ward on Sexual Offences (Sweet & Maxwell – Criminal Law Library)
- Forensic Gynaecology: Towards Better Care of the Female Victim of Sexual Assault.
- Archbold Practical Research Papers – on Diminished Responsibility and Doli Incapax.
- Parliamentary Brief, ‘A fraud on Freedom’ in which she discusses the dangers inherent in the government’s proposals to limit the right of citizens to trial by jury – published 9th March 2007
- Articles for the CBA Quarterly and the New Law Journal.
