Sara Lawson's practice comprises a wide variety of crime. She has been briefed as leading counsel and a junior in Fraud and Sexual Offence cases. She has been on the Attorney General's List of Counsel to prosecute for various Government Departments since its inception and before, when each department had its own List.
She mainly prosecutes but also defends. In fraud cases in particular she employs extremely effective case management skills to make evidence easily understandable for judges and jurors. Accountancy was part of her Business Law degree and producing advice orally and in writing at short notice is a frequently used skill.
She has acted for the following [see also Case Specific Experience below]:
Serious Fraud Office (member of List A panel of counsel) - Instructed in complex, multi-defendant frauds. Currently instructed in an alleged “boiler room” fraud.
HSE [Health and Safety Executive] Instructed in cases involving fatalities in the workplace.
BIS [and as BERR and the DTI, including Companies House and the Insolvency Service] - both for the Department directly and instructed by agents on cases involving company director disqualifications, insolvency frauds, bankruptcy offences and forgery.
Revenue and Customs Division of the CPS (and formerly the RCPO) - She prosecuted on her own and led in multi-defendant frauds involving VAT, bonded warehouse diversion, MTIC fraud, drugs importation, money laundering, transferring criminal proceeds, duty evasion, conspiracies to cheat etc. She has appeared in the Magistrates', Crown and Divisional Courts and the Court of Appeal. Moreover she has extensive experience in dealing with Public Interest Immunity, Confiscation and Restraint. She has trained HMRC Officers in PII and court procedure. She is used to advising on the implications of RIPA and is aware of covert surveillance requirements and intercept material difficulties.
DWP [Dept. for Health, Work and Pensions] She advised pre-arrest on the course of investigation, on money laundering, on obtaining evidence from abroad and drafted Letters of Request for foreign jurisdictions. Also instructed in benefit frauds.
In 2008 she acted for the Attorney General of the Falkland Islands in prosecuting all the cases in the islands’ Supreme Court. Experienced in Colonial Law and Ordinances, Sara has also acted for the FI Government in an advisory capacity.
In 2008 she also advised the Naval Prosecuting Authority on evidence for courts martial.
She has been on the CPS Rape List since its inception, working for the CPS departments covering Snaresbrook CC, Wood Green CC, Southwark CC, Inner London CC and the Central Criminal Court. Dealing with rapes and sexual offences on adults, children and the mentally impaired, she is also experienced with special measures including video recorded testimony and the special needs of victims. Used to calling and cross-examining expert witnesses dealing with injuries, DNA etc. Experienced in dealing with expert retrieval of computer evidence, especially in pornography cases. She is fully trained and experienced in the use of Intermediaries and acts regularly as a leading junior. In 2007 she successfully prosecuted a teenage girl gang for a "happy slappy" video recorded sexual torture in a case attracting publicity.
She has prosecuted cases for the CPS generally, including SOCA operations, involving drugs, the proceeds of crime, banking frauds, fake passports, offences of violence and dishonesty and child abuse. Experienced in fitness to plead trials and dealing with mentally ill defendants and witnesses, as well as the calling and cross-examination of psychiatrists and other expert witnesses. Used to analysing expert telephone material including “cell-site” analysis.
Deals sensitively with all victims and relatives of deceased in death by dangerous driving and health and safety cases.
She has both defended and prosecuted in cases involving internet child pornography and sexual “grooming”.
In 2008 she was asked to advise the National Probation Service on the proper procedure and protocols for the production of evidence in all their cases.
Trained inter alia in Diversity; Complaints Handling; the Use of Intermediaries; Human Rights; Confiscation; Sexual offences; Victim Handling; Confidentiality and Sensitive Material Handling.
Whilst working as a consultant researcher for the Law Commission on statute law revision [1989], she helped compile the published Chronological Table of Local Legislation.
Sara has advised the Government via CBA working parties on sentencing reforms and domestic violence.
Television advisory work includes “Kavanagh QC” for Carlton and “Judge John Deed” for the BBC.
Recent Case Experience
Operation XXXXXXX – ongoing :- instructed to prosecute a $100 Million "boiler room" fraud for the SFO. Prosecuted POCA restraint proceedings involving millions of pounds. [Fraud; Money Laundering; Restraint]
Operation XXXXXXX - ongoing :- instructed, along with Standing Counsel David Walbank, to review convictions in 31 cases for RCPO. Cases range from MTIC frauds to drugs importations. There will be considerable amounts of PII material to review and advise upon. [MTIC frauds; drugs cases; Public Interest Immunity]
Operation Sxxxxx (2008) :- brought in to prosecute for RCPO [Internal Governance], at short notice, an alleged conspiracy by Revenue employee obtaining large sums of money by identity fraud on the Revenue online system. Prepared 3000 pages of evidence for trial in two weeks. Dealt with PII matters. [Fraud; Public Interest Immunity]
R v X (2008) :- asked to advise the Chief Crown Prosecutor on reinstituting discontinued proceedings following a Court of Appeal ordered re-trial for rape charges. Conducted the trial.
HSE v CFR Group PLC (2007) :- prosecuted for the HSE a case involving the death of an electrician on a building site.
Operation Txxxxx (2003-2007) :- as 1st Junior prosecuted for RCPO an MTIC [multi-trader intra community fraud] involving computer chips from Ireland. There were 9 defendants. Dealt with mutual legal assistance material, PII matters. Advised on the addition of money laundering charges and the application in this case of the disclosure protocol for linked MTIC frauds; also conducted the re-trial of one conspirator alone; conducted the CJA 88 confiscation proceedings with a benefit certification of £39.5 million. Drafted the Crown’s skeleton argument for the Court of Appeal, on an appeal based on the European Court ruling in the “Bondhouse” VAT tribunal case. The defence then abandoned their appeal. [Fraud; Money Laundering; Confiscation; MTIC and VAT fraud; Mutual Legal Assistance; Public Interest Immunity]
In the mater of MM, QBD High Court 2006 :- defending, advised on the position relating to an earlier confiscation order and a Certificate of Inadequacy. The matter settled on written advice. [Confiscation]
R v M (2006) :- prosecuting for BERR relating to undischarged bankrupt acting in the management of a company and various forgery offences. [Insolvency; Company Law]
In the matter of XX (2005-2007):- advised the MHRA via the DWP on the obtaining of material abroad, the course of an investigation and charges relating to the illegal supply of prescription drugs and money laundering charges relating to fraudulent profits of £m’s. Drafted Letters of Request and advised on restraint proceedings. [Money Laundering; Mutual Legal Assistance; Restraint]
R v M (2005) :- prosecuted for the Home Office and CPS a false passport-producing enterprise. Advised pre-trial on PII and dealt with contested confiscation hearing. [Public Interest Immunity; Confiscation]
R v B (2005 :- prosecuting for DTI [now BERR] re bankrupt concealing property from the Official Receiver. [Insolvency]
R v C 2005 :- prosecuted for RCPO drugs importation and brought in to advise on PII.
Operation Sxxxx 2004 :- as 1st Junior prosecuted multi-handed duty evasion fraud involving millions of pounds worth of cigarettes. After guilty pleas at trial, dealt with the contested confiscation hearings alone. Also dealt with the supervision of the main confiscation order in the Magistrates’ Court afterwards. [Fraud; Confiscation and supervision of same]
Operation Lxxxxx 2003 :- as 1st Junior prosecuted duty evasion bonded warehouse fraud involving millions of pounds worth of alcohol. Reviewed all sensitive material and dealt with PII hearings; took over cross-examination of defendants when leader was ill. [Bonded warehouse fraud; Public Interest Immunity]
Operation Uxxxx 2003 :- as 1st Junior prosecuted drugs importation conspiracy and money laundering charges via bureaux de change and dealt with confiscation hearings alone and against Silks. Analysed expert telephone evidence of “cell-site analysis”. Reviewed disclosure material. Also conducted the linked money-laundering trial of Operation Uxxxxx alone. [Money Laundering; Public Interest Immunity; Disclosure; Confiscation]
