Call: 1966

David Radcliffe's early practice was a mixture of civil and criminal and he specialised in Factory Acts cases. He gradually stopped taking civil and family law cases, in order to concentrate on his strong criminal practice. He consistently prosecuted for the CPS and in 1990 alone conducted 82 trials in London and the Home Counties.

He was appointed to the Customs and Excise "A" list and in 1990-1991 prosecuted to conviction in 6 out of a total of 7 major drugs importation cases.

In 1994 he prosecuted in the major case of Martinez Tobon (see below) successfully up to and including the Court of Appeal. Over the years he has prosecuted many cases for other Government departments.

He has also defended in a wide range of cases, examples include defending Dr. Courtney at the Old Bailey in 1992 for serial rape and in 1991 he was instructed to defend Stephen Young for an £11 million fraud at the Old Bailey.

He continues to practice in general crime, recently being instructed by the DTI in a Companies Act investigation.

Cases of Note

R v Kolancali (2008): Defended in a "black fishing" (fish quota) case at Ipswich.

R v Karabyik (2005): Defended in a 6-week people smuggling case at Wood Green Crown Court.

R v Martinez Tobon (1994) 1 WLR 1042 CA: Prosecuted. Judge allowed a limited discretion to comment on a defendant's failure to give evidence. This case accelerated the passage of s35 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

R v Governor of Winson Green Prison, ex parte Trotter (1992) 94 CAR 29, DC: Custody time limits case. Defended Trotter on multiple robbery counts.

R v Haringey JJ ex parte Fawzy (1998) 1 CAR 411, DC ,Arch 1-75z: Prosecuted.

R v Maguire (1997) 1 CAR 61, CA: Defence counsel. A judge should not have committed a defence witness to prison for contempt before the end of the trial.

R v Courtney (1992): Junior counsel for the defence at the Central Criminal court of a Harley Street practitioner of psychosexual medicine, a case involving allegations of the misuse of drugs upon patients and others in order to procure sexual intercourse.

R v Saunders (1988) AC 148, HL: Junior Prosecution for the Crown.

• Called to the Bar, 1966, Inner Temple
• Pupilage in Liverpool in chambers at 14 Cook Street with Alan Booth QC
• Practices in civil and family from 14 Cook Street until 1968
• Joined 5 Kings Bench Walk in 1968 practising in criminal, civil (mainly PI) and family
• Main civil client: Cadbury Schweppes plc in-house Solicitors, all defence work. Mainly Factories Acts work.
• Appointed to the Customs and Excise "A" list for prosecutors
• Recorder of the Crown Court
• Asylum and Immigration Judge
• Legal Reader with Associated Newspapers plc since 1988