Criminal Regulatory

"an impressive set with clerks who are approachable, helpful, and extremely professional"

Legal 500 [2021]

At Mountford Chambers, our highly regarded team of criminal regulatory barristers provides expert, strategic representation across the full spectrum of criminal regulatory law. We act for both prosecution and defence in complex, high-profile cases across England and Wales and internationally.

Our barristers bring exceptional insight and experience to matters where the legal, financial, and reputational stakes are significant. From advising on early-stage regulatory investigations to advocacy in contested hearings and appeals, we ensure every client benefits from rigorous preparation, meticulous attention to detail, and fearless representation.

Criminal Regulatory Barristers

Criminal regulatory cases can expose individuals and corporate entities to severe financial penalties, adverse publicity, and lasting reputational damage. At Mountford Chambers, our barristers adopt a tailored, pragmatic approach designed to mitigate risk and protect our clients’ interests at every stage.

We provide:

strategic advice for:
- complaints
- regulatory investigations
- inquiries
- pre-charge phases
- enforcement proceedings
- appeals
Robust defence and prosecution advocacy in criminal courts.
Crisis management guidance, including handling media and reputational issues.
Clear, accessible and commercially aware advice to corporate clients, directors, and professionals.

Our team has experience across multiple criminal regulatory regimes and also includes members who are appointed to the Regulatory List of Specialist Advocates, a panel held on behalf of the Attorney General for specialist regulatory counsel approved to prosecute regulatory matters for the:

Health and Safety Executive
Care Quality Commission
Environment Agency
Office for Rail and Road
Office for Product Safety and Standards
Natural Resources Wales

Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Prosecutions

Mountford Chambers’ barristers act for individuals, directors, and corporate defendants facing health and safety prosecutions across a wide range of sectors, including:

Construction
Agriculture
Manufacturing
Engineering
Chemical plants

We advise at every stage, from HSE investigations and interviews under caution to trial advocacy, sentencing hearings and appeals.

Environmental Prosecutions

Our barristers represent clients in prosecutions brought by all of the UK environmental regulators, including:

Environment Agency
Natural Resources Wales
Natural England
Marine Management Organisation
Office for Nuclear Regulation
Office for Product Safety and Standards

We handle cases involving alleged breaches of environmental permits, pollution offences, waste management issues, and marine conservation breaches.

Local Authority Prosecutions

Our barristers regularly appear in local authority prosecutions under a wide range of statutory provisions, including:

Unfair commercial practices
Counterfeit goods and trademark infringement
Labelling and product descriptions
Weights and measures offences
Under-age sales (e.g. alcohol and tobacco)
Licensing infringement offences
Consumer contract regulations
Animal welfare offences
Product safety
Fraudulent trading and related offences

Our team is known for its forensic approach to evidence, tactical insight, and persuasive advocacy: qualities which consistently deliver favourable outcomes.

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) Prosecutions

Our barristers represent individuals, directors, and corporate clients in prosecutions brought by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Many of our barristers are frequently instructed to prosecute such matters on behalf of the DVSA. We are experienced in handling cases involving serious breaches of road traffic and transport legislation, including:

Offences relating to the obtaining of licenses
Tachograph offences
Drivers’ hours breaches
Vehicle roadworthiness and maintenance failures
Operator licensing infringements
Dangerous goods transport offences

Our barristers provide expert advice from the earliest stages of DVSA investigations to appeals. We understand the commercial risks and reputational sensitivities facing transport businesses and operators, and our barristers work to secure the best possible outcomes for our clients.

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Proceedings

Our barristers are regularly instructed to advise on matters of data protection where complaints to the ICO have been made or threatened. Our barristers advise corporate clients, directors, and professionals on data protection compliance and can respond rapidly when urgent data breaches or regulatory investigations arise, providing strategic and crisis management advice on:

data breaches and cyber incidents
notification obligations to the ICO and data subjects
managing regulatory investigations and potential criminal liability
communications and reputational harm mitigation

Our barristers work closely with clients and legal teams to deliver practical, commercially aware advice that protects both legal and reputational interests in what are usually urgent and sensitive circumstances.

Our barristers can also advise and represent corporate clients, directors, and individuals in cases involving:

Unlawful data acquisition or sale
Criminal breaches of the Data Protection Act 2018
Data-related fraud and associated criminal allegations

Our team combines expertise in regulatory law and criminal advocacy to provide comprehensive representation, advising on parallel regulatory and civil enforcement risks, and on strategies to mitigate reputational harm.