Mountford Chambers delivers a nationwide and international service to clients, who are assured quality advice, advocacy and representation at all levels.
Mountford Chambers delivers a nationwide and international service to clients, who are assured quality advice, advocacy and representation at all levels.
2015-2016
International Commission of Inquiry in Sri Lanka: Appointed as Liaison Counsel to the Inquiry
Working as Liaison Counsel to Inquiry in Sri Lanka, chaired by Sir Desmond de Silva QC and which included Rodney Dixon KC, David Crane (former Chief Prosecutor of Special Court Sierra Leone) and numerous international legal technical experts on IHL. Paul had a specific role on advising on the Truth and Reconciliation aspect of the report and liaising with the Govt of South Africa on aspects of a proposed TRC. This was a significant role that required liaison between the Sri Lankan judges and the international experts and Silks.
The skills that were necessary in his role included high ethical standards in dealing with issues of national security vis a vis the state; confidentiality to those who had disclosed information to the Inquiry; issues related to data storage; potential judicial reviews; the ability to work with the most senior judges, NGOS and military experts. Separately Paul has also worked extensively with UK civil servants between 2017-20 as a Senior Technical Advisor to the UK CSSF programme in South Asia and on secondment in North Africa.
Paul also acts in Inquests.
R v Ellis
(JR on Privacy reserved to Lord Chief Justice) led by Tim Owen KC.
He is recognised as a leading practitioner in cases involving public interest immunity issues, disclosure and sanctions.
Paul’s practice is wide ranging and he is also in great demand in international cases where British nationals have been arrested abroad. He was one of a few counsel mentioned in the Chambers “Spotlight Section” of international criminal barristers.
Paul’s experience in murder cases having worked on some the largest criminal cases at the Central Criminal Court that have involved high level police corruption and the where intelligence issues have led to tensions in the fair trial process.
R v N
Old Bailey murder case involving complex mental health and psychiatric issues. Mother charged with double murder of two of her children and attempted murder of the third. She stabbed and slit the throats of her son, five; daughter, four, and her six-month-old baby girl. Following complex psychiatric and psychological reports obtained by the defence, the prosecution accepted, diminished responsibility responsibility and did not proceed with the murder charges. Counsel had to work extensively with the defence pathologist and the psychiatrists and mental health experts.
R v C
Old Bailey murder- Operation Trident – Yardie gang murder shooting.
R v C
Old Bailey murder – stalker murder of senior UK civil servant with complex psychiatric evidence involved.
R v D
Murder – Maidstone CC representing a woman on a murder charge. She was alleged to have paid her younger lover to have killed her husband. The case was about whether the defendants had manipulated her lover, due to his low IQ. Psychological evidence was key to the case.
R v T
Child cruelty case, involving cross examination of medical experts and the branding by use of metal iron of a child.
R v F
Child cruelty case involving child neglect.
R v N
Coercive control case/domestic violence case.
R v N
Old Bailey murder case involving gang member being attacked with a machete.
R v V
Old Bailey murder case Ukrainian national charged with stabbing.
R v L
Old Bailey, attempted murder case -involving former KGB Lithuanian hitman shooting another individual.
R v C
Oxford Crown Court – Murder – one of the most high profile Honour Killing cases in the country.
R v J
Old Bailey – murder case involving crack cocaine.
R v A
Old Bailey double murder case – involving Colombian cat burglar gang.
R v S
Old Bailey – murder case involving South Asian gangland stabbing.
R v K
Woman represented on a bigamy charge.
R v G
Pregnant woman represented with possession of half a kilo of class A drugs. Extensive medical evidence in issue.
Paul has worked on a number of seminal international corruption cases over the last three decades. He has an excellent grasp of disclosure issues and the strategic skills necessary to navigate voluminous, multi -jurisdictional cases. He has also advised numerous govts, including HMG on corruption and sanctions issues and worked closely with the United States DOJ on investigation and training programmes.
Appeared as Counsel in Southwark Crown Court in the SFO prosecuted “Oil for Food Case”. This was reported as being the largest corruption investigation in the world and involved illicit payments to the reime of Saddam Hussein. The investigation spanned from Iraq to the US, Europe and Australia and required a thorough understanding of govt procurement policies and complex PII and disclosure.
Instructed as Counsel in the “Missionpharma” United Nations corruption case. This Southwark case involved Dutch nationals that worked for the Global Fund conducting tender fraud against UNDP in the Congo. This case was highlighted in the OECD 2012 Annual Reports as one of the most significant European corruption prosecutions of the decade.
Instructed in a corruption case with Anthony Arlidge QC, to represent a senior UK civil servant from the MOJ who was charged with tender corruption.
R v S
This was a CIB3 corruption investigation, representing the first defendant, a Customs Officer charged with perverting the course of justice and orchestrating bogus corrupt payments to fellow officers to collapse multiple criminal trials.
R v K [2014]
£600 million money laundering fraud
R v K
Major CIB3 police corruption case involving police officers working for an Organised Crime Group.
Previously, Paul served as the Chief Learning Officer to Asset Reality, UK, where he led their program design, contributing to Law Enforcement training. Currently, he collaborates with them on an ad hoc basis, compiling reports and providing training for LEA’s. Asset Reality’s focus lies in the realm of cybercrime, data protection, and cryptocurrency training. Over the past two years, Paul has closely collaborated with numerous experts in this field, gaining insight from both governmental and private perspectives. Notably, he recently completed a significant report for GIZ (German Government) in conjunction with retired NCA officers and Asset Reality. Independently, he has also undertaken reports for the Attorney General of Belize and for the United Nations in Uzbekistan, focusing on cyber and cryptocurrency issues. This experience has equipped Paul with the ability to work seamlessly within large multinational legal teams on cutting edge issues of law.
In practice, Paul has been involved in a number of civil asset seizure cases involving companies and individuals and has worked on designing and implementing training programs for asset recovery with senior UK judges and Commonwealth judges.
Paul has a practice that is truly international. This year he has worked on an investigation based in Thailand as well as advising a client in a major trial in Belize and advising. He is often advising and creating legal teams for governments, or for individuals who are arrested abroad. He has worked for a three-year period between 2017-20 for Coffey International, a company that manages complex legal programmes abroad. This work involved liaising with senior ministers from several jurisdictions, civil servants and the senior judiciary both in the UK and abroad. Paul has developed the ability to understand and communicate complex political and legal issues to a high-level audience. There are few criminal barristers, over this last decade, who have been engaged in the breadth of international criminal law that his practice spans. He is conversant working within the fault lines of law, politics, and diplomacy.
Work Abroad
2015-2016
Working as Liaison Counsel to Inquiry in Sri Lanka, chaired by Sir Desmond de Silva QC and which included Rodney Dixon KC, David Crane (former Chief Prosecutor of Special Court Sierra Leone) and numerous international legal technical experts on IHL. Paul had a specific role on advising on the Truth and Reconciliation aspect of the report and liaising with the Govt of South Africa on aspects of a proposed TRC.
2013-2015
Travelling to Nigeria as a Consultant to UNODC and training senior prosecutors in IHRL and IHL and in the second half of the program ‘training the trainers’.
ICC v Govt of Comoros
Part of the team representing victims in a major Maritime engagement involving maritime law, illegal blockade, targeting, and the laws of war.
Led by Rod Dixon KC.
Part of the international Working Trade Group of the Bar Council of England and Wales (International Committee).
Mountford Chambers is thrilled to announce the addition of Paul Mylvaganam. With a wealth of experience in high-profile criminal and…
