Qualifications and Professional Associations

• [LLB (LSE)]
• Called to the Bar by the Inner Temple 1992
• Member of the Criminal Bar Association
• Member of the South Eastern Circuit

Rachel Lawrence has a broad criminal practice, both prosecuting and defending, with particular experience in sexual offences, drugs and violence. Rachel is often instructed in cases involving difficult and/or vulnerable defendants/witnesses and has successfully appeared in the appellate courts on numerous occasions.

Reported cases include:

• R v Santana-Bermudez – a groundbreaking case on the definition of assault occasioning actual bodily harm cf Archbold 2008, 19-195
• R v Cornelius Fitzgerald – a case involving possession of a false instrument with intent cf Archbold 2008, 22-32
• R v Clark – sentence appealed successfully in a case of racially aggravated assault

Notable Cases include:

• R v Quinten Hann – Junior defence counsel in the high profile rape case of the Australian snooker champion alleged to have raped a student in the Savoy Hotel.
• R v Gbedge and Others – Sole junior trial counsel in a 3 handed conspiracy to rob, representing a 16 year boy alleged to have been involved in a series of 6 car-jackings with the use of firearms, in South London during November 2005.
• R v Mahil and Others – seven handed conspiracy to burgle a warehouse of over £650,000 of mobile phones. Rachel was the sole junior trial counsel representing the only remaining defendant to maintain his not guilty plea (2007).
• R v Kato – Attempted murder of a 12 year old boy by his brother, who had significant psychiatric problems (2007).
• R v Aliekrem – Sole junior trial counsel in a 3 handed intent to supply 35 kilogrammes of heroin case (2008).
• R v James Hayward – Sole junior counsel in a 3 week high profile trial where the defendant was alleged to have downloaded child pornography and over a 3 month period attempted to kidnap and sexually assault 3 schoolchildren (2008)