Qualifications and Professional Associations

• B.A. (Economics and Political Science) from the University of Toronto, Canada
• PgDipLaw from University of East Anglia
• BVC at BPP Law School, London

Criminal Bar Association
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
Commonwealth in England Barristers' Association

Called to the Bar by the Inner Temple 2005

Practice Profile

Since completing pupillage at chambers, Szilvia has developed a successful criminal practice both defending and prosecuting.

She has undertaken the criminal defence of persistent young offenders, those accused of sexual crimes, the mentally vulnerable as well as absent defendants. She has developed a substantial practice, which includes cases of violent crimes, dishonesty, drug offences, serious public order incidents and sexual offences.

Having spent time on secondment to the Crown Prosecution Service (London), she has experience in pre-charge advice to police, case preparation and review and CPS Court of Appeal procedures, equipping Szilvia with an insight into the particular requirements of working for the CPS. Consequently, she is regularly instructed to prosecute trials in the Crown Court in cases involving domestic and high value commercial burglaries, drug supply and violent crimes, and in cases involving multiple defendants.

Prior to her career at the Bar, Szilvia was a serving police officer in Canada. This has given her an invaluable insight into investigative practices and procedures and a working knowledge of the forensic process. Her experience as a police officer has equipped her with a particular knowledge of firearms, covert law enforcement, and intelligence-lead operations, which has proved extremely useful both defending and prosecuting in cases involving firearms and drugs, large-scale police operations and informant-based evidence.

Szilvia speaks fluent Hungarian and conversational French.