Crime

The St Philips Chambers Criminal Group is one of the leading criminal barrister teams in the country. Tier 1 and Band 1 ranked by Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners respectively.

We boast a team of 13 King’s Counsel and 42 juniors, allowing us to provide both strength and depth of representation and, of course, the highest levels of advocacy.

Our members appear in all types of criminal Courts in the Country from the Magistrates’ Court to the Supreme Court (formerly the House of Lords). The cases in which members of the group are instructed regularly feature in the law reports and in the press. Members of the team are also regularly listed in the Legal 500 and Chambers Directories as being “leaders in their field.”

We are both criminal defence barristers and prosecution barristers. Our caseload includes cases of murder, manslaughter (including corporate manslaughter), terrorism, serious sexual offences, fraud, business crime and large-scale drug conspiracies. Members of the group also appear in many matters of lesser criminality, which nevertheless have devastating consequences for those facing such charges. Our sub-group headings give more detail about the cases we deal with and the services we offer.

Many members of the Group are listed as preferred counsel by key national defence firms as well as the Attorney General, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Fraud Office.

The team is well represented in the judiciary with a significant number of members sitting part-time as either Recorders in the Crown Court or Deputy District Judges in the Magistrates’ Court.

We are committed to the profession and the development of necessary skills. Individual members of the group have roles on the Bar Council and within the Criminal Bar Association. The group also has a substantial number of advocacy trainers for the Midland Circuit and the Inns of Court.

We deal with publicly funded and privately funded cases. Many of our group are Public Access and Direct Access trained. This allows for direct instruction by members of the public in appropriate cases without the need for the instruction of a solicitor as well, or direct instruction from another professional.

“Chambers demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting local authorities through their willingness to assist with the delivery of training and knowledge-sharing opportunities. This collaborative approach is greatly valued and helps strengthen the capability and confidence of local authority officers and legal teams.” Chambers and Partners 2027

“St Philips Chambers is known as the gold standard in the West Midlands area and beyond in terms of counsel who are affiliated. They have one of the largest sets of barristers in most areas of law and always have availability to cover matters, even when required at the last minute, as the case can be.” Chambers and Partners 2027

“The clerks are quick to respond, communicative and transparent with us. In the current climate, clerking is an incredibly difficult job and the team at St Philips are still able to deliver consistently for their professional clients.” Legal 500 2027

“St Philips Chambers is the premier set in the circuit” Legal 500 2026

“Both the junior and senior set are always willing to assist, provide support and or guidance when needed. They are all well organised and sufficiently experienced for each case they are instructed on.” Chambers & Partners 2026

“St Philips chambers have a comprehensive set of criminal defence barristers able to cover all aspects of defence work.” Legal 500

‘The strongest spread of counsel at all levels in criminal work, including the best selection of silks in the Midlands.’ Legal 500

“The premier set for crime in Birmingham. Many of its members go to the bench or take silk. It is a breeding ground for high-quality advocates.” Legal 500

“The clerking is brilliant. They are absolutely on top of their game.” Chambers & Partners

“Strength in depth in all areas of practice. Strongest criminal team in the Midlands.” Legal 500