Lord Carlile of Berriew KC

Barrister Overview

Lord Carlile’s practice is focused upon serious crime, local government and public law, including licensing and planning and professional discipline (including medical and associated professions).

He has a particular interest in issues relating to parliamentary privilege and conduct.

He specialises in the civil and criminal aspects of major commercial fraud cases, generally involving tens of millions of pounds, and he has appeared in many leading criminal cases.

He is currently engaged by a leading firm specialising in white collar crime in an alleged tax avoidance fraud involving the trade of large numbers of high-value carbon credits.

He has an interest in proscription (banned organisations) and offers advice to such organisations. He has recently been advising a foreign political organisation of its legal status in the USA. On instructions and working closely with American lawyers he made representations to the US government lawyers and officials regarding the organisation’s legal status.

Lord Carlile also has a particular interest in mental health issues, was a co-founder of the Welsh charity Rekindle and has chaired the Select Committee of both Houses of Parliament on mental health legislation.

As the President of the Howard League for Penal Reform, he chaired the 2006 inquiry into the use of physical restraints, strip searching and seclusion of children in custody.

He is a co-founder of the British Hungarian Criminal Policy Symposium (this was an initiative between Lord Carlile and leading academics at Eotvos Lorand University Budapest. It assisted the Hungarian legal system out of the Soviet era, for example playing a part in the establishment of a probation service there.)

Lord Carlile is qualified to receive instructions through Public Access.

Specialist Areas of Practice

Criminal Law

Lists, Panels and Memberships

Member of the Criminal Bar Association

FIALS

ALBA

1983 – 1997 Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire

1999 – Member of the House of Lords

Door Tenant at Linenhall Chambers, Chester

Door Tenant at St Johns Buildings, Manchester and Liverpool

Appointments

CBE in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to national security

Deputy High Court Judge (sits in the Administrative Court)

Recorder of the Crown Court

Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation (2001-2011)

Independent Reviewer of National Security arrangements in Northern Ireland

Chair, Northern Ireland Committee on Protection

Chair, Competition Appeal Tribunal

President of the Howard League for Penal Reform 2006-2012

President, The Security Institute

Fellow of the Industry and Parliament Trust

Chairman, Living and Dying Well (Public policy ‘think tank’ whose aim is to promote reasoned discussion and to publish evidence-based information on the laws relating to euthanasia and assisted suicide)

Chairman of Lloyd’s Enforcement Board (Lloyd’s of London)

Patron of No Panic (Charity assisting those suffering from panic attacks, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorders, other related anxiety disorders)

Patron of Concord Prison Trust (Charity dedicated to prison education and rehabilitation through self-knowledge)

Trustee of the White Ensign Association (Naval Charity)

Member of Council, Royal Medical Foundation of Epsom College

Lay member of the General Medical Council from 1989 to 1999 and former Chairman of the GMC’s committee to improve procedure in conduct cases

Deputy Chief Steward, City of Hereford

Honorary Recorder of the City of Hereford (1994 – 2009)

Non-executive director of the listed major agricultural merchanting company, Wynnstay Group plc, since 1998.

Director: SC Strategy Ltd