Education and Call

Cambridge University - MA (Hons)
Bar Vocational Course (“Outstanding”)
Called 2002 - Middle Temple

Practice

Predominately criminal work, together with prison/parole law and mental health work.

Areas of specialist interest include cases involving young-Defendants, fraud, evasion of duty, confiscation and case seizure proceedings, licensing, with a particular emphasis upon all aspects of taxi and private hire licensing, anti-social behaviour orders and closure orders. Experience of civil actions against the Police in the context of assault, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.

Other Information

Visiting lecturer to the West Yorkshire Police Training School, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Recommended in the Legal 500:
“Junior Emma Downing ‘stands out’ at a 2002 call and is the youngest Grade 3 Prosecutor ever appointed on circuit”(2007) and “Emma Downing is a very thorough and impressive young advocate” (2008) and “Emma Downing has developed a good criminal fraud practice” (2009)

Notable Cases/Recent Work

R -v- Price [2006] EWCA Crim 1757 - Guideline case on sentencing for the importation of offensive weapons

R -v- Slaven [2006] EWCA Crim 2967 - Application of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, s.240

R -v- Cordingly [2008] EWCA Crim 2428 - Legality of the imposition of a sentence of imprisonment for public protection upon an offender who had committed a specified and serious offence, whilst subject to licence conditions, in respect of which he had already been recalled administratively

R -v- Hussain [2009] EWCA Crim 1564 - Substantial departure from the Sentencing Guidelines Council Guidelines on ‘Assault and Other Offences Against the Person’ justified by an element of deterrence in the sentence