David Etherington KC
Call: 1979 | Silk: 1998
Personal profile
David Etherington KC is an established Crime and Regulatory & Professional Disciplinary barrister with over 35 years’ experience.
He was previously Head of Chambers at Red Lion Chambers and his criminal practice focuses on fraud and serious organised crime, he is acknowledged as a leader well known to solicitors who instruct in these areas.
In addition to his criminal practice, David has substantial experience in the regulatory field, having been Chairman of the Professional Conduct Committee and the Professional Practice Committee of the Bar Council, as well as a member of both committees for over ten years.
Additionally, he has also been a legal adviser to the General Optical Council and General Dental Council and has defended in front of the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority.
David has acted as legal adviser to a number of television drama series, such as Kavanagh QC, The Brief, Judge John Deed, Wing and a Prayer and Incognito (film) as well as advising in factual programmes such as Hypotheticals in which he also appeared as a panellist. He was the legal adviser to The Verdict (2006) and The Trial (2017) in which real juries, together with actual barristers and judges, tried two fictional cases to explore the workings of the jury system.
Recommendations
― Chambers & Partners (2026)David Etherington KC is well known for his astute and effective counsel across a variety of criminal matters and regularly defends in high-value fraud cases. Interviewees praise him for his attractive advocacy style and diligent case preparation. He is valued for his experience in HMRC cases.
― Chambers & Partners (2026)David Etherington KC's flexibility, amenability and massive experience is valued. He is a legend. He is a great strategist.
― Chambers & Partners (2026)David Etherington is an advocate with few equals.
― Chambers & Partners (2026)David Etherington KC is a highly renowned silk who possesses in-depth knowledge of all areas of criminal law. He regularly appears in cases concerning fraud, murder, gang-related violence and historic sexual assault.
― Chambers & Partners (2026)Kind, fair and never to be underestimated. I could listen to his voice all day long.
― Legal 500 (2025)David is a smooth operator. He is an exceptional jury advocate.
― Chambers UK (2025)David is one of the absolute superstars, a supreme practitioner and much loved by clients.
― Chambers UK (2025)David is star performer. He is composed and articulate in court and vastly experienced. He is very polished and a pleasure to work with both in and out of court.
― Chambers UK (2025)David is a most experienced and brilliant advocate who can hold the attention of a full court in the palm of his hand.
― Legal 500 (2024)David has a huge wealth of experience and is an extremely effective advocate. His charming manner with the jury belies the shrewd tactician that he is.
― Chambers UK (2023)David is one of the most natural advocates you will ever see.
― Chambers UK (2023)A charming and delightful advocate who presents his cases beautifully.
― Legal 500 (2023)David is absolutely brilliant with individual clients – he is calm, compassionate and empathetic.
― Legal 500 (2023)David is a supremely talented and experienced criminal silk and a real name at the Bar.
― Legal 500 (2022)David is intellectually outstanding. He combines incisive analytical skill with engaging persuasive charm
― Chambers UK (2022)He has a wealth of experience that enables him to work out exactly how to present the case most effectively.
― Chambers UK (2021)A clever, witty advocate who has oodles of confidence, talent and judgement. He has the great skill of being able to inject humour into a case.
― Legal 500 (2021)David is an exceptional barrister in every sense. He has a superb legal mind which distils complex legal issues into simple and concise arguments. He is one of the finest jury advocates that I have seen, expert in all that he does especially in cross-examination as well as in his closing speeches.
Murder & Manslaughter
Featured cases
- R v Port (2016) – Instructed to defend in a quadruple murder case involving allegations of drugging young homosexual men.
- Instructed to defend in many London gangland homicides and drug related murders including:
- R v FM and others (2021)
- R v EDW and others (2021) – The Hounslow body-parts murder.
Business Crime & Fraud
- R v Benstead (2017) – Instructed to defend in a major Cornish currency fraud, which was the first fully digital fraud trial.
- Operation Amazon – Instructed to appear for the defence in the alleged carbon trading tax evasion fraud, tried throughout much of 2017 at Southwark Crown Court.
- Privately instructed by defendants in major cross-jurisdictional pre-charge investigations being conducted by the SFO.
Appeals
- Successfully appealed before the Court of Appeal a rape conviction in a fresh evidence rape case featuring psychiatric evidence not available at trial R v B (2017).
- Appeared for the appellant in the Supreme Court examining the law concerning diminished responsibility in murder R v Golds [2017] 1 Cr. App. R. 18.
Education
- Diploma in Public and Social and Public Administration (Distinction), Keble College, Oxford University (1977)
- M.A. (Oxon) Jurisprudence, Keble College, Oxford University (1976)
Professional appointments
- Recorder (2000-present)
- Chancellor of the Diocese of Norwich (2020 -present)
- Chancellor of the Diocese of London (2021 -present)
- Deputy Chancellor of the Diocese of Ely (2012 -present)
- Legal Adviser to the General Dental Council and the General Optical Council
- Former Chairman, Professional Conduct Committee and Professional Practice Committee of the Bar
Memberships
- CBA
- Ecclesiastical Judges’ Association
- Middle Temple (Bencher 2005)
- South Eastern Circuit