Gillian Jones KC

Recommendations

Gillian is a powerhouse when it comes to strategy and a flawless advocate. She provides an invaluable and clear headed insight into how the SFO might put together a case. One of the very ablest silks in this field.

― Legal 500 (2024)

Gilly is terrific and formidable in equal measure. She leaves no stone unturned in the fearless presentation of her case, whether prosecuting or defending. Undoubtedly one of the Bar’s greatest stars.

― Legal 500 (2024)

She is a silk of outstanding ability: highly efficient, relentlessly hardworking and with impeccable judgement. As an advocate, she is fluent and hard-hitting and never loses the ear of the court.

― Legal 500 (2024)

Gillian is an extremely hard-working prosecuting and defending silk.

― Chambers UK (2023)

She is an extremely effective advocate and strong cross-examiner who is also excellent with clients.

― Chambers UK (2023)

Gillian is very experienced. She is personable with clients and very good with strategy.

― Chambers UK (2023)

Has excellent trial management skills and an exceptionally calm court presentation.

― Chambers UK (2023)

A barrister of outstanding ability, who is very clever, highly focused, relentlessly hard-working and a formidable advocate in court.

― Chambers UK (2023)

She is a barrister of outstanding ability, one of the best of her generation of silks in all fraud related fields, including POCA: very clever, very knowledgeable, relentlessly hard-working and a superb advocate held in high regard by judges and opponents alike.

― Legal 500 (2023)

Gillian is a silk of outstanding ability, one of the best of her generation of fraud lawyers at the Bar: very clever, relentlessly hard-working and a superb advocate held in high regard by judges and opponents alike.

― Legal 500 (2023)

Gillian’s legal prowess is unrivalled. She is able to process voluminous information like a super computer and provide answers with precision that allow her team to know that her points will strike deadly, accurate blows against any opposition, at will.

― Legal 500 (2023)

Gillian is an extremely commanding advocate who brings judgment charm and energy to her case work.

― Legal 500 (2023)

Gillian is one of the finest advocates working at the Bar today. She possesses a special legal acumen which she combines with a charm and eloquence that make her devastatingly effective in front of both judge and jury

― Legal 500 (2022)

Gillian has rigorous attention to detail, a herculean work ethic, and is on top of her brief. Juries love her no-nonsense style.

― Legal 500 (2022)

Incredibly charming and smooth advocate. Tough when necessary and collegiate when appropriate. Rare barrister in that equally good defending as prosecuting

― Legal 500 (2022)

An experienced pair of hands with a high degree of expertise who is always willing to work and strategise with solicitors. She is very effective at what she does and inspires confidence.

― Chambers UK (2022)

She provides excellent legal advice and is responsive to the needs of her instructing solicitors.

― Chambers UK (2022)

She is incredibly hard-working and a tough prosecutor, but also a joy to deal with.

― Chambers UK (2022)

She is excellent - a really astute tactician, fiercely intelligent and very sharp.

― Chambers UK (2022)

Fabulous and absolutely faultless... solicitors appreciate her quality of advocacy before juries and her adaptability.

― Chambers UK (2022)

She is an extremely bright and extremely hard-working… assiduous, quick-thinking, formidable silk who is able to navigate the most complex cases and get to the heart of the matter almost instantly.

― Chambers UK (2022)

She is a go-to person for those seeking pragmatic, sensible and reliable advice.

― Chambers UK (2022)

A focused advocate who undertakes the most complex cases.

― Chambers UK (2021)

Very hard-working and good with clients.

― Chambers UK (2021)

A brilliant prosecutor who is tough, clever, hard-working and a nightmare to be against.

― Chambers UK (2021)

I cannot stress enough how methodical and detailed she is in her preparation and cross-examination.

― Chambers UK (2021)

She is exceptional and demonstrates excellence at every turn.

― Legal 500 (2021)

A silk who is unafraid of a challenge.

― Legal 500 (2021)

One of the best barristers in the country. Always on top of the detail.

― Legal 500 (2021)

Gillian is a highly persuasive advocate, hugely respected by judges and colleagues, and an outstanding leader.

― Legal 500 (2021)

She is particularly experienced in managing vast cases, always leading from the front and always a step ahead of her opponents. She is also an excellent lawyer with sound judgement, who is formidable in court.

― Legal 500 (2021)

She is always approachable and quickly gets to the heart of the issues in a case.

― Chambers UK (2020)

A fantastic silk.

― Chambers UK (2020)

The quality of her work is fabulous and she inspires confidence in judges and juries.

― Chambers UK (2020)

A steely advocate.

― Legal 500 (2020)

She has an incisive legal mind and is ferociously hardworking; a big hitter in all respects.

― Legal 500 (2020)

Chosen by both leading firms and the CPS.

― Legal 500 (2020)

Combines an exceptional rapport with clients and a highly effective court presence.

― Legal 500 (2020)

An assiduous and quick-thinking, formidable silk whose cases involve allegations of insider dealing, rate rigging and investment fraud. She is experienced in significant bribery and corruption cases.

― Chambers UK (2019)

An experienced advocate and deft prosecutor who is able to navigate the most complex cases and get to the heart of a matter almost instantly. She is a go-to person for those seeking pragmatic, sensible and reliable advice.

― Chambers UK (2019)

She has an incisive legal mind which enables her to cut rapidly to the crux of the issues in the most complex cases.

― Legal 500 (2019)

Her advice is pragmatic and rigorous, making her highly sought after.

― Legal 500 (2019)

Her quick wit and approachability make her a valuable addition to cases.

― Legal 500 (2019)

She is first-rate and recognised as so by everyone that comes across her, whether they be judges, juries or other advocates.

― Chambers UK (2018)

A very sound prosecutor with good judgement and a very good presence in court.

― Chambers UK (2018)

She absorbs instructions quickly and delivers useful advice clearly.

― Chambers UK (2018)

A ‘brilliant’ practitioner who is described by market sources as ‘bright, hard-working and fun’ …highly experienced in cases of murder and manslaughter and also undertakes cold case work. She attracts plaudits for both her advocacy and upbeat attitude.

Hard-working, intelligent, highly capable.

A quick-thinking aggressive advocate, whose cases involve allegations of insider dealing, rate rigging and investment fraud …outstanding ..very good judgement..very hard-working, intelligent and capable.

― Chambers UK (2017)

Fabulous and absolutely faultless – solicitors appreciate her quality of advocacy before juries and her adaptability.

― Legal 500 (2017)

Highly reputable for sensitive sexual offences cases.

― Legal 500 (2017)

She can always be relied upon to get to grips with detail and complexity.

― Legal 500 (2017)

Extremely dedicated and extremely bright.

― Chambers UK (2016)

An absolutely first-class worker with bubbling enthusiasm and common sense. She’s able to take the client through difficult decisions.

― Chambers UK (2016)

Has a strong track record defending and prosecuting sophisticated financial crime cases. She regularly deals with investment fraud, anti-competitive trading and FSMA offences.

― Chambers UK (2016)

She’s really top-drawer but doesn’t blow her own trumpet.

― Chambers UK (2016)

Extremely bright and extremely hard-working.

― Chambers UK (2016)

Very approachable and happy to explore different ideas.

― Legal 500 (2016)

She stands her ground and holds her own.

― Legal 500 (2016)

She is very hard-working, thorough and efficient. She is good with the client too.

― Legal 500 (2016)

Business Crime & Fraud

Ranked as a leading silk for Financial Crime and Business and Regulatory Crime (including global investigations), Gillian is described as an assiduous and quick-thinking, formidable silk whose cases involve allegations of insider dealing, rate rigging and investment fraud. She is experienced in significant bribery and corruption cases. Gillian is able to navigate the most complex cases and get to the heart of a matter almost instantly… She is a go-to person for those seeking pragmatic, sensible and reliable advice.

She has extensive experience of Bribery & Corruption cases, serious and complex Fraud cases, as well as FCA cases involving both exchange and over-the-counter traded products, futures, spread betting, FSMA offences and other market-related frauds. Gillian is often instructed to act pre-charge or at the early stage of proceedings. She currently holds a number of pre-charge instructions on which she is advising.

Featured cases

• R v AC (2022 – ongoing) – Instructed to act on behalf of a high-profile individual who is alleged to have used his company to attract individuals to invest in what is alleged to be a Ponzi scheme.
• R v JA and others (2021 – ongoing) – Instructed to act on behalf of high-profile individual alleged to be involved in large-scale corporate bribery and corruption at a City Council.
• K (a corporate) and Y (CEO) (2021) – Instructed to act on behalf of a multinational corporate and its’ CEO to advise as to potential prosecution in respect of allegations of fraud made by a substantial secured borrower. Concerns issues of securities, pre-insolvency fraud, alleged forged documents, misleading the market, set against a background of the collapse of the financial markets in 2008. Extensive worldwide related civil proceedings.
• R v ED and others (Operation Amazon) (2020) – Acted on behalf of ED in lengthy contested confiscation proceedings before High Court Judge. ED had previously been convicted of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue – involving the creation and marketing of a bogus tax incentivised investment scheme. [Press Report]
• PIVOT01 (R v A, BAJ, W & B) (2019 to date) – Currently instructed on behalf of the SFO in its largest bribery and corruption case involving the alleged procuring by Unaoil of billion-dollar oil contracts in Iraq, following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. First trial re-started after the COVID lockdown in 2020. Garnered international press interest, with a high-profile media campaign in Australia and a BBC Panorama programme in the UK. [Press Report]
• R v GP (2020 to date) – Instructed in private prosecution arising from alleged international property fraud and forgery of company documents set against a background of related international civil proceedings. Ongoing. [Press Report]
• R v NG and others (2020) – Instructed to prosecute a large-scale fraud involving the unauthorised manufacture, marketing and sale of unlicensed medicines containing human blood products and laundering of the criminal proceeds. N set up a secret laboratory with the assistance of two scientists to manufacture the product and then marketed and distributed the purported medicine worldwide as a wonder cure for cancer and other diseases. Case made subject of BBC One Show documentary and Radio 5 programme. [Press Report]
• R v JR and others (2019) – Instructed to act on behalf of the first defendant in a public authority procurement fraud involving allegations of misconduct in public office relating to the collusion and undue influence in the granting of extremely valuable contracts for the upkeep and maintenance of social housing in the London Borough of Southwark and laundering the proceeds. Succeeded in half time submission in respect of related theft counts.
• R v JK and others (2019) – Instructed to defend in large-scale investment fraud – Rare Earth Metals and laundering of the proceeds. Acquitted.
• R v X (2019) – Instructed to advise corporate in respect of SFO investigation into the activities of three subsidiaries concerning alleged multi-million-pound steel/commodities fraud. Involving issues as to legality of searches, LPP and JR.
• Operation X (2019) – Instructed on behalf of FCA to advise as to financial irregularities involving the misleading of the market by a listed company.
• LIBOR 2 (R v R and others) (2016) – Instructed as prosecution junior for SFO in international fraud involving the rigging of LIBOR (the London Interbank Offer Rate) allegedly involving interdealer brokers from ICAP (the largest brokerage company in the world), RP Martin and Tullett Prebon. [Press Report]
• LIBOR 1 (R v Hayes) (2015) – Instructed by SFO in first international prosecution for LIBOR. Said to be the biggest financial conspiracy in history. Investigation involved a number of banks: UBS, Deutsche Bank, JPMC and Barclays, and was linked to FBI and Department of Justice prosecutions in America. Subject to an interlocutory appeal and an appeal against conviction – successfully upheld (R v Hayes [2015] EWCA Crim 1944). [Press Report]

Serious & Organised Crime

Over the last 23 years, Gillian has developed extensive experience in defending in multi-handed organised crime, murder and manslaughter cases, particularly those involving complex medical and scientific evidence. She is described as highly experienced in cases of murder and manslaughter, and also undertakes cold case work. She is said to be bright, hard-working and fun; gets on well with people, and carries cases. Her advice is pragmatic and rigorous, making her highly sought after.

Sexual Offences

Gillian is a leading silk with a wealth of experience in this specialised area of advocacy involving the cross-examination of the very young and vulnerable. Gillian is a contributing editor to Archbold: Criminal Pleading, Evidence and Practice (sexual offences chapter). She is also a course director/lead advocacy trainer for the Inns of Court College of Advocacy for vulnerable witnesses. She is a contributor to the Advocates Gateway (“TAG”), a contributor to Rook & Ward: ‘Sexual Offences, Law & Practice’ and a contributing author to Case Management and Ground Rules Hearings toolkits on the Advocates Gateway.

Featured cases

• R v IB (2020) – Privately instructed to act on behalf of A&E Consultant alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman. Case dismissed.
• R v I (Operation Silk) (2020) – Obtained the dismissal of the charges on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence of conspiracy to rape/indecently assault or if there was a conspiracy, that there was sufficient evidence that he was party to it. Defendant acquitted.
• R v GD and others (2019) – Instructed to represent the appellant on appeal against conviction in respect of multiple historic allegations of rape and indecent assault concerning events at a boarding school in the ‘80s.
• R v JB (2019) – Instructed by The Centre for Women’s Justice to represent the appellant in an appeal against conviction raising two novel points of law, the first challenging the way the accused is prosecuted in trial for alleged false allegations of rape and jury directions and secondly, as to when and in what circumstances anonymity should be lost. [Press Report]
• R v JH (2019) – Privately instructed to defend in respect of historical allegations of sexual abuse by Uncle on Niece. Related allegations against grandfather (father of D). Acquitted.
• R v AD and others (Operation Sabaton) (2017) – Instructed to defend in a three-month, multi-handed child exploitation case alleging historical systematic serious sexual abuse of young girls in care through incremental grooming steps.R v SK (2017).
• Represented the defendant charged with historic familial sexual allegations dating back from 1960s to present day: youngest of three complainants, six years old at time of trial. Acquitted.

Murder & Manslaughter

Gillian has developed extensive experience in defending in Murder & Manslaughter cases, particularly those involving complex medical and scientific evidence. She is described as highly experienced in cases of murder and manslaughter, and also undertakes cold case work. She is said to be bright, hard-working, and fun; gets on well with people, and carries cases. Her advice is pragmatic and rigorous, making her highly sought after.

Gillian currently holds a number of instructions in cases involving murder and organised crime, which are due to be tried this year.

Featured cases

• R v CS & JL (2021) – Instructed to defend CS who it was alleged allowed her boyfriend to murder her four-week-old baby. Set against the background of extensive history of domestic violence. Acquitted. Tried by a High Court Judge. [Press Report]
• R v GK (2021) – Instructed to represent a 18-year-old charged with murder who prosecution alleged self-styled himself on Breaking Bad’s Walter White. Having stabbed a man to death went on to try to dissolve his body in a wheelie bin using sulphuric acid. [Press Report]
• R v LS & KM (2020/2021) – Instructed to defend LS who it was alleged to have allowed her boyfriend to murder and cause serious injury to her newborn child. Acquitted. Tried by a High Court judge. Case made subject to two-part documentary 24 hours in Police Custody, Channel 4. [Press Report]
• R v KA (2020) – Instructed to defend a teenager charged with blackmail and offences against the Computer Misuse Act – cybercrime. Alleged to have hacked Apple, stolen password pairs and then sought to blackmail Apple to pay a ransom in return for not releasing the information online. [Press Report]
• R v JM (2019) – Instructed to defend an ex-army officer who shot dead the husband of his lover, charged with murder. Acquitted. [Press Report]
• R v LB and others (2019) – Instructed to defend a prison officer charged with gross negligence manslaughter. Prosecution alleged the defendant failed to prevent the suicide of a prisoner by not removing a ligature from her cell. Acquitted. Tried by a High Court judge. [Press Report]
• R v JA and others (2019) – Instructed to prosecute a multi-handed murder arising out of a county lines drug ring in which the victim was stabbed to death in a ferocious attack. Murder set against a background of potential trafficking of young drug runners. No eyewitnesses or murder weapons – circumstantial evidence case. All defendants convicted. [Press Report]
• R v JB (2019) – Instructed by The Centre for Women’s Justice to represent the appellant in her appeal against conviction for perverting the course of justice. Novel point of law. [Press Report]
• R v PM (2018) – Acted on behalf of a senior prison officer charged along with two other prison officers with misconduct in public office following the death of a prisoner. The prosecution followed investigations conducted by HMP Service, Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and two police forces. Successfully excluded critical expert evidence and submission of no case to answer upheld. Acquitted. [Press Report]
• R v DW (2018) – Obtained acquittals on behalf of DW who was alleged to have caused eight deaths by dangerous driving and the serious injury of four others. Involved UK’s most serious motorway crash. Extensive accident reconstruction and expert evidence. [Press Report]
• R v SG (2018) – Defended SG who was charged with murdering his wife, his childhood sweetheart. Alleged to have battered her to death using a saucepan whilst high on drugs. Complex scientific evidence as to causation of injuries, conflicting pathology, and neuropathology evidence. Raised issues of self-defence and loss of control. Set against history of alleged violence in the home by wife. Acquitted of murder. Tried by a High Court Judge. [Press Report]
• R v SK (2018) – Instructed to defend in a murder case, in which it was alleged SK whilst drunk beat another man to death. Issues as to diminished responsibility due to chronic alcoholism, loss of control and causation of injuries. Extensive psychiatric and psychological evidence. [Press Report]
• R v KA and others (2017) – Acted for the first defendant in conspiracy to murder “hit-man for hire” drive- by shooting case arising out a feud between two families. Extensive expert evidence – high security trial with protected jury.

Awards

• Recognised in the Hot 100 list 2021, produced by The Lawyer Magazine.
• Winner of ‘Crime Silk of the year’ at Legal 500’s UK awards 2020.
• Highly Commended by the British Legal Awards 2019 for the Women in Law award – wider industry category.
• Cited as a Leading Silk in Financial Crime, Business and Regulatory Crime (including Global Investigations), Proceeds of Crime Act and Asset Forfeiture, Fraud Crime as well as General Crime by Chambers UK, Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal.

Professional appointments

• Joint Head of Chambers (2018)
• SFO Queen’s Counsel Panel (2017)
• CPS Specialist Panel Advocate (Fraud, Organised Crime, Confiscation/Asset Recovery)
• Recorder (2012) – authorised to sit in serious sexual offence cases (2017), appointed to sit at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) (2018)
• Developmental List: General Medical Council (2012 to date)
• Treasurer of the CBA (2017)
• Management Committee of the Advocate’s Gateway (2015 to date)
• Course Director for Inns of Court College of Advocacy (ICCA) and Rook Groups ‘Advocacy and the Vulnerable’ (2015 to date)

Memberships

• CBA (Secretary 2012 -2013, Treasurer 2017-2018)
• FLA
• International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law
• Liberty
• South Eastern Circuit
• Lincoln’s Inn

Publications

Archbold Criminal Pleading, Evidence and Practice, contributing editor

Fraud Law, Practice and Procedure, LexisNexis, chapter contributor

Corporate and Financial Crime – Conspiracy, Practical Law, co-author

Legal Professional Privilege and the right against self-incrimination, Practical Law, co- author

Vulnerable Witness Advocacy Training Course, Course Director, Inns of Court College of Advocacy, and a lead facilitator on behalf of Lincoln’s Inn

Rook & Ward: Sexual Offences, Law & Practice, Sweet & Maxwell, contributor

Case Management and Ground Rules Hearing Toolkits, Advocate’s Gateway, contributor

Archbold Magistrates Court: Criminal Practice, Sweet & Maxwell, contributing editor

Gillian regularly presents webinars/lectures in the UK and overseas on a range of topics from financial crime to advocacy training. She is also regularly invited as a guest speaker, for example, by the FLA, by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in their two-part seminar marking the anniversary of the Bribery Act. Gillian acts pro bono for the Centre for Women’s Justice and is on the developmental board of the charity Clean Break. She also acts as a mentor to students as part of the ELBA out-reach programme.

Gillian has also appeared on a number of occasions as a guest on BBC Radio’s Women’s Hour and has recorded Podcasts for Get Legally Speaking on a number of topics.

Languages

• Italian (moderate)

Other expertise

• Business Crime & Fraud
• Crime

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