September 1, 2022
Congratulations to RLC member Cameron Brown QC who has been awarded “Lawyer of the Week” by The Times Newspaper for appearing as leading Counsel for the Crown in the Supreme Court case of R v Andrewes, which set out the principles to be applied in confiscation cases relating to CV fraud.
A leading financial crime barrister Cameron specialises in serious fraud, company and corruption cases. He led the Prosecution team in its successful appeal against the adverse Court of Appeal decision, which severely restricted the scope for Courts to make confiscation orders in CV fraud cases.
The Supreme Court overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision, significantly widening the scope to make such orders.
In the interview with The Times newspaper, Cameron Brown QC talks about the biggest hurdles in the case:
“Getting a phone call at 8.30am on the morning of the Supreme Court hearing to say that the leading counsel was seriously unwell and would not be attending. An application for an adjournment was refused, and I was given 30 minutes to “gather my thoughts” by the court.”
He talks about the “Best and Worst elements of being a Lawyer”:
The Best: “a really good cross-examination can be pretty spectacular”
The Worst: “the stress of not getting work, the stress caused by the work when you do get it and the stress of not knowing when you will get paid.”
Asked to describe who he most admires in the law, he cites Jane Bewsey QC who “rebuilt my confidence after a horrendous experience in a case with another silk.”
Asked what law Cameron would like to see enacted he responded:
“Allow telephone intercept evidence to be used in criminal prosecutions — it is used in a number of foreign jurisdictions and I do not think the arguments against using it in the UK really stack up.”
Read the full interview in The Times here: [The Times]
Watch Cameron’s appearance in the Supreme Court here: [Supreme Court]
Read Judgment here: [Judgment]
Cameron Brown QC: [Cameron Brown QC]