January 13, 2026
Trevor Archer acted alone for the Serious Fraud Office (UK) in an appeal brought by Güralp Systems Ltd against a ruling by the late William Davis LJ that permitted the SFO to bring proceedings for breach of a Deferred Prosecution Agreement.
The High Court accepted jurisdiction to determine this novel appeal by way of case stated. Then, having considered leading authorities on the construction of commercial contracts, the court interpreted the terms of the DPA against the public interest principles that underpin the DPA regime, holding that the SFO had correctly interpreted the terms of the DPA and that the breach proceedings were lawfully initiated.
Trevor Archer is ranked as a leading practitioner in the major legal directories. He is frequently instructed to act in complex investigations that attract significant public interest or address novel legal issues. He has particular experience defending and prosecuting complex corporate crime, including cases that involve parallel civil proceedings or proceedings in other jurisdictions.
Read Judgment here: GSL v SFO judgment 13.01.26 (1)
Barristers
Trevor Archer
Call: 2005