Profile
Abhijit became a member of chambers in October 2022 following completion of his pupillage. He accepts instructions in a range of Chambers’ practice areas including crime, regulatory and professional discipline, and public law.
Prior to joining chambers, Abhijit worked as a criminal lawyer in New Zealand, before completing his LLM at the University of Cambridge in 2021.
He is a CPS Grade 2 prosecutor and has represented individuals charged with serious offences.
Expertise
Abhijit has been regularly instructed as both prosecution and defence counsel in the Crown Court. He has conducted numerous Crown Court trials where individuals have been charged with a wide range of offences, including offences involving serious violence, drug trafficking, and sexual offences.
Recent instructions in the Crown Court include prosecuting individuals who have been charged with large-scale theft from their employer, supplying class A drugs, and voyeurism. Abhijit also regularly defends in the Crown Court, having recently secured acquittals where a defendant was charged with affray and where a detainee was charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
He has been instructed as a disclosure junior in complex prosecutions by both the Serious Crime division of CPS and the SFO.
He accepts instructions to prosecute and defend in complex cases involving fraud. Recent instructions include prosecuting individuals accused of fraudulently obtaining Bounce Back loans. He is instructed as a led junior by the Insolvency Service in a complex multi-handed prosecution of individuals who are accused of fraudulent trading and dishonest conduct in bankruptcy proceedings.
Abhijit has been instructed in connection with the Infected Blood Inquiry. He was been instructed to advise witnesses subject to a rule 9 request, and to carefully analyse and review documents included in any such request.
Abhijit has also been instructed in connection with the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, reviewing and analysing documents provided to the Inquiry by core participants.
He is often instructed to advise the Police or other investigative bodies in relation to the exercise of their investigative powers and the prospects of a successful judicial review of their decisions. Abhijit is familiar with the application of public interest immunity principles. He has advised investigative bodies on the application of such principles when faced with an application to disclose a search warrant application.
Abhijit is a member of the GLD ‘Junior Junior’ Scheme.
Abhijit regularly appears in healthcare disciplinary proceedings. He has appeared before the Nursing and Midwifery Council and General Optical Council. He is instructed regularly to present cases both at the interim order stage and the fitness to practise stage.
In the healthcare disciplinary setting, Abhijit has appeared in a wide range of cases from allegations of sexual harassment to complex clinical cases.
Abhijit accepts instructions to represent both registrants and the regulator.
In 2020, Abhijit commenced a LLM at the University of Cambridge. He was a project manager for the Cambridge Pro Bono Project, assisting in analysing both domestic and international jurisprudence concerning the scope of “cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment” under of Article 3 of the ECHR, He graduated First Class and completed the Bar Transfer Test in 2021.
In 2018, Abhijit was admitted to the legal profession in New Zealand. He spent the next two-and-a-half years gaining experience as a criminal defence lawyer in New Zealand, appearing at first instance, and on appeal, representing individuals charged with a range of criminal offences. In the Court of Appeal, he appeared as a led junior in criminal appeals concerning issues such as the admissibility of novel expert evidence, the impact of procedural failures at trial, and the relevance of significant personal mitigation on sentence.
In 2017, Abhijit graduated with an LLB (Honours). During his undergraduate studies, he won the New Zealand Bar Association Sentencing Advocacy moot. He graduated with First Class Honours upon completing a dissertation examining the admissibility of defendants’ statements at trial.
- The use of section 66 of the Courts Act 2003 following R. v Gould: Part 2” Arch. Rev. 2023, 4, 5-9
- The use of section 66 of the Courts Act 2003 following R. v Gould: Part 1” Arch. Rev. 2023, 3, 8-10
- Master of Law (First Class), Clare College, University of Cambridge
- Bar Transfer Test, BPP University
- Bachelor of Laws (Honours, First Class) Auckland University of Technology
- Bachelor of Business (Economics) Auckland University of Technology
- Honourable Society of Inner Temple
- Criminal Bar Association
- Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
To view Abhijit Desai’s Privacy Notice, please click here.
Recognition
