Profile
Annie became a Member of Chambers in October 2020 following the successful completion of her pupillage under the supervision of Victoria Ailes and Peter Ratliff.
Prior to joining Chambers, Annie was Judicial Assistant to Lord Justice Floyd at the Court of Appeal, where her work had a particular focus on Intellectual Property Law.
In 2017, Annie interned in the Office of the President at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, assisting Judge Carmel Agius in his capacity as both President of the Tribunal and Judge of the Appeals Chamber. She then spent four months at the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, where she worked on a range of public law issues and was closely involved in drafting the bulletin for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Rule of Law. In 2016, Annie worked as a research assistant to Dr Jo Murkens in the Law Department of the London School of Economics.
Annie’s pro bono work includes acting in First-Tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber) cases for the Free Representation Unit and volunteering at the Prisoners’ Advice Service. During her BPTC year, Annie taught debating to prisoners at HMP Downview and HMP Wandsworth as a Vocalise mentor. She became a Director of the Vocalise programme in 2018, for which she received the Gray’s Inn Treasurer’s award for excellence and dedication in service to the Inn.
Annie completed a Mathematics degree at Imperial College London in 2012 before studying Law at the London School of Economics, graduating in 2016 with First Class Honours. During her LLB, she won first place in the Brick Court Chambers Commercial Law Moot and in the Landmark Chambers Public Law Moot. She also represented the London School of Economics in the 9-12 Bell Yard Criminal Law Moot, winning the prize for best individual mooter. Annie was called to the Bar in 2018, having received the William Shaw Award from Gray’s Inn.
Expertise
Annie regularly appears in the Crown Court and magistrates’ court, on behalf of both the prosecution and defence. She has acted in cases involving domestic violence, theft, fraud, money laundering, sexual offences, drug offences, driving offences and offensive weapons. Recent instructions include representing a defendant convicted of a terrorism offence at a sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey and assisting with the preparation of a proposed private prosecution raising issues of both domestic and Russian law. Annie is currently instructed as review counsel on behalf of a corporate client.
Annie has particular experience of cases in the Youth Court, where she frequently appears on behalf of defendants at first appearance, trial and sentence. She has represented youth clients charged with bladed article offences, drug offences, theft, assault against an emergency worker and armed robbery. She recently persuaded the court to impose a non-custodial sentence in a case involving a second relevant bladed article offence. Annie has completed specialist training with the Youth Justice Legal Centre.
As a pupil, Annie assisted in preparing cases involving serious fraud and multi-handed murder. She also gained experience of appellate criminal work, including appeals against sentence in the Court of Appeal, and the appeal to the Supreme Court in R (Highbury Poultry Farm Produce Ltd) v CPS [2020] UKSC 39.
Annie prosecutes for the Crown Prosecution Service as a Grade 2 prosecutor.
Annie accepts instructions in public law cases, especially those with a link to criminal law. She has a particular interest in prison law and is willing to act on behalf of prisoners pro bono. During pupillage, Annie gained experience of parole board hearings and judicial reviews concerning prisoners’ rights. Prior to joining chambers, Annie was a legal volunteer at the Prisoners’ Advice Service, where her work included:
- Assisting a prisoner who was the victim of serious violence to obtain a transfer to another prison where there was a place on a vulnerable prisoner wing
- Assisting a prisoner with a long-term mental health condition to access medical treatment
- Advising a prisoner on her rights in relation to receiving visits from her children
- Assisting and advising prisoners in relation to the prison complaints procedure
- Advising prisoners at outreach clinics at HMP Thameside
Annie is a member of the Attorney General’s ‘Junior Junior’ Scheme.
- “Why the Law on Indirect Discrimination is so Vital in the Fight for Equality’, Human Rights Pulse, 11 February 2021 (available here)
- Assisted Katherine Hardcastle in updating Chapter D9 – ‘Disclosure’ in Blackstone’s Criminal Practice (2021 and 2022 editions)
- Treasurer’s Award, Gray’s Inn (2019)
- William Shaw Award, Gray’s Inn (2017)
- Winner, Brick Court Chambers Commercial Law Moot (2016) (Judged by Sir Richard Aitkens, HH Nicholas Chambers QC and Michael Bools QC)
- Winner, Landmark Chambers Public Law Moot (2016)
- Best Individual Mooter, 9-12 Bell Yard Criminal Law Moot (2016)
- BPTC, University of Law (2018)
- LLB, London School of Economics (2016)
- BSc Mathematics, Imperial College London (2012)
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