Kir West-Hunter

Kir is regularly instructed as both prosecution and defence counsel in the Crown Court. She is a Grade 2 CPS prosecutor and is frequently instructed in trial and pre-trial matters for the CPS. She has prosecuted a wide range of cases, including those involving serious violence, domestic abuse, harassment, robbery, and dangerous driving.

Kir also has experience defending clients in the Crown Court and the magistrates’ courts. Her defence practice includes offences under the Public Order Act 1986, possession of offensive weapons, blackmail, criminal damage, and offences against the person.

She has extensive experience in document review from both a prosecution and defence perspective. Most recently, Kir assisted the Counter Terrorism Division of the CPS with document review in a widely reported prosecution under section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911. She is currently instructed as a disclosure junior in a complex prosecution led by the Serious Crime Division of the CPS.

Kir accepts instructions to prosecute and defend in cases involving complex fraud. She recently conducted document review for a private client at the early stages of an FCA investigation into allegations of fraud by misrepresentation, and she is currently instructed as defence counsel in a trial concerning a multi-layered romance fraud.

Kir also has experience in appellate work. Most recently, she undertook research and drafting in opposition to an appeal against conviction and sentence in Mauritius.

Kir has experience acting for regulators in disciplinary proceedings. She has appeared before the Nursing and Midwifery Council and General Optical Council, completing substantive and non-substantive hearings as well as drafting work for the General Optical Council.

Kir’s experience includes proceedings for allegations of sexual misconduct, dishonesty and impairment due to ill-health. Many of the cases have involved both vulnerable witnesses and registrants.

Kir accepts instructions to represent both registrants and the regulator.

Kir is a member of the Attorney-General’s ‘Junior Junior’ scheme and has recently attended training on judicial review proceedings (delivered by ALBA). Kir gained experience in public law during her pupillage and while working as a Public Law Paralegal at Simpson Millar where she was involved in community care, education and trafficking matters including civil claims against public authorities. She has a particular interest in challenging NRM decisions where individuals are seeking to rely on the s.45, Modern Slavery Act defence in concurrent criminal proceedings.

Kir graduated from St Anne’s College, Oxford in 2019 with a BA in Jurisprudence. Kir continued her studies by undertaking a research LLM at the European University Institute where she examined positive obligations on higher education facilities under Section 43 of the Education Act 1988. Kir then progressed to the Bar Course at City University and, upon completion, was awarded a Distinction.

After graduating, Kir worked as a Public Law Paralegal at Simpson Millar on community care, education and trafficking matters including civil claims against public authorities. Kir was an Advice and Information volunteer at Liberty, speaking with members of the public to provide information about their protest rights during the Covid-19 pandemic. Kir also volunteered, as part of Oxford Legal Assistance, at Turpin and Miller, assisting with applications for indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

• BA Jurisprudence (Law), University of Oxford (2.i, 2019)
• LLM in Comparative, European and International Laws, European University Institute (2022)
• BTC, City, University of London (Distinction, 2022)

• Ely Carter Prize for Specialised Legal Studies, St Anne’s College (Human Rights Law and Media Law – 2019)
• Ely Carter Prize for Law of Institutions, St Anne’s College (EU Law, Administrative Law, Constitutional Law – 2019)
• Queen Mother Scholar, Middle Temple (2021)
• 11KBW Scholar (2022)

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