Megan Millar

Megan has appeared in several of the most significant and high-profile public inquiries in recent years and has experience of representing a broad range of clients. She is also regularly instructed in inquests, including those in which Article 2 is engaged. Megan’s work in this area frequently involves a criminal justice dimension and has detailed knowledge of inquiries and inquests in which criminal proceedings are ongoing or are in prospect.

Her recent work in this area has included the following:

• The Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry: Megan acts as junior counsel to the Inquiry and has particular responsibility for the phase concerning the investigation and prosecution of postmasters.

• The Andrew Malkinson Inquiry: Megan acts as junior counsel to the non-statutory Inquiry established to investigate this miscarriage of justice.
• The Nottingham Inquiry: Megan acts as junior counsel to the Inquiry established to investigate the attacks committed by VC in Nottingham in 2023.
• Inquest into the death of PC: Megan represents the Ministry of Justice in this inquest into the death of an individual in custody following a drug overdose.
•  Inquest into the death of DA: Megan represented a corporate client in this inquest into the death of a pilot following an aircraft crash overseas.
•  The UK Covid-19 Inquiry: Megan represented the National Association of Care & Support Workers in Module 6 of the Inquiry.
•  The Manston Inquiry: Megan represents the Home Office in the Inquiry established to investigative the conditions and treatment of asylum seekers detained at Manston.
• The Undercover Policing Inquiry: Megan successfully applied for an anonymity order in respect of her client who is a prospective witness in the Inquiry.

Megan has experience of acting for and against public bodies in judicial review claims and statutory appeals in the High Court and Upper Tribunal. She is a member of the Attorney General’s Panel of Counsel for Civil Litigation (C Panel) and is particularly interested in cases in which public law and crime intersect.

Megan is regularly instructed by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (“FCDO”) to advise on the imposition of sanctions under the UK’s autonomous sanctions regimes. She also has experience of advising NGOs in relation to the interaction between sanctions and criminal proceedings.

Before coming to the Bar, Megan was the trainee to Judge Bošnjak at the European Court of Human Rights and worked at the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute. As a result, she has extensive knowledge of human rights law and principles.

Recent instructions include:

• R (on the application of the DPP) v Northampton Magistrates Court [2024] EWHC 2324 (Admin): sole counsel in a successful judicial review concerning wasted costs in criminal proceedings.

• CIUC v DPP: junior counsel representing the Director of Public Prosecutions of an overseas jurisdiction in judicial review proceedings concerning a decision not to prosecute (led by David Perry KC).
• WCC v CPS: sole counsel in a successful judicial review following a refusal by the Crown Court to extend the custody time limit in respect of a defendant charged with rape.

Megan regularly acts for both requesting judicial authorities and requested persons at extradition hearings at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and in appeals to the High Court. She gained an in-depth knowledge of Part 1 cases as a secondee to the CPS Extradition Unit. She has also recently acted for the judicial authority in a claim for judicial review in an extradition context which was dismissed as totally without merit and for the CPS in an appeal against conviction following an appellant’s extradition to the UK in which a number of offences did not appear on the Arrest Warrant.

Megan also has experience of mutual legal assistance. She advises individuals subject to INTERPOL Red Notices and has advised the CPS in relation to import extradition requests.

Megan prosecutes and defends in the Crown Court and Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) and accepts instructions across a full range of criminal work. She has particular experience of advising in respect of public law issues arising during the course of criminal trials.

Megan’s recent experience includes:

• R v RH & Ors: Junior counsel in a fourteen-handed trial concerning a conspiracy to commit criminal damage in a protest context.

• CC v CPS: Second junior counsel representing the Crown in an appeal against conviction following a reference by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

• AS v CPS: Sole counsel in an appeal against conviction and sentence following the appellant’s surrender pursuant to a European Arrest Warrant.

• JK v CPS: Sole counsel in an appeal against conviction in which the appellant alleged that his representatives at trial had coerced him into pleading guilty.

Megan is a Level 3 prosecutor for the CPS on the General Crime panel and a Level 2 prosecutor on the Serious Crime specialist panel. Megan also has experience of prosecutions in relation to health and safety matters and is a Specialist Regulatory Advocate (C Panel).

• CPS Panel Advocate, Level 3 (General Crime).
• Attorney General’s Civil Panel Counsel, C Panel.
• CPS Panel Advocate, Level 1 (Extradition).
• CPS Panel Advocate, Level 2 (Serious Crime)
• Specialist Regulatory Advocate, C Panel
• Clerk to the Bar Disciplinary Tribunal.

• LL.M., University of Melbourne (first class)
• MA, Law, Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge (first class)
• BPTC, City, University of London

• Contributor, Serious Fraud, Investigation & Trial (5th ed., 2023) (Kingsley Napley & 6KBW College Hill).
• Author, Case comment: In the matter of an application by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission for Judicial Review

• Pegasus Scholar, Inner Temple (2022).
• Prince of Wales Scholarship, Gray’s Inn (2019).
• David Karmel European Scholarship, Gray’s Inn (2018).
• Ormond Scholarship, University of Melbourne (2017).
• The Frank Galbally Memorial Award for International Criminal Law, University of Melbourne (2017).
• 1912 Senior Scholarship, Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge (2016).
• Whitlock Prize, Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge (2016).

• London Irish Lawyers Association
• Women in Criminal Law
• Defence Extradition Lawyers’ Forum
• Extradition Lawyers’ Association

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