Profile
Megan accepts instructions across the range of Chambers’ practice areas, including crime and public law, and regularly acts for both the prosecution and the defence. Before joining Chambers, she worked at the European Court of Human Rights where she assisted on cases concerning alleged violations of the Convention, primarily those involving criminal justice issues. She has particular experience of issues where public and criminal law intersect.
Megan was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2023.
Expertise
Megan undertakes a wide variety of criminal work and is instructed on behalf of the prosecution and the defence in the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal. She is currently instructed as second junior counsel by the Crown Prosecution Service Appeals and Review Unit, led by James Curtis KC and Lucy Organ, in a referral by the Criminal Cases Review Commission to the Court of Appeal.
Megan recently appeared as junior defence counsel, led by Anu Mohindru KC, in a multi-handed trial involving a large-scale conspiracy to produce cannabis. She has appeared unled in cases covering a range of offences, including offences of violence, drug offences and sexual offences.
In relation to prosecution instructions, Megan has particular experience advising on public law issues arising during the course of criminal trials and in respect of offences concerning the administration of justice.
Megan defends clients charged with road traffic offences and has experience dealing with technical legal issues in this area. She has also successfully run exceptional hardship arguments in circumstances where a client faces disqualification from driving. She accepts private instructions in this area.
Megan has experience of a range of public law matters and is particularly interested in cases involving a criminal law element. She is currently instructed as counsel to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry and is particularly focused on actions taken against sub-postmasters by the Post Office.
She accepts instructions in a range of judicial review cases. She is currently instructed as junior counsel, led by David Perry KC, in judicial review proceedings concerning a decision not to prosecute a number of public officials in a foreign jurisdiction. She also recently appeared unled, instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service, in respect of a successful challenge to a refusal by the Crown Court to extend the custody time limit.
Megan has been instructed by the Government Legal Department to advise in respect of a range of matters including habeas corpus applications, the legality of criminal justice policies and the scope of the Government’s duty of candour. She is also instructed in cases involving sanctions and has ‘security check’ clearance.
She accepts pro bono instructions from Advocate, particularly cases with a public law element. She recently advised in respect of a judicial review of a decision by the police to take no further action in respect of an allegation of rape.
Megan has experience representing surrendered and requested persons in preliminary hearings. She has previously assisted senior Members of Chambers with the preparation of extradition appeals. In addition, she contributed to updating the extradition chapter of Stone’s Justices’ Manual in relation to the post-Brexit extradition arrangements between the UK and the EU.
In 2019, Megan was the Policy Officer at Law Centre NI, where she coordinated policy responses on access to justice issues. She was a co-convener of the Cliff Edge Coalition, a group of over one hundred organisations advocating for welfare reform in Northern Ireland.
In 2018, Megan was a legal intern at Media Defence, where she assisted with a constitutional challenge to the Kenyan Penal Code before the East African Court of Justice. She also worked for the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute where she spent the majority of her time campaigning about the persecution of the legal profession in Turkey.
In 2016, Megan volunteered at Texas Defender Services where she conducted research and compiled mitigation for death penalty cases.
- Attorney General’s Civil Panel Counsel, “Junior Junior” counsel.
- CPS Panel Advocate, Level 2 (general crime).
- 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 (Northern Ireland) [2018] UKSC 27, The Young Human Rights Lawyer Journal (2018).
- 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).
- Young Legal Aid Lawyers
- Women in Criminal Law
- Defence Extradition Lawyers’ Forum
- Extradition Lawyers’ Association
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Recognition
