James Gray

Barrister

Background Summary

James is a trial lawyer of considerable experience and is consistently recommended by the leading directories as a ‘go-to’ choice for the most serious criminal cases.

His practice takes in a wide range of criminal work but is founded on allegations of murder, manslaughter and serious violence or fraud and financial crime. He has extensive experience in cases concerning allegations of serious sexual violence having appeared to represent clients charged with rape and similar offences for over a decade. He is also sought-out for cases involving complex and novel areas of law brought by agencies such as local authorities.

Over the last 18 months, James has been instructed to appear in cases concerning both serious and high-profile offences many of which have featured in the national media. His recent homicide cases include a man charged with the murder of his wife and two children; a child charged with the murder of another child, a nurse charged with causing the death of a patient; a gang-related murder; a domestic attempted-murder and a child charged with 72 offences of rape and blackmail against other children. His recent fraud and financial crime cases include a man charged with human trafficking alongside a multi-million pound money laundering scheme; a 1.5m trademark fraud; a complex million-pound banking fraud and a number of high value applications under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

James is the Treasurer of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA). He is the producer of the CBA’s recent podcast series on rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) and writes occasionally on legal issues. His most recent article in The Times concerned delays in Crown Court trials.

Outside his criminal practice, he maintains an interest in the protection of journalists and the freedom of speech. In pursuit of this interest, he has worked with the Media Legal Defence Initiative on applications to the African Commission (criminal defamation in Rwanda); ECOWAS (seditious publication in Gambia); the Singapore Court of Appeal (confidentiality of journalist's sources) and the ECHR.

He teaches advocacy with Lincoln’s Inn as a ‘lead trainer’ and has provided similar training for a number of institutions including the Law Society and the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association. He founded an organization called ‘The Skills Project’ with the aim of encouraging young people of all backgrounds to consider a career in the law. Before he came to the Bar, he was a lecturer at Northumbria University where he taught Criminal, Constitutional and European law.

Directory Testimonials

'James is simply fantastic and a real master in the art of advocacy. He is fiercely intelligent and leaves no stone unturned in advancing a defence. James is extremely thorough, diligent and razor sharp and able to deal with the nitty gritty in all cases. He is a silk in waiting.' Legal 500 2025, Crime
‘A go-to junior for serious sexual assault cases. His broad expertise also encompasses homicides and modern slavery matters.’ Chambers & Partners 2021
‘Highly experienced in cases involving serious sexual offences’ Legal 500 2019.
‘Leading individual, combines a direct approach with the ability to put clients at ease.’ Legal 500 2018

Education and Awards

LL.B (Hons) law 2:1
BVC (Outstanding)
Chancery House Chambers Prize for first-place student
Lincoln's Inn Cassel Scholarship
Plowden Chambers Advocacy prize
Lincoln's Inn Buchanan Prize

Publications

Bad Character and the Bolstering of a Weak Case, The Solicitor's Journal.
Lethal injections; will they ever be too barbaric? The Times (London).
The EU- US Extradition Agreement: Reciprocity and a Fair Balance, The Journal of Human Rights and UK Practice.
Cruel and Unusual Punishment in the Caribbean Commonwealth, Oxford University
Commonwealth Law Journal.
Human Rights and Constitutional Reform, The Journal of Human Rights and UK Practice.
Exerting Outdated Colonial Power or Keeping Step with the Evolving Standards of Decency? The Journal of Human Rights and UK Practice.
New Zealand Trusts its Own Judgement, The Times (London).
Political Interference - The Home Secretary and Life Sentences, The Solicitors Journal.
Is the Abolition of the Death Penalty on the Legal Horizon? The New Law Journal.
The War on Terror and the US Constitution, The Solicitors Journal.
The Chair, the Needle and the Eighth Amendment, The Journal of Civil Liberties.

Memberships

South Eastern Circuit

James’ cases invariably involve allegations of sexual or physical violence, drug or arms supply or fraud. He has appeared in innumerable cases involving these offences. The following are example of recent cases in which he has appeared as junior alone.

Homicide and Violent Offences

R v C- Defendant accused pf the murder of his wife and kids
R v F - Woman accused of attempting to kill her partner
R v R - Nurse accused with nine other defendants of causing the death of five patients in two care homes
R v W - Attempted-murder in which the defendant attempted to sever the head of the complainant. Plea of insanity necessitating expert evidence from three of the country's leading forensic psychiatrists.
R v K - Manslaughter and armed robbery in which armed robbers were accused of precipitating a fatal heart attack during a violent disorder.
R v M - A large, long-running, multi handed modern slavery trial in which the prosecution alleged a single complainant had been held in servitude for several years.
R v T - Husband accused of attempting to murder his wife by repeated stabbing
R v K - Kidnap, blackmail and robbery in which a gang was accused of forcibly removing a man form a restaurant, falsely imprisoning him and subjecting him to a brutal beating for several hours in order to extort money,

Sexual Offences

R v A - Child accused of 72 offences of rape and blackmail against 11 child complainants
R v P - Historic rape by husband of wife across a ten year marriage and sexual offenses against child
R v E - Abduction of three teenagers followed by multiple rapes.
R v C - Decade long campaign od rape against minors.
R v J - Relationship rape of teenager.
R v M - Historic grooming and rape of minors

Drugs

R v L - Nationwide conspiracy to supply cocaine.
R v J - Allegation of conspiracy to produce cannabis in sites across the country and modern slavery.
R v W - Conspiracy to supply cocaine across the North of England.