Monica Stevenson

Barrister

"Monica is an exceptional barrister. Her attention to detail is excellent. She is an extremely able advocate. She is a committed, hard working member of the bar who manages to bring integrity and humour to her chosen profession"

Monica is instructed in a range of serious and complex cases including homicide, serious violence, drugs offences and public justice offences such as perjury and perverting the course of justice.

Experienced in all criminal courts, including the Court of Appeal, Monica is a skilled and measured advocate, with almost two decades’ experience defending in criminal trials.

Monica’s expertise includes acting for vulnerable defendants and she is accredited to train other barristers in the techniques of vulnerable witness questioning. She has spoken on this topic for several organisations, including Kingsley Napley Solicitors, the Criminal Law Review Conference and the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association.

In addition to criminal law work, Monica has been instructed to work for core participants to both the Undercover Policing and Post Office Horizon IT Inquiries.

Monica has written on a range of legal topics for publications including the New Law Journal and Criminal Justice Quarterly. She was a contributory author for Human Rights in Criminal Law (Bloomsbury) and Abuse of Process (Oxford University Press, 4th Edition).

Before being called to the Bar, Monica lectured on the subject of Public International Law at a private law college. She is formally accredited to supervise trainee (pupil) barristers and assists with advocacy training at Middle Temple.

Recent Testimonials

"Monica is an extremely assured and able barrister. Her legal submissions are authoritative and persuasive and her detailed preparation allows her to be very agile during the trial process in relation to tactical decisions." Legal 500 2024, Crime
"Hard-working, tactically-astute, good judgement, jury-friendly, a skilful cross-examiner particularly of vulnerable witnesses." Legal 500 2023, Crime
"Monica is an exceptional barrister. Her attention to detail is excellent. She is an extremely able advocate. She is a committed, hard working member of the bar who manages to bring integrity and humour to her chosen profession." Legal 500 2022, Crime
"She has a fine legal brain. First-class advocate and excellent at attention to detail with case preparation. Very personable with clients." Legal 500 2021
"A pleasure to work with." Legal 500 2021
"Great at trial, particularly during cross-examination." Legal 500 2020

Associated Professional Work

Appointed to sit as a Barrister panel member of The Bar Tribunals & Adjudication Service.
Accredited Training Facilitator, The Vulnerable Witness Training Scheme
Accredited Pupil Supervisor (Middle Temple)
Current Member, Criminal Bar Association Education & Training Committee (2008-Present)
Accredited Advocacy Trainer, Middle Temple
Contributing Author - Human Rights in Criminal Law, Bloomsbury Professional
Contributing Author – Abuse of Process, Colin Wells, Oxford University Press (4th Edition)

Professional Memberships

Criminal Bar Association
Bar Pro Bono Unit
Women in Criminal Law

Published Articles

The Work of the Sentencing Council, New Law Journal (June 2020)
Prosecuting Trafficked Defendants, Law Society Gazette (Sep 2019)
Sentencing Guidelines for Manslaughter Offences, Crime Line (2018)
Anonymity for Defendants, Complainants of Sexual Offences, Criminal Bar Quarterly (November 2017)
Pre-Recorded Video Evidence, Section 28, Criminal Law Justice Quarterly (2014)
Maintaining Standards, New Law Journal (2012)
A Timely Reminder of What is at Stake, The Times Online (2012)
Showing your Hand (The New Defence Witness Notice Provisions), COUNSEL Magazine (2010)
No Stone Left Unturned (Admission of “Cell Confessions”), New Law Journal (2005)
Choose Life” (Reform to the Homicide Laws), Solicitors’ Journal (2004)

Education & Awards

BPP Law School (Grade awarded: Outstanding) [2003]
Baron Ver Hayden De Lancy Award, Middle Temple [2003]
LLB, Bachelor of Laws, Cardiff University [1994-1997]
LLM, Public International Law, University of Nottingham [1997-1998]

mstevenson@25bedfordrow.com

Homicide & Serious Violence

R v LA - Led Junior acting for a defendant charged with manslaughter.
R v VI - Led junior acting for a Latvian male charged with murder and attempted murder.
R v LM - Led junior for an ex-councilor charged with attempting to murder his partner.
R v MW & Others - Led junior in a Flying Squad investigation involving allegations of several violent armed robberies in South London.
R v DK - Acted for a young man sentenced for taking part in the London riots [dubbed “the wheelchair looter”]
R v X - Acted for a Lithuanian male sentenced for an air rage incident which forced a flight bound for Chicago to be re-routed to Heathrow.
R v DJ & Others - A case involving multiple charges of robbery where the prosecution offered no evidence as a result of successful legal argument following the discovery of investigative irregularities and witness contamination.
R v MD - Aggravated Burglary and Robbery.

Vulnerable Witness Cases

R v CC - Defending a young man with learning difficulties and autism who was charged with being part of an extensive VAT fraud conspiracy. The instruction of an intermediary and psychologist to assess his condition and cognitive limitations played a key part in the later decision by the prosecution to offer no evidence against him.
R v JF - Acting for a vulnerable defendant (deaf and severe learning difficulties) accused of rape. The trial, which resulted in an acquittal, called for the full time assistance of an intermediary.
R v ER - Defending a serious assault allegation in which the key prosecution witness was entirely deaf and unable to speak. All questioning had to be conducted with the assistance of two sign language experts.

Public Justice & Other Offences

R v GB - Led junior counsel acting for a woman charged with multiple counts of perjury and perverting the course of justice (relating to a series of complaints of rape and sexual assault said to be false).
R v PL - Acting for a PCSO charged with perverting the course of justice during the course of duty (leaking details of a search warrant to a named suspect).
R v PH & Others - Junior counsel for a defendant charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on his partner’s young son. A complex and sensitive case which was noted by the media to have parallels with the “Baby P” case in terms of failings by social services and local authorities.
R v OS - Led junior for the father of a child charged with neglect by way of failure to seek medical aid.
R v LP - Defending a mother charged with serious allegations of cruelty against her natural and foster children
R v MC - A complex case involving historic allegations of sexual assault spanning two decades

Appellate Reported Cases

R v Aaron Boateng [2019] EWCA Crim 2056 - Successful appeal against sentence on the basis of insufficient regard to the Sentencing Guidelines for Children and Young People
R v Jemma Beale [2017] EWCA 1012 - A point of appeal regarding the application of the anonymity provisions for a complainant of sexual offences who is later charged with perjury and/or perverting the course of justice
R v Jesse Brown [2016] EWCA Crim 523 - A point of appeal regarding the trial judges’ handling of a “deadlock note” sent during the course of jury deliberations
R v Michael Crombie [2011] EWCA Crim 1404 - Successful appeal against sentence in a case of historic sexual assault
R v Stephen Comfort [2007] EWCA Crim 104 - Successful appeal against sentence for a racially aggravated assault

Fraud

Re X - Complex allegations of money laundering, rogue trader fraud and perverting the course of justice. Case involved complex issues relating to his "protected person" status under SOCPA.
R v PU – Acting as led junior counsel for the first two defendants on a fifteen-count indictment of fraud and directorship disqualification offences.
R v CF - Led junior counsel in a large scale multi-handed fraud case, concerning an alleged "boiler room" fraud resulting in an acquittal
R v W & Others - Led junior for a defendant in a case concerning bribery (allegations relating to a senior BP employee being bribed up to £350,000 in order to award sea-diving contracts worth over £10 million)

Trading Standards

R v FN – Sole counsel for the third defendant charged with a significant number of trading standards offences. The case was later discontinued owing to successful legal argument on non-compliance with the charging time limits.
Hertfordshire County Council v MT – acted for the business owner in a trading standards prosecution brought under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. This case was a voluminous and complex investigation involving multiple complainants and a combination of regulatory and fraud offences. Successfully secured pleas to regulatory offences alone, with the defendant receiving a suspended prison sentence. The case featured in the 2012 series regulatory offences alone, with the defendant receiving a suspended prison sentence. The case featured in the 2012 series of the Channel 5 programme “Cowboy Builders”.

Inquests & Public Inquiries

Acted for the husband of the deceased in an inquest into the death of a young woman in hospital following the birth of her second child. Barnet Coroners Court made a finding of neglect following a number of failings at the hospital responsible for her care.

Police Work

Public Inquiry on Undercover Policing [June-Nov 2018]. Instructed by the Met Police/based at Empress State Building. Drafting submissions on the redaction of material to be submitted to the Inquiry, drafting anonymity applications for undercover officers, attending briefing meetings.
Independent Office for Police Conduct - Misconduct Hearing - DC Mark Alston/Alfie Meadows [Dec 2019] Acted for the IPOC for part of the above hearing which involved a high-profile misconduct complaint again an officer (Det. Con Mark Alston, of the City of Londonpolice) alleged to have usied unreasonable force against Alfie Meadows (who needed more than 100 staples in his head and was left with a large scar) at student protests.