Clare Wade KC

Barrister

Clare Wade KC is an experienced silk who specialises in murder, manslaughter and serious sexual offences at trial and appellate level.

Clare is ranked in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners 2025 and was shortlisted for Crime Silk of the Year 2020 by the Legal 500. Clare won Barrister of the Year at the Women in Law Awards 2020

Experience and Expertise

Clare has a high-profile trial practice consisting of murder, manslaughter, sexual offences and serious violence (in the context of domestic homicide or gang associated killings). Recent work has included gang murder and drug- related killings, domestic homicides, joint enterprise killings and other murders including a cold case conspiracy to murder from 1981.

She can think ‘outside the box’ combining excellent client care with legal acumen and attention to forensic detail. She has extensive experience defending in historical sex cases. She acted for the first defendant in Operation Lytton – the first in a series of ongoing Rochdale grooming trials Guardian coverage.

Clare is a highly experienced and successful appellate advocate. She regularly advises on out-of- time appeals against conviction and sentence often where trial counsel has advised that there is no prospect of a successful appeal. She has been instructed in some of the most high profile appeals of the last few years. She represented Sally Challen in her out of time appeal against her conviction of the murder of her husband. The case was groundbreaking; the first time the Court of appeal had considered coercive control in the context of the partial defences to murder. The case changed the way in which domestic abuse is viewed in the Criminal Justice System. Read about it here and here in The Guardian. Clare acted at the re-trial during which the prosecution decided to accept a plea to manslaughter.

In 2021, the Lord Chancellor appointed Clare as the Independent Reviewer on Sentencing in cases of Domestic Homicide. Clare conducted the Review alongside her regular practice and presented it to the Justice Secretary in June 2022. The Review was published in March 2023 and has resulted in secondary legislation (coercive control as a mitigating and aggravating factor and overkill as an aggravating factor in murder). The present Government has committed to enacting Clare’s recommendation that killing by strangulation and killing at the end of a relationship should be an aggravating factor in murder: press link.

Clare’s work is regularly referred to in Parliament with one minister stating “[f]ollowing the passage of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021,[the Review] has been probably the most critical piece of work that has been produced for the benefit of ministers …I was just so impressed by how comprehensive and detailed it was.” The Review is the first piece of work highlighting comprehensively the particular harms in cases of domestic homicide. As a result of the Review, the Law Commission has received a reference to consider defences to murder in cases where women kill their abusive partners, a review of the law of murder generally and of sentencing in murder. The Home office has created a central library for all Domestic Homicide Reviews and the Sentencing Council has consulted on and implemented a number of Clare’s recommendations.

Clare is a specialist on women and the criminal justice system. She is often instructed to provide pre-charge advice or to advise on one-off matters such as drafting representations. She gave oral evidence before the Public Bills Committee on the Criminal Justice Bill 2023-24.

She has previously worked on the Law Commission projects on murder, manslaughter and infanticide, she led the Law Commission projects on Conspiracy and Attempt and the Consultation on Fitness to Plead which recommends a capacity-based test.

Recent Testimonials

“Clare is the most intelligent person in any court room. She distils the most complex legal issues and explains them in easy language. Her preparation is thorough and her advocacy truly formidable.” CHAMBERS UK 2025 (CRIME)
“She’s phenomenal. She goes above and beyond on every single case and has brilliant client care. She is knowledgeable and excellent with expert witnesses.” CHAMBERS UK 2025 (CRIME)
“Clare has extensive experience of the most serious and high-profile criminal cases. She is an incredibly impressive trial advocate, an astute tactician, forensically thorough and supremely articulate. Her speeches to the jury are exceptional.” LEGAL 500 2025 (CRIME)
“She’s highly intelligent and light years ahead when it comes to domestic abuse work.” CHAMBERS UK 2024 (CRIME)
“Clare is a very caring and committed advocate.” CHAMBERS UK 2023 (CRIME)
“She is very hard working, knowledgeable on the law and particularly good with expert witnesses” CHAMBERS UK 2022 (CRIME)
“Clare is a particularly talented barrister. She is able to absorb and navigate expert reports very quickly culminating in skilful cross-examination of the experts.” LEGAL 500 2022 (CRIME)

Education and Qualifications

BA Hons English Language and Literature Durham University (First Class)
Diploma in Law City University, London
BVC, ICSL

Memberships

Criminal Bar Association
Amnesty International
Justice for Women
Bar Council Law Reform Committee (2003- 2011)

Related Work

Home Office discussions on VAWG strategy 2025.
Speaker International Feminist Legal Network 2024.
CALA seminar on Women and Criminal Appeals.
Oral evidence Public Bills Committee December 2023.
Speaker North London Forensic Service Conference (psychiatrists and mental health professionals).
2023 “Women who kill - International workshop”.
Legal Advisor Channel 4: The Jury Murder Trial.
Speaker Justice Colloquium on Coercive Control De Montfort University.
Speaker Cambridge Centre for Criminal Justice/Centre for Women’s Justice webinar “Women who Kill”.
External Reference Panel to the Equality and Human Rights Commission
Prison Reform Trust Advisory Group in relation to amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill.
Training to Criminal Cases Review Commission on coercive control on behalf Centre for Women’s Justice.
Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa participant on Women in the Criminal Justice System (2019).
Quality Assurance Commentator for Advocacy Training Counsel Toolkit 11 “Planning to question someone who is deaf”.
Paper on deaf witnesses and defendants at TAG International Conference on Vulnerable Defendants 2015, New York.

Publications

“Social Entrapment: Is the law failing women who kill?” (forthcoming) in Justice Denied: exploring inequities in the legal system” Eds. Ed Johnson, Claire Smyth (Routledge).
Archbold News Issue 5 28th June 2024 Interview with Clare Wade KC and Professor Penney Lewis Criminal Law Commissioner in conversation.
“Women who kill their abusers: Theory and Practice” in Women who kill, Criminal Law and Domestic Abuse ed Rachel McPherson (Routledge).
Domestic Homicide Sentencing Review, March 2023
Coercive control post-Challen Counsel Magazine (January 2020).
“Representing a deaf person in court” in “Working with deaf and hard of hearing clients” in An Introductory Guide for Professionals Working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Clients in Clinical, Legal and Educational Social Care Settings” Eds. Dr Salley Austen, Dr Ben Holmes 2021.
Contributor to Blackstone’s Criminal Practice 2016 Edition (OUP).
“Making Special Measures Special: reasonable adjustments for deaf witnesses and defendants” in Addressing Vulnerability in Justice Systems, Wildy Simmonds and Hill Publishing 2016.
“Prevention of harm: legislative Strategies for Law reform” The Journal of Criminal Law Vol 72.3 2008.
“The Criminal Procedure (Insanity and Unfitness to Plead) Act 1991 and the Juries Act 1974 Irreconcilable Problems” Crim L.R 1999 656 (article cited in Band Others [2009] 1 Cr App R 19 and Crim L.R 2009 608-610).
Partial Defences to Murder Law Commission Consultation Paper No.173 (contribution).
Partial Defences to Murder Law Commission Consultation Paper No 290 (contribution).
A New Homicide Act for England and Wales Law Commission Consultation Paper No 177 (contribution).
Murder Manslaughter and Infanticide Law Commission Report No 304 (contribution).
Conspiracy and Attempt Law Commission Consultation paper No 183 (contribution).
Conspiracy and Attempt Law Commission Consultation Paper 218 (contribution).
Unfitness to Plead Law Commission Consultation Paper No 197.
“Reforming the test for Unfitness to Plead (a capacity based test)” Legal Action November 2020.
“Reforming the law on unfitness to plead” CBQ Dec 2010.

R v Morgan and Morgan (2024): Leading counsel for second defendant in allegation of conspiracy to murder in 1981 first defendant’s wife – acquitted after an eight week trial: Press Link.
R v Braimah and others (2024): Leading Counsel for third defendant in multi-handed drugs related murder. Defendant acquitted of murder and convicted of manslaughter.
R v Rawle (2024): domestic murder: Press Link.
R v G (2023): Operation Lytton Rochdale grooming. Three month trial leading counsel for first defendant. He was charged with 21 counts against two complainants. Acquitted of 16 counts of rape, sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, indecency with a child and buggery and convicted of 5 counts of sexual activity with a child.
R v OE (2023): Leading counsel for first defendant in cut-throat allegation of murder in context of alleged turf war over drugs supply. Acquitted of murder, manslaughter and possession of bladed article.
R v Cheng (2023): murder.
R v V (2022): Defendant acquitted of 10 counts of rape after Crown offered no evidence on disclosure issues.
R v Vig (2022): Murder- patricide. Allegation of murder involving loss of control and diminished responsibility.
R v Lewis (2022): Yoga teacher murdered lodger.
R v K (2022): Woman charged with murder of partner acquitted of murder convicted of manslaughter by way of loss of control. Expert evidence from criminologist adduced.
R v Penelope Jackson: High profile murder case. Press Link.
R v B (2022): Double murder of husband and wife.
R v Martin (2021): Successfully overturned murder conviction of Farieissia Martin in circumstances where trial counsel advised there were no grounds of appeal. Crown accepted manslaughter during the re-trial. Widely reported in the national press here. There is also a longer piece about the case in The Guardian.
R v Hamer (2020): Murder strangulation morbid jealousy and diminished responsibility.
R v S: Murder stabbing.
R v Sinclair: Murder stabbing and strangulation.
R v Uddin: Murder multiple stabbing.
R v Pateco Te: Gang related murder.
R v Tripp: Murder re-trial previous finding of unfitness to plead.
R v Emma Jane Magson: Leave to appeal conviction out of time. Convicted on a majority after re -trial granted lave to appeal a second time. The Independent.
R v Sally Challen: Successful out- of- time appeal against murder conviction on the basis of coercive control amounting to provocation. Crown accepted manslaughter at re-trial Coverage in all national media: The Independent, The Guardian, an article in Counsel Magazine, "Coercive control post-Challen", and a BBC2 documentary "The Sally Challen Case".
R v MF and others (2017): historical sexual offences.
R v KH and others (2017-2018) Operation Silk: five month multi-handed grooming trial acquitted of conspiracy to rape and multiple rape convicted of one count of rape and one count of indecent assault.
R v G (2017): Historical sexual offences – five complainants spanning many years. Elderly defendant with previous convictions.
R v L: Rapes, assault by penetration -acquitted of all counts
R v L: Rape defendant with autism and learning disability, acquitted on all counts. Coverage in national press including The Evening Standard and The Sun.
R v S (2017): Multiple historical rapes. Acquitted on all counts.
R v V (2017): Multiple historical sexual offences defendant suffered from personality disorder and learning difficulties. Acquitted on all counts.
R v Dawson (2016): Historical sexual offences in the Court Martial, offences allegedly committed outside the jurisdiction by defendant when he was a child. Successful submission of doli incapax. This was appealed by the prosecution as a terminating ruling in the Court Martial Appeal Court. After a successful out- of- time application the defence cross-appeal against a preliminary ruling on admissibility of bad character, the Services Prosecution offered no evidence in respect of a re-trial.
R v C (2016): Historical rapes allegedly committed when defendant was a child. Acquitted on all counts.
R v H (2016): Defendant with autism and learning disability accused of conspiracy to rape 2 year old child.
R v K (2016): Child accused of rape. The complainant was a child who has Asperger's syndrome and ADHD. Acquitted on all counts.
R v R (2016): Multiple sexual offences alleged against young complainant. Vulnerable defendant confession evidence excluded, defendant gave evidence over a live link, exclusion of evidence. Acquitted all counts.
R v D (2016): Woman accused of historical sexual offences.
R v BR (2016): Young woman accused of sexual offences and child cruelty against 6 year old child. Successful submission of no case to answer.
Re C (2016): Juror charged with contempt of court. Suspended sentence imposed.
R v D (2015): Man suffering from Asperger's Syndrome accused of two rapes. Acquitted all counts.
R v O (2015): Historical manslaughter – leading junior. Acquitted.
R v Mohan and others (2015): £40 million money laundering - leading junior. Prosecution offered no evidence after voir dire and submissions on legality of search warrants.
R v L (2015): Young woman accused of failure to prevent serious harm and child cruelty in circumstances where her violent boyfriend had caused life-threatening injuries to 9-month-old baby. Acquitted of all counts after ‘cut- throat’ trial.
R v Stacey Hyde (2015): Defendant convicted of murdering a violent man in 2010 when she was aged 17 and he was aged 32. Out- of- time appeal leading to conviction being quashed (trial counsel advised that there were no grounds to appeal). A re-trial was ordered on the grounds that fresh medical evidence shows she may have been guilty of manslaughter by way of diminished responsibility. At her re-trial she was acquitted of both murder and manslaughter on the grounds of self-defence The Guardian, the BBC and The Telegraph.
R v H: Historical sexual offences. Acquitted all counts.
R v KH (October 2014): Multiple counts historical sexual offences. Defendant with previous convictions for sexual offences. Acquitted of all counts.
R v H and another (June 2014): Historical sexual offences: complainant, defendants and witnesses all profoundly deaf or deaf. Cameras used in court for the first time to visually record the evidence of deaf witnesses and defendants. Acquitted of all counts.
R v J (2013): Sexual offences. Five-year-old complainant. Acquitted.
R v Ashar and others: High profile human trafficking (complainant said to have been kept as slave in the cellar) sexual assault, benefit fraud and s.18 against who was deaf and without speech. Acquitted sexual assault and s.18.
R v B (2012): Historical sexual offences. 30 years' delay. Acquitted of all except count of sexual assault. Child cruelty.

R v Cheng [2024] EWCA Crim 1400
R v Jackson [2023] EWCA Crim 735
R v Magson (2) [2022] 7 WLUK 402
R v Martin [2020] EWCA Crim 1798
R v Dixon Kenton [2021] EWCA Crim 673.
R v H and others [2019]: Oxford grooming.
R v Challen [2019] EWCA Crim 916: coercive control going to partial defences to murder.
R v Magson [2019]: fresh psychiatric evidence.
R v Emma Jane Kurtz [2019] 1 CrApp R 19: solicitor wrongly convicted of wilful neglect of elderly mother. Conviction quashed on appeal. Case is the first case on s44(1)(b) Mental Capacity Act 2005 and involved statutory construction of s.44(1)(b) -enduring power of attorney.
R v Turner (Jennifer) [2015] EWCA Crim 1249: successful out -of-time appeal against imprisonment for public protection for mentally ill woman.
R v Hyde (Stacy) [2014] EWCA Crim 673: murder ADHD diminished responsibility.
R v Okedare [2014] 3 ALL ER 109: guidelines on leave to appeal for absent appellants. Applicant was a child victim of trafficking believed to have been re-trafficked. Application stayed.
R v Dixon (Jordan) [2013] EWCA Crim 465: murder inference from silence- special measures for young defendant with ADHD and learning difficulties. Leading authority on s.35 (silence) intermediaries and importance of ground rules hearings.
Dixon (Hainsley) (2) [2013] EWCA Crim 601: women, firearms minimum term, history of depression and domestic abuse. Initial appeal refused applied to CCRC for the conviction to be referred to the Court of Appeal.
Dixon (Hainsley) [2011] EWCA Crim 924
R v S [2014] EWCA Crim 2919: appellant was a victim of human Article26 (non-punishment provision) of Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings whose conviction was quashed.
R v IA TA FA [2013] EWCA Crim 1308: special measures, intermediaries, racism in the jury room.
R v HXN CET s197 Art 26 linked to R v L [2013] EWCA Crim 991: leave to appeal against conviction granted. Absent appellant
R v Stratford [2011] EWCA Crim 2226: mortgage fraud successful appeal against sentence
R v Scamp [2010] EWCA Crim 2219: Murder abused woman who killed. Out of time appeal on the basis of inadequate direction on provocation after appellant advised by original legal team that there were no grounds to appeal
R v Akers [2007] EWCA Crim 2066: murder abused woman who killed out of time appeal against conviction.
Attorney General’s Reference (Nos 76/77 2014): sentencing in case of human trafficking.
R v Djahit (1999) 2 Cr App R (S) 142: supply drugs successful appeal against sentence.
R v Simsek, Kaynak and Honz (1998) 2 Cr App R (S) 283