Eleanor De

Barrister

Eleanor is a committed criminal defence specialist, with a developing public law and regulatory practice.

Eleanor is instructed alone and as a led junior across a broad range of criminal matters including serious violence, supply of drugs, sexual offences and fraud.

She is dedicated to meticulous case preparation, effective advocacy and exceptional client care.

Eleanor’s expertise includes representing young people and vulnerable adults. She has a keen interest in cases engaging issues of exploitation, modern slavery and gang violence, and appears as assigned advocate in the Youth Court for unusually grave or difficult cases. She is also experienced in dealing with paper-heavy cases involving complex legal issues, expert evidence and substantial disclosure.

Before coming to the Bar, Eleanor worked across strategic litigation, policy and research with organisations such as the Texas Defender Service, Reprieve and Revolving Doors Agency. This included assisting with death penalty pre-trial preparation and appeals in the USA, researching the impact of the UK Government’s policy on ‘Overseas Security and Justice Assistance’ (OSJA) and campaigning for policy changes to help end the ‘revolving door’ of crisis and crime. She has also volunteered as a caseworker with the Centre for Criminal Appeals (now APPEAL) and the Free Representation Unit, successfully representing clients at the First-tier Social Security Tribunal.

Professional Memberships

Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
Criminal Bar Association
Howard League for Penal Reform
Young Legal Aid Lawyers
Women in Criminal Law

Qualifications and Awards

Bar Professional Training Course - City, University of London
Inner Temple Major Scholarship
MSc Criminal Justice Policy – London School of Economics
BA (Hons) Law - Pembroke College, University of Cambridge

R v KB – Operation Mockingbird – Junior alone representing the first defendant in a 7-handed conspiracy to steal and money laundering case.
R v AH – Led junior in conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, involving complex cell site, Encrochat and geodata evidence.
TS v GE – Operation Emperor – Led junior in a large-scale fraudulent trading case prosecuted by Trading Standards.
R v DM – Led junior in a multi-defendant county lines drug conspiracy.
R v JB – Secured a conditional discharge for defendant with learning difficulties who had pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of large quantities of Class B drugs.
R v AK – Secured a 7-month suspended sentence for defendant with a significant role in a conspiracy to commit fraud to the value of more than £40,000, aggravated by vulnerability of victims.
R v TS – Successful application to dismiss a robbery.
R v MA – Secured a 12-month suspended sentence for defendant who pleaded guilty to 6 counts of supplying Class A and B drugs.
R v JS – Following guilty plea, sentence of 5 years 3 months for possession with intent to supply more than 150 kg of ketamine (street value of more than £4 million).
R v JB – Secured a suspended sentence for defendant with 81 previous convictions for theft and kindred offences who pleaded guilty to a ‘third-strike’ dwelling burglary, persuading the court to depart from the mandatory minimum.
R v RG – Successful application to dismiss attempted s.18 GBH.
R v MB & Ors – Represented 6 defendants charged with aggravated trespass following Extinction Rebellion protest.
R v RM – Following extensive written representations about the exploitation of RM, a youth, the CPS offered no evidence on PWITS Class A and possession of knife, and negotiated a plea to theft on a separate charge of robbery.