Justin Rivett

Justin has specialised in criminal defence for over 30 years. He has a broad range of experience, representing defendants charged with the most serious offences, as leading Junior and junior alone, including but not exclusively, large scale frauds; more often than not involving professional clients.

He also has a wide range of experience of most other serious offences and in particular, drug importation and supply, large scale Immigration offences, serious offences of violence. Justin has considerable experience in confiscation proceedings and and money laundering cases. He has appeared in the Court of Appeal on numerous occasions, as well as representing defendants in a number of high profile cases, including one of the largest money laundering cases in the UK. He has recently been instructed in a number of multi handed, fraud, immigration and tax conspiracies prosecuted by the SFO, Home office and HMRC.

Justin was a partner in a large of solicitors specialising in criminal defence and is therefore adept at handling the strategy, management and preparation of complex cases from the outset and as such is used to dealing with lay clients.

Justin is authorised to accept instructions on a direct access basis.

Professional Memberships

Fraud Lawyers Association
Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG) committee member
LAPG rep on the Law Society Crime Practitioners Group

Education

1987: Inns of Court School of Law
1988: Called to the Bar, Middle Temple
1990-93: 1 Crown Office Row, Temple
1993/97: In house Counsel for Cooper Carter Claremont solicitors
1997: Qualified as a solicitor joined Warrens Law (retained status of non-practising barrister)
1997: Head of the Crime Department and the Principal Crown Court advocate.
2017: Reverted back to full-time barrister
2018: Joined 25 Bedford Row

Other

Justin has regularly advised the well known Radio 4 programme “The Archers” on legal aspects of various storylines.

Operation Stealer, representing defendant in one of the UK’s largest cocaine importations.
R v El Kurd, Southwark and Central Criminal Court, £170m money laundering case largest ever in UK .
R v El Kurd, after the above case concluded, instructed by a co-defendant to challenge their confiscation order, did so successfully and retained £1.3m for the defendant.
R v Ullah & Others, 2018 Southwark Crown Court, large scale immigration fraud and £13m tax fraud
R v Kitchen, Blackfriars CC, GBH “baby shaking”, high profile sensitive trial lasting for one month, defendant found guilty and sentenced to 18 years which was then significantly reduced on appeal.
R v M, Southwark CC, attempted murder, insanity defence, trial of issue.
R v ELW, Southwark CC, highly sensitive rape trial.

R v O’N, private client pharmacist, high value pharmaceutical fraud, succeeded in getting the case dismissed before trial.
R v T, large scale banking fraud and associated money laundering, case on going.
R v F, Southwark CC, multi handed complex telecoms/broadband voucher scheme fraud, estimated losses over £1m. Negotiated a basis of plea which resulted in the defendant receiving a suspended sentence, despite the high value involved.
R v Pervez & Others, Junior leading Silk, acting for first defendant in a six-handed immigration fraud, no case to answer after half time submission, appealed by prosecution re trial ordered. Acquitted after five month trial.
R v Kenny, Southwark CC, three month fraud trial representing main defendant, a solicitor, charged with spending client account funds totalling over £1m.
R v Dowling & O’Brien, Southwark CC. £6m HMRC case discontinued after a successful abuse of process argument. Led by Peter Doyle QC.
R v A, Southwark CC, multi-handed and high value banking fraud.
R v B, Blackfriars CC £2m VAT fraud 2 juniors leading junior in a 3 month trial.
R v Baker, Southwark CC. £1.1m fraud by manager of department in private healthcare company guilty plea.
R v Edwards, Central Criminal Court, bookmaker fraud , defendant acquitted.
R v L, Central Criminal Court, high profile, multi-handed £1m coloured diamonds fraud, involving complex expert evidence.
R v M, Southwark CC, defendant acting as disqualified company director.