Monica Stevenson

Monica Stevenson is currently a Visiting Lecturer at the Inns of Court College of Advocacy (ICCA).

Monica Stevenson had a criminal defence practice for twenty years, during which time she was instructed in a range of serious and sometimes high-profile cases. Former trials involved her acting as sole counsel, junior counsel and/or lead counsel in a range of cases, including serious sexual offences, public justices offences and allegations of modern slavery.  

During her time as a criminal barrister, Monica became an accredited trainer for vulnerable witness training, and delivered seminar training on this topic for various organisations, including the Criminal Law Review Conference, Kingsley Napley and the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association. 

Monica appeared in all criminal courts, including the Court of Appeal. Her reported appeal cases include R v Jesse Brown [2016] EWCA 523 and R v Aaron Boateng [2019] EWCA 2056.

Before becoming a barrister, Monica Stevenson lectured in her master’s degree subject of Public International Law at a private international college.

Public Inquiries  

Monica was instructed to undertake work for core participants to the Undercover Policing Inquiry (2018) and The Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry (2022).

Written Work & Publications

Monica has written on various legal topics for different publications, including the New Law Journal, Criminal Justice Quarterly, Counsel and Crime Line.

She was the contributory author for chapters in Human Rights in Criminal Law (Bloomsbury) and Abuse of Process (Oxford University Press).

Former 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 skillful 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, hardworking 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

• Former Barrister Panel Member, The Bar Tribunals & Adjudication Service (BTAS). 
• Accredited Facilitator, Vulnerable Witness Training
• Accredited Pupil Supervisor, Middle Temple
• Former Member of the Criminal Bar Association Education Committee (2008-2023)
• Accredited Advocacy Trainer, Middle Temple

Professional Memberships  

• Criminal Bar Association
• 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)

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)

Former Notable Cases

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.

Appeal Cases 

• R v Aaron Boateng [2019] EWCA Crim 2056 – successful appeal against sentence based on 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 later charged with perjury and 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 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.