Paul Keleher KC
  • Paul's strengths are his precision and integrity.

    Legal 500 2025, Crime

  • No short cuts are taken on his watch and no prejudice against his client is permitted to go unchallenged.

    Legal 500 2025, Crime

  • Paul is also well known to be hte ablest user of technological and presentation aids at the Bar.

    Legal 500 2025, Crime

  • He is very astute and a proper details man.

    Chambers UK 2025, Crime

  • Paul is a stiletto blade merchant.

    Chambers UK 2025, Crime

  • He's a dyed-in-the-wool defender with the ability of a prosecutor when it comes to cut throat cases.

    Chambers UK 2025, Crime

  • He can turn around a written legal argument very swiftly and is really effective in terms of his legal submissions.

    Chambers UK 2024, Crime

  • Paul can cut through things incredibly effectively and quickly.

    Chambers UK 2024, Crime

  • Paul is extremely astute, meticulous and utterly unflappable. 

    Legal 500 2024, Crime

  • He is able to produce high-quality written legal arguments at lightening speed and regularly is the only one in the courtroom who is fully on top of the technology.

    Legal 500 2024, Crime

  • A very bright lawyer with compendious knowledge.

    Chambers UK 2023, Crime

  • A smart advocate and an accomplished performer.

    Chambers UK 2023, Crime

  • Paul presents complicated cases in an accessible way. He is very good with clients and he is a powerful advocate with juries.

    Legal 500 2023, Crime

  • He is dedicated and incredibly experienced.

    Chambers UK 2022

  • Sharp-witted and an excellent performer before a jury. A good and thoughtful tactician.

    Chambers UK 2021

  • He has a good tactical brain and is devastating in a cut-throat situation.

    Legal 500 2021

  • A robust advocate who is great on disclosure issues.

    Legal 500 2020

  • Ranked as a Leading Silk in Crime.

    Legal 500 2020

  • A very understated but effective advocate who works in a quiet and inscrutable way. He's a good, thoughtful tactician.

    Chambers UK 2020

  • Paul is unafraid to take tricky and challenging legal points and rapidly brings great clarity to complex legal issues.

    Chambers UK 2020

  • Great on disclosure issues.

    Chambers UK 2020

  • Ranked as a Leading Silk in Crime.

    Chambers UK 2019

  • His advocacy is understated but effective and is always on top of the law and unflappable.

    Legal 500 2018

  • Unflappable in the face of glaring publicity.

    Legal 500

  • His advocacy is effective and understated.

    Legal 500

Called 1980

Silk 2009

Paul Keleher KC

Barrister

Paul Keleher KC is noted in Chambers UK within the "Leaders at the Bar" section. He has appeared as leading counsel in recent years in many high profile and complex cases.

Recommended as a leader in Crime in Chambers UK and Legal 500

Whatever the nature of the offence charged or the circumstances of his client, Paul Keleher is greatly respected for his commitment to the case, sympathetic manner and client-handling skills.  He never forgets the paramount importance of each case to each individual client.  This level of concern for the client translates into a fearless and determined attitude towards the prosecution at every stage of the proceedings, from pre-charge to the ultimate outcome of the case.  His approach to the case is never less than total commitment, offering all necessary support to the client. He is particularly respected for his meticulous approach to the evidence, his incisive cross examination and is acknowledged as having considerable knowledge in various areas of expert evidence including digital and computer evidence and forensic science.

He is recognised as not only an outstanding trial advocate but also for his interest in the practice and development of the law.  From being awarded a First in Company Law, specialising in insider dealing whilst still an undergraduate to writing and lecturing on various aspects of criminal law, Paul Keleher has maintained an interest in the development of the criminal law.

He is much in demand as a lecturer on a variety of subjects that have seen extensive reforms in recent years, including disclosure under the CPIA, the effect of the bad character provisions of the CJA, the current law on hearsay and the right of silence.

He has been involved in consultation with the government over many areas of law reform, as well as submitting responses to the Law Commission.

Recent Testimonials 

  • "Paul is a stiletto blade merchant." Chambers UK 2025, Crime
  • "He's a dyed-in-the-wool defender with the ability of a prosecutor when it comes to cut throat cases." Chambers UK 2025, Crime
  • "He is very astute and a proper details man." Chambers UK 2025, Crime
  • "Paul's strengths are his precision and integrity. No short cuts are taken on his watch and no prejudice against his client is permitted to go unchallenged." Legal 500 2025, Crime
  • "Paul is also well known to be hte ablest user of technological and presentation aids at the Bar." Legal 500 2025, Crime
  • "Paul can cut through things incredibly effectively and quickly. He can turn around a written legal argument very swiftly and is really effective in terms of his legal submissions." Chambers UK 2024, Crime
  • "Paul Keleher KC is highly experienced in all areas of crime, including cases relating to terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, serious violence and sexual abuse. Keleher is skilled at dealing with complex evidence and disclosure issues." Chambers UK 2024, Crime
  • "Paul is extremely astute, meticulous and utterly unflappable. He is able to produce high-quality written legal arguments at lightening speed and regularly is the only one in the courtroom who is fully on top of the technology." Legal 500 2024, Crime
  • "Paul Keleher KC is highly experienced in all areas of crime, including cases relating to terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, serious violence and sexual abuse. He is regularly involved in efforts to advance the digitisation of the criminal justice system. Keleher is skilled at dealing with complex evidence and disclosure issues." Chambers UK 2023, Crime
  • "A smart advocate and an accomplished performer." Chambers UK 2023, Crime
  • "A very bright lawyer with compendious knowledge" Chambers UK 2023, Crime
  • "Paul presents complicated cases in an accessible way. He is very good with clients and he is a powerful advocate with juries." Legal 500 2023, Crime
  • "He is dedicated and incredibly experienced." Chambers UK 2022
  • Paul is a silk operating at the very top of his game. He stands heads above all other silks the courtroom in terms of his encyclopaedic knowledge and understanding of the law. He is highly intelligent, not afraid to make complex legal arguments and always knows every inch of his brief. Paul also has an excellent command of technology and deploys it for the advantage of the jury. He has the ability to make the jury swiftly understand complex topics, as a result, juries trust him. Legal 500 2022 Crime
  • Sharp-witted and an excellent performer before a jury. A good and thoughtful tactician. Chambers UK 2021
  • He has a good tactical brain and is devastating in a cut-throat situation. Legal 500 2021
  • A robust advocate who is great on disclosure issues. Legal 500 2020
  • Ranked as a Leading Silk in Crime. Legal 500 2020
  • A very understated but effective advocate who works in a quiet and inscrutable way. He's a good, thoughtful tactician. Chambers UK 2020
  • Paul is unafraid to take tricky and challenging legal points and rapidly brings great clarity to complex legal issues. Chambers UK 2020
  • Great on disclosure issues. Chambers UK 2020 
  • Ranked as a Leading Silk in Crime. Chambers UK 2019
  • His advocacy is understated but effective and is always on top of the law and unflappable. Legal 500 2018
  • Unflappable in the face of glaring publicity. Legal 500
  • His advocacy is effective and understated. Legal 500

Articles & Publications

  • Author of Archbold Practical Research Paper on Disclosure which was published in 1999. The DPP provided copies of this paper to all CPS branches for guidance pending the issue on 29th November 1999 of the Attorney General’s new guidelines on pre-trial disclosure. Has also contributed to the Solicitors Journal and the Money Laundering Bulletin.

Associated Work

  • Speaker in Recent Developments in Sentencing at Criminal Law Friends Society London Autumn Conference 2016.
  • Speaker on Recent Developments in Homicide at LCCSA European Conference 2014 in Alicante, Spain.
  • Member of the Bar Council's Legal Services Committee
  • Bar Council Representative on Criminal Contracts Consultative Group
  • Member of the Bar Council's Direct Contracting Supervisory Committee
  • Member of the Criminal Bar Association Committee
  • CBA Representative on MoJ Committee for Digital Working
  • On the review panel of the Bar Pro Bono scheme 

Professional Memberships

  • Criminal Bar Association