Mukul Chawla QC

Called

1983

Queen's Counsel

2001

Appointments

QC List for SFO Prosecution Panel & Proceeds of Crime Panel (2013)
Head Of Chambers (2012)

Recorder of the Crown Court (2007)

CEDR accredited mediator (2007)

Bencher of Gray's Inn (2004)

Standing Counsel to HM Customs & Excise (1996 to 2001)

Reviews

Mukul has been recommended for many years as a Leading Silk by Chambers Directory and the Legal 500. In Chambers Directory he has been and is currently recommended in Crime, Criminal Fraud and Professional Discipline and in the Legal 500 he is recommended in Crime and Fraud.

He was shortlisted for Crime Silk of the Year 2012 by Chambers Directory.

Practice Areas and Specialisations

A specialist criminal and regulatory QC handling cases of the greatest complexity.

In crime, he has experience in prosecuting and defending the most serious offences of fraud, corruption and allegations of insider dealing.

He advises companies and individuals in a wide range of criminal and regulatory matters including Financial Services, compliance with the Bribery Act 2010, privacy issues and export and trade control compliance.

He is instructed in Accountants and Actuaries disciplinary proceedings.

He was shortlisted for Chambers and Partners Crime Silk of the Year 2012.

Current Cases

Currently instructed by the Serious Fraud Office to advise on any criminal conduct arising out of LIBOR manipulation.

Instructed by Executive Counsel of the Financial Reporting Council in relation to disciplinary proceedings against accountants involved in reviewing pensions covenants.

Prosecuting 2 defendants charged with corruption in relation to the projects financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Representing a QC charged with cheating the HM Revenue and Customs.

Recent Cases

Operation Inertia – Jan 2011 to June 2011- Represented the Head Trader of a company involved in £120million VAT contra trading MTIC fraud. Defendant acquitted.

R v Rybak and others – September 2011 to January 2012 – Prosecuted 5 defendants for the SFO for corruption of oil and gas engineering contracts in Iran, Egypt, Russia, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. Contracts corrupted valued at £70m. 4 of 5 defendants convicted, jury unable to agree on the 5th.

R v Stevens – March 2012 – Defended General Secretary of the Union of Democratic Mineworkers on allegations of theft from a Miners charity of which he was a trustee. Defendant acquitted.

R v Hossain – April 2012 to June 2012 – Defended Head Trader of Blue Index (a derivatives brokerage) charged with Insider Dealing. Only the second case prosecuted by the SFA in which Defendants have been acquitted of Insider Dealing. (The first was in 2010 (R. v McFall) in which he also defended.)

R v Hyde – October 2012 - Prosecuting an arms dealer charged with the illegal brokering of 80,000 semi automatic firearms and 32,000,000 rounds of ammunition from China to Nigeria. Defendant convicted.

Examples of Older Cases

2002 defended the Police Sergeant charged with the unlawful killing of Christopher Alder and with misconduct in a public office.

2003 to 2005 Defended one of the principal Defendants in the Jubilee Line Fraud and Corruption trial.

2005 Appeared for the DPP and the Director of RCPO in the Court of Appeal when the Court decided that the defence of necessity was not available when cannabis was being used for medicinal purposes.

2007 defended the Finance Director of Independent Insurance which collapsed in 2001.

2009 prosecuted three businessmen based in the United Kingdom who sent military aviation components to Iran both from the United Kingdom and from the United States of America via third countries in breach of international embargoes (R v. Nik and others).

2009 defended the owner of a fireworks company based in Sussex prosecuted for the manslaughter of two members of the East Sussex Fire Service (R v. Winter).

2009 defended a solicitor charged by the FSA with insider dealing (R. v McFall and others). This was the first criminal prosecution for insider dealing in which the defendants were acquitted.

As a junior, he prosecuted extensively for HM Customs and Excise, representing police officers in inquests, in cases of manslaughter, corruption, perverting the course of public justice (including the "Guildford Four" and "Birmingham Six"). He also acted for a former senior police officer in the Stephen Lawrence Enquiry and for a significant witness in the "Bloody Sunday" Enquiry.

He has defended in numerous fraud cases both in Silk and as a Junior.

Education and Qualifications

LL.B (Hons) - University College London 1979-1982

Reported Cases

Acted for the DPP and HMRC in the appeal of Quayle and others [2005] 1 WLR 3642 where the Court of Appeal decided that the defence of necessity was not available to users of cannabis for therapeutic purposes.

Associated Work

Mukul has been for many years a regular advocacy trainer at Gray's Inn and was involved in establishing advocacy training programmes in Trinidad and Tobago and Jersey.

He is a CEDR accredited mediator.

He is permitted to accept instructions on a Direct Access basis.

Mukul also regularly provides training and seminars for members of the legal profession and investigating officers on a range of topics within his areas of specialisation.

Barristers