Hugo Keith QC
Call: 1989 Reported cases QC: 2009 Details of practice
Attorney General v MGN Ltd Described as ‘a fabulous silk’ and as having ‘an outstanding [1997] 1 All ER 456 (contempt by Contact Details: reputation’, Hugo is recognised as one of the legal profession’s newspapers) 3 Raymond Buildings leading QC’s. He was named as one of the UK’s ‘Stars at the Bar’
Gray’s Inn in the Chambers and Partners 2015 guide to the UK Bar, and is Nichols v Nicholls [1997] 1 WLR London WC1R 5BH currently recommended as a leader in six practice areas. 314 (committal orders in family Tel: +44 (0)20 7400 6400 proceedings) He was a member of the ‘A’ Panel of civil Treasury Counsel for 8
Email Address: years, during which time he regularly appeared on matters of R v Secretary of State ex parte [email protected] public and criminal law both on behalf of Government departments Furber (1998) 1 Cr App R 208 and as amicus curiae before the High Court, Court of Appeal and (juvenile offenders) House of Lords. He has appeared in 14 cases before the House of
Lords/Supreme Court. He won the Chambers and Partners award R v Stratford Youth Court ex for criminal barrister of the year 2008, and took silk in 2009. parte S [1998] 1 WLR 1758
(youth courts) As well as his regular appearances in the High Court and Supreme
Court, he has been instructed in some of the most high profile R v CICB ex parte Moore [1999] cases of recent years. He represented The Queen in the Inquest 2 All ER 90 (compensation) into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Malcolm Calvert in
the Cazenove inside dealing case. He was then appointed leading R v CICB ex parte K [1999] QB Counsel to the Inquests into the London Bombings of 7 July 2005 1131 (compensation) and, subsequently, appeared in the Leveson Inquiry on behalf of
Rebekah Brooks and in the Tchenguiz action against the SFO. R v St Helens Justices ex parte
Jones [1999] 2 All ER 73 (default Hugo is instructed by companies, high net-worth individuals, and fines) politically exposed persons relating to all aspects of extradition
(including advising on Interpol and on international restraint), Elias Gale v CE [1999] STC 66 international criminal/corporate liability, sanctions and criminal (Vat) judicial review. He is a renowned appellate advocate, and has
appeared in a significant number of leading criminal cases in the Cowan v MPC CA [2000] 1 All ER UK higher courts. He has appeared twice in the Hong Kong Court 504 (legality of police powers) of Final Appeal, most recently in the appeal concerning the former
Chief Secretary of Hong Kong. R v Manchester Stipendiary
Magistrate ex parte Granada HL Notable cases in 2014-2017 include the Gary McKinnon case, the [2000] 1 AC 300 (legality of Shrien Dewani extradition (in which he successfully represented cross-border warrant) the Republic of South Africa), the Inquest into the death of Mark
Duggan (Hugo represented the Metropolitan Police Commissioner), R(A) v CICAP [2001] QB 774 the Inquest into the death of Alexander Litvinenko (on behalf of (compensation) Boris Berezovsky), the Hermitage Capital affair, and the SFO
investigations into LIBOR, Alstom and Swift (Nigeria). He advised R(Bulger) v Secretary of State on the UK’s first Deferred Prosecution Agreement (Standard Bank [2001] 3 All ER 449 (challenge to Plc). He is representing the Metropolitan Police Service in the Home Secretary’s tariff in Bulger Inquests relating to the Westminster terrorist attack of 22 March case) 2017. He is currently advising individuals or corporate bodies in
relation to some of the most significant current SFO investigations, R v CICAP ex parte Brown [2001] including Autonomy/Hewlett Packard, Tesco, Barclays/Qatar, 2 WLR 1452 (compensation) Euribor, Forex, Unaoil and Airbus. R(DPP) v Redbridge Youth Court
[2001] 4 All ER 411 (admissibility
of child video recording)
Main areas of practice R(DPP) v Acton Youth Court [2001] 1 WLR 1828 (disclosure of Extradition and mutual legal assistance PII material in Magistrates’ Serious and complex crime, and appellate hearings Courts) Public and administrative law Inquests and Public Inquiries R(August) v CICAP CA [2001] 2 Restraint, sanctions and confiscation WLR 1452 (compensation)
R(Stevens) v Truro Magistrates Court [2002] 1 WLR 144 (Securities in criminal Directory Recommendations proceedings)
"Hugo is extraordinarily clever; he cuts to the heart of the issue R(IRC) v Kingston [2001] 4 All ER quickly, and delivers advice sensibly and clearly." "A phenomenal 721 (judicial review of Crown lawyer whose mastery of the legal architecture is second to none." Court) Chambers UK 2019: Crime
"A complete leader in his field, who is silky smooth." "He is one of AG v Ebert [2002] 2 All ER 789 the go-to silks for the key cases. "Chambers UK 2019: (vexatious litigants) Extradition R(Percy) v DPP Times (2002) 166 "Phenomenally hard-working, great with clients and incisive in his JP 93 (public order/ECHR) advice." "He's extremely bright and fantastic at legal argument." Chambers UK 2019: Financial Crime (Star) and Chambers UK Wilkinson v Lord Chancellor CA 2018: Financial Crime: Corporates [2003] 1 WLR 1254 CA (guidelines on contempt) "First-rate in the area of crime–public law crossover" "A super advocate. "Chambers UK 2018: Admin & Public law R v Spear HL [2003] 1 AC 734 (court-martial system) “As a renowned criminal silk, he is a particularly popular choice for inquests which involve parallel criminal proceedings”. Chambers A-G’s Ref (No 2 of 2001) HL UK 2018: Inquests [2004] 2 AC 72 (whether breach of Art 6 requires stay) ‘Very wise and clever, he is a great strategist and a pleasure to work with.’ Legal 500: Business & Regulatory Crime R(Mullen) v SSHD HL [2005] 1 AC 1 (statutory and ex gratia ‘He has an extraordinary career in the crossover between public compensation) law and crime, particularly in extradition.’ Legal 500: International Crime and Extradition R(Williamson) v Sec State Education HL [2005] 2 AC 246 ‘Great command of the law at his fingertips.’ Legal 500: Civil (corporal punishment/ECHR) Liberties & Human Rights R(CPS) v SE Surrey Youth Court ‘A master of staying on top of the detail of cases.’ Legal 500: [2006] 1 WLR 2543 (dangerous Proceeds of Crime and Asset Forfeiture offenders)
R(Bermingham) v SFO [2007] QB 727 (the “Natwest Three”) Notable cases Ward v Commissioner of Police
for the Metropolis HL [2005] 2 Extradition/MLA WLR 1114 (legality of mental
health warrant) US v Lotfi Raissi (who was accused by the US of
complicity in the terrorist attacks of 11th September R v Van Hoogstraten [2006] 2001) EWHC 1315 (Ch) (Article 6)
Govt of India v Quattrocchi (Italian businessman Ayliffe v DPP HL [2007] 1 AC allegedly linked to Bofors scandal) (war protestors)
Russia v Boris Berezovsky (exiled opponent of President R(USA) v Bow St [2007] 1 WLR Putin) 1157 (disclosure in extradition)
Kenneth Noye (whether extradition granted on R(Bermingham and Others) v undertaking of no life sentence) SFO and AG DC [2007] 727
(Enron litigation) France v Ramda (wanted in connection with bombings of
the Paris Metro) R(Pereira) v Inner South London
Coroner [2007] 1 WLR 3256 US v Abu Hamza (wanted by the US in connection with (judicial review of the De terrorist offences) Menezes inquest)
US v Bermingham (the ‘Natwest 3’) R(Da Silva) DPP DC [2006] EWHC
3204 (Admin) (Stockwell US v Tollmans shooting judicial review)
Rwanda v Brown (the request for the extradition of four DPP v Haw [2008] 1 WLR 379 persons accused of genocide) (demonstration outside
Parliament) Italy v David Mills and Silvio Berlusconi (Italian mutual
assistance request) Tollman v Govt of