Barrister Profile

Main Areas of Practice

Criminal Law
Human Rights
Personal Injury

Biography

Michael was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2020. He has appeared before every tier of the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland ranging from the Magistrates’ Court to the Court of Appeal on behalf of defendants and the Public Prosecution Service. Michael is also regularly instructed in criminal matters before the Magistrates’ Court, the County Court (Criminal Appeals), the Crown Court, and in High Court bail applications, dealing with offences including serious assaults, drugs, fraud, and sexual offending.

In addition to his wide ranging criminal practice, Michael is instructed regularly for plaintiffs and defendants in both the County Court and High Court in personal injury proceedings.

Michael also has a keen interest in Human Rights work, particularly in the field of prisonlaw and has appeared on several occasions for prisoners seeking to challenge the decisions of the Northern Ireland Prison Service and the Parole Commissioners for Northern Ireland.

Michael is currently accepting instructions in all areas.

Qualifications

2020: Degree of Barrister-at-Law, The Honourable Society of the Inn of Court of Northern Ireland

2020: Diploma of Professional Legal Studies (Commendation), Institute of Professional Legal Studies

2019: LLB Hons (2.1), Northumbria University, Newcastle

Notable Cases

Re Whittle [2022] NIQB 5 - Successful Judicial Review for a prisoner who challenged his unlawful suspension from the Prison’s pre-release testing scheme. Declaration that decision procedurally unfair.

Experience

Represented the IPLS in the 2020 INADR Finals in Chicago, USA