Practice Profile
Emma prosecutes and defends in the Crown Court for a range of criminal offences including GBH, drugs offences, burglary, coercive and controlling behaviour, offensive weapons, drugs and sexual offences.
Emma has acted as junior counsel for large scale drug conspiracies. She also has experience in financial crime including advising HMRC on disclosure in complex fraud and VAT evasion investigations. She has a particular interest in building on her experience with conspiracies involving organised crime groups.
Emma offers early and proactive advice on the cases that she is instructed on, which has resulted in charges being dropped following successful legal arguments to exclude evidence. Additionally, she has experience with vulnerable clients and witnesses including victims of modern slavery.
During her pupillage Emma gained experience in serious and complex RASSO cases, firearms, drug conspiracies and a murder trial. She assisted in confiscation proceedings as well as gaining experience in disciplinary work.
Before coming to the Bar, Emma assisted with a number of high profile and complex criminal matters, including the Oval Four appeals, financial crime and serious sexual offences. Her role also included providing clients with advice and assistance at the police station. In addition, Emma gained experience in civil work, as a paralegal in the civil team at Hickman & Rose working on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Fishmongers’ Hall inquests, actions against the police and multimillion international corruption and bribery proceedings.
Emma writes for Counsel Magazine and the Archbold Review on topics such as pupillage, mentoring and case law updates. She is committed to advocating for the junior criminal bar. She is a secretary for the Kalisher Trust which provides advocacy training with the aim of increasing diversity. She uses social media to reach aspiring and junior barristers and speak on junior issues. Emma was invited to deliver a qualifying sessions for Gray’s Inn on the topic of social media.
Appointments & Memberships
- Grade 2 Prosecutor
- Police Station accreditation
- Gray's Inn
- Criminal Bar Association
- Women in Criminal Law
- Kalisher Trust - Co-Secretary
Education
University of Law - Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC): Outstanding
University of Law – LLM: Distinction
BPP – GDL: Commendation
Durham University – Modern Languages (French and German): 2:1
Awards and Scholarships
Gray’s Inn Ann Goddard and Arden Senior Pupillage Scholar (2022)
Middle Temple Major Harmsworth Scholarship (2018 – 2020)
University of Law Advocacy Scholarship (2018 – 2020)
Winner of the Middle Temple Monroe Cup (2020)
Notable Cases
PROSECUTION
Operation Farrier – Lincoln Crown Court – 2023
Led junior in the prosecution of 8 defendants for a conspiracy to import and export class A drugs lasting over two years.
Operation Rumex – St Albans Magistrate’s Court - 2023
Prosecuted a total of 10 defendants who were part of one of the largest scale and highest profile Extinction Rebellion protests of the Newsprinters UK site in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. Complex case involving abuse arguments and consideration of recent case law.
R v PB, TR and JN – Norwich Crown Court – 2023
Instructed to prosecuted 3 defendants accused of a county lines drug operation involving expert evidence on cell site and attribution of the drug line phone.
R v SV – Southwark Crown Court - 2022
Led junior in the prosecution of a defendant accused of criminal damage of the Brazillian embassy as part of an Extinction Rebellion protest. A number of legal arguments were raised in relation to the available offences.
R v EA, CK and BJ – Leicester Crown Court - 2022
Prosecuted three defendants accused of a sophisticated jewellery burglary.
DEFENCE
R v CC – Worcester Crown Court - 2023
Defended a vulnerable defendant of previous good character who was accused of two charges of possession of an offensive weapon. Following representations to the Crown both charges were dropped.
R v MD – Northampton Crown Court – 2023
Represented a defendant of good character accused of fraud against a vulnerable complainant. Successfully opposed hearsay evidence being adduced which resulted in the case being dropped.
R v JQ – Birmingham Crown Court – 2023
Represented a defendant accused of making a racist comment to a police officer. Following a trial the defendant was found unanimously not guilty.
R v AC – Ipswich Crown Court – 2023
Represented a defendant who was held on remand for over 6 months for allegedly putting the complainant in fear of violence. Successfully made a section 78 application to exclude key evidence which resulted in the prosecution offering no evidence and the defendant being released on time served.
R v GJ – Hereford Crown Court – 2023
Represented a defendant of good character who was appealing his conviction for sexual assault in the crown court. The appeal was successful from a factual basis and also based on the definition of ‘sexual’ and therefore the conviction was quashed.
R v WB – Basildon Crown Court - 2022
Represented a young defendant of previous good character who had pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs where the starting point would usually be 3 years. Following mitigation he received a 20 month suspended sentence.
Publications
Archbold Review – December 2022
Protest law update - the application of Ziegler and abuse arguments based on political interference by the Home Secretary.
Counsel Magazine – May 2022
How to solve a problem like Brecani? - The case of R v Brecani has complicated matters for defence lawyers. Emma Fielding talks to gang culture expert, Dr Simon Harding about County Lines, exploitation and modern slavery.
Counsel Magazine – January 2021
The Pupillage Hunger Games? - May the odds be ever in your favour, writes Emma Fielding... A follow-up to Ishan Kolhatkar’s article (and the Twitter debate it sparked) on how to solve the problem of pupillage supply and demand.