Henry is an experienced and persuasive advocate who practices exclusively in crime. In the past few years his caseload has included murders, arsons, drugs conspiracies, modern slavery, frauds, rapes and serious sexual assaults. His particular areas of expertise lie in cases involving organised crime and, serious sexual offences.

He is a level 4 rape accredited prosecutor.

Henry has easy and approachable manner and the ability to quickly focus on the real issues in a case.

CPS Panel appointments

General Crime Level 4

Key cases & testimonials

R v Morgan-Wright 2025 Junior alone for the Prosecution, Northampton Crown Court. Paedophile targeting very young girls. Convicted after trial. See here.

Operation Amadala 2024 -5, Led junior for the Prosecution, Nottingham Crown Court. 14 handed county lines case involving class A drugs and firearms. See here.

Operation Polaris 2024 Leading junior for the Prosecution, Nottingham Crown Court. 11 handed country line and modern slavery indictment. See here.

R v Saeedy 2024 Junior alone for the Prosecution, Nottingham Crown Court. Rapist targeting vulnerable students in Nottingham. Convicted after trial. See here.

Operation Hornet 2023 – 2024 Leading junior for the Prosecution, Derby Crown Court, 21 handed multi kilo conspiracy to supply class A drugs and money laundering. Over 20 kilos of cocaine was seized and over £1,000,000 in cash seized. See here.

R v H 2023 Junior alone for the Prosecution, Oxford Crown Court. Serious sexual assault on a stranger followed through the street in Oxford. Convicted after trial. See here.

Operation Zenith 2022 – 2023 Leading junior for the Prosecution, Derby Crown Court. 14 handed conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs. The trial was split in 2, with the first trial running for 3 months at the end of 2022, and the second listed in the spring of 2023. All the defendants were found guilty in the first trial and in the second the last defendants entered guilty pleas after the jury were sworn. The case involved industrial quantities of cannabis from 5 grow houses and multiple kilos of cocaine. See here.

R v C 2022. Junior alone for the Prosecution, Derby Crown Court. Historic sexual abuse case against a man in his 90s. convicted after a 12-day trial. See here

Operation Flash 2020 – 2021 Led junior counsel for the Prosecution, Leicester Crown Court. 21 handed multi kilo conspiracy to supply class A & B drugs. See here

Operation Cloak 2020 Junior alone for the defence, Northampton Crown Court. Multi kilo organised crime case involving modern slavery.

Operation Ock’N’Dough 2020 Junior alone for the Prosecution, Northampton Crown Court. Gang related youth revenge stabbing prosecuted without complainant. Plea on day of trial. See here.

R v Sorti 2020, Led junior for the Prosecution, Leicester Crown Court, murder. The defence claimed complex mental health issues. See here.

R v Sharifi & Sharifi 2020 Led junior for the Prosecution, Leicester Crown Court. Murder and assisting offender. The murderer pleaded guilty, junior alone for trial against the assister. See here, and here.

R v T and others 2019 Junior alone for the defence Stafford Crown Court. One of five in a multi handed section 47 assault. Mr T was one of 5 prison officers accused of unlawfully assaulting a prisoner with batons while he was protesting about his transfer. Acquitted after trial.

Operation Horseplay 2019 Junior alone for the Prosecution, Northampton Crown Court. Conspiracy to steal. This was a complex conspiracy involving a number of members of the same family executing numerous high and low value thefts around Northamptonshire over an extended period. Guilty pleas entered at trial. See here.

R v X 2019, Junior alone for the defence, Wood Green Crown  Court. Sexual Assault, junior alone for the defence, Sexual assault. Retrial for a man accused of sexually assaulting a client while providing a profession massage at the complainant’s home address. Acquitted after trial.

R v Jeng & Others 2019 Led junior for the Prosecution, Luton Crown Court. 5 handed drugs related revenge murder. After trial 3 were convicted of murder and 2 of manslaughter. See here.

R v B 2019 Junior alone for the defence, Northampton Crown Court . Conspiracy to Supply Class A Drugs. Mr B was duped into collecting a significant consignment of heroin. Acquitted after trial.

Henry James is a superb jury advocate. He takes complex legal and factual matters and presents them in a clear, concise and compelling way for jurors. His advocacy is best described as understated excellence. He carefully dissects the evidence to demonstrate where the flaws are and can destroy the credibility of a witness without them even being aware that it has happened. Prominent Silk
Henry has an unmatched ability to keep a jury engaged through even the most complex or dull evidence. His turn of phrase has judges and juries eating out of the palm of his hand. His strengths do not, however, evaporate at the court room door; he has an excellent command of evidence in even the largest cases and an ability to keenly negotiate with others Junior Counsel
Mr James’ in depth legal knowledge and tactical astuteness is clear for all to see, but the thing that puts him a step ahead is his wonderfully engaging and charming style which is extremely effective on clients, jurors and judges alike. He is a pleasure to both work with and watch in action.Principal of large Northamptonshire firm of solicitors

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