Kama Melly KC is widely recognised for her technical ability and as a powerful advocate. She is in constant demand from both the defence and the prosecution, receiving an increasing number of private instructions.
Kama prosecutes and defends in all cases of homicide including in relation to firearms, gang related, fraud, organised crime (drugs, firearms and trafficking) high-profile and complex child-trafficking and grooming cases. Her experience in public and family law has enhanced her expertise in child homicide.
Kama is privately instructed in serious sexual offences and a wide variety of fraud and violence offences by high-profile figures in media, athletics, banking, the military and business.
Kama is also instructed in large-scale sexual abuse/grooming cases, including institutionalised abuse in schools and care homes run by religious orders and by the state. These cases have led to some of the Leading Authorities on the meaning of consent in these circumstances.
Recognised as a specialist in dealing with cases involving vulnerable witnesses and young people. Kama was part of the development of both the National Training Programme for all advocates in respect of Advocacy and the Vulnerable and Trauma Informed Advocacy working with the Inns of Court College of Advocacy. She has trained advocates and the judiciary Internationally on this topic.
She has a reputation for achieving positive results in cases which others have assessed as hopeless. As part of her ‘no stone unturned’ approach Kama has succeeded in preventing prosecutions on several occasions through mounting applications of abuse of process, including in cases of drugs conspiracies and historical sexual offences.
Kama is frequently requested to explain complex legal matters to National radio and television.
A bencher of The Honourable Society of The Middle Temple, a Recorder in both Family and Crime, Chair of the Criminal Bar Association’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Committee. Kama has been recognised with a number of awards including Barrister of the Year at the Inspirational Women in Law Awards.
Testimonials
"A formidable cross-examiner.” Kama is a fearless advocate who will fight passionately for her client."Legal 500 2025
“She is an excellent and caring practitioner, who has forensic detail. She is a great advocate.”Chambers and Partners 2025
Areas of expertise
- R v BC Gang-related drive-by murder – Defended a teenager in a joint enterprise murder by shooting into a barber’s shop. Prosecution relied upon recovered Snapchat material and rap/drill music in relation to possession and use of firearms.
- R v Coates, Bonner and Patrice – Prosecution of gang related joint enterprise shooting. Deliberate retaliation by rival gang of driving into a group of teenagers.
- R v Jarvis and others – Prosecution of joint enterprise violent homicide and attempts to destroy the body by fire.
- R v Rouselby – Defending in cold case homicide involving strangulation with considerable cross-examination on the historic pathology evidence.
- R v Gaskin – Defending in an attempted murder with a background of a dispute between rival gangs in the travelling community.
- R v Pierre – Prosecution of the first murder within a “managed” red-light district. The offence led to the end of this public pilot by Leeds City Council.
- R v Rodi – Prosecuting a leading case on hybrid mental health disposals, defending in R v B.
Multiple cases of homicide of a child including ‘baby-shaking’ cases with significant complex expert medical evidence.
- R v Barrass – prosecution of a murder by mother and brother of two children by suffocation and the attempted murder of four other children by poisoning.
- R v Wilks – defending the attempted murder by stabbing of the three children of W.
- R v B – 15 year’s old defendant, part of a ten-defendant joint enterprise murder.
- R v A defending the murder by a 15 year’s old of a 14 year’s old. Multiple child witnesses and significant third-party material.
- R v M – Prosecuting commercial international heroin supply. Significant issues of disclosure, extradition and covert human intelligence. Court of Appeal Judgment regarding disclosure and alleged police corruption.
- R v Kaur – Defending in a multi-handed immigration fraud where defendants created a bogus religious enterprise to facilitate significant levels of immigration.
- R v B – Production of cannabis across the UK. Complex conspiracy with International elements and including the prosecution of owners/landlords for assisting an organised crime group.
- R v Rayner – 16 defendants prosecuted in respect of multiple deaths caused by dangerous driving and assisting an offender
- Operation Polymer – prosecution of historical abuse at children’s homes in Leeds.
- Operation Dalesway – prosecuted a series of large grooming trials across the Bradford Area
- R v Hall – Prosecution – Rape of young males and deliberate infection with HIV
- Operation Reno – as junior counsel prosecuted one of the largest police investigations into offences by priests and monks employed by the Catholic Church at a boy’s school, as leading Counsel represented the victims in the High Court Proceedings against the Church.
- R v X – Multi-complainant allegations against a teacher. Cross-examination revealed collusion. Acquitted.
- R v M – Multi-complainant allegations of rape made against an international rugby player.
- R v H – Two relatives accused a Paralympian of historic offences at a time when the accused was still a child. Submissions as to doli incapax and the presumption for those under 14 led to an acquittal.
- R v MH – Historic multi-complainant historic abuse of children. Abuse of process application on the basis of absent documentation succeeded.
- R v A – Senior surgeon found with the most serious child pornography and abuse fantasies in chat rooms. Careful mitigation avoided a custodial sentence.
- R V FL – Defendant with special needs accused of abuse by three different complainants. Successful applications to sever the indictment and then to stay the indictment in one case as an abuse of process.
Further information
From 2014 onwards – practitioner advisor to the MOJ pilot team on s 28 – pre-recorded evidence.
Jointly developed the ICCA national training programme for vulnerable witnesses . Taught counsel to deliver the course nationally. Assisted in the development of the course for the family courts. Was responsible for training across the North of England.
Kama is a senior advocacy trainer for the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, the North Eastern Circuit and teaches at the International Advocacy course at Keble College, Oxford.