Julia Flanagan.
Practice profile:
A highly experienced, innovative and hard-working advocate, Julia is a leading London junior who specialises in sexual crime, crime related to the most serious violence and financial crime. Julia’s practice covers the spectrum of offences and she has appeared successfully in both the House of Lords and the Court of Appeal.
Instructed in serious and complex cases, she acts as both leading and junior counsel and is accustomed to dealing with the most sensitive cases involving vulnerable defendants and witnesses. She has successfully defended clients in trials involving multi-handed violence, sex, fraud and serious organised crime.
Julia undertakes regulatory work and is accustomed to dealing with the national press in relation to resisting pre-trial publicity.
Practice Areas:
Julia is an expert in the field of sexual offences, ranging from those involving gang rape, kidnap and torture to familial sexual offences against children. She is innovative in her approach, having, for example, successfully run the defence of sexsomnia and is meticulous in her preparation of each case. She is well versed in the use of the S28 provisions, having successfully defended her clients on every occasion when S28 has been imposed, notwithstanding the court-imposed restrictions on cross-examination and the use of pre-recorded video testimony.
Over the past 25 years, Julia has developed a huge amount of expertise in representing defendants accused of the most serious offences, ranging from large scale conspiracies to import Class A drugs to offences of murder and manslaughter. She has an expertise in managing high volumes of evidence and data and dealing with complex issues of disclosure.
Notable cases:
Sexual cases and offences against children
R v B. 2020
Kingston Crown Court. Secured acquittal of defendant accused of repeatedly raping his vulnerable daughter. The complex mental health issues of all parties were significant issues in the case. S28 provisions in respect of cross-examination and pre-recorded video testimony applied.
R v H. 2020
Wood Green Crown Court. Secured acquittal of recently arrived asylum seeker, accused of the stranger rape of teenage girl.
R v I. 2019
Kingston Crown Court. Secured acquittal of defendant accused of grooming and raping a child. Although significantly older than the complainant, in this case it was the defendant who suffered from learning difficulties. Issues as to the admissibility of telephone evidence. The court applied the S28 provisions, which necessitated pre-trial legal argument.
R v D. 2018
Inner London Crown Court. Secured acquittal of defendant charged with stranger rape. Complex legal issues in respect of the potential use of similar previous accusations against the defendant and a previous acquittal for similar alleged offending.
R v F. 2018
Croydon Crown Court. Secured acquittal of defendant charged with Causing or Allowing Serious Physical Harm to a Child, by allowing his infant child to consume Class A Drugs, causing the child’s life to be threatened. Mr F and his wife, the co-defendant, blamed each other for the crime. There were complex issues in respect of the admissibility of voluminous material from previous family proceedings, covert recordings, bad character and expert evidence.
Serious crime cases
R v C. 2020
Wood Green Crown Court. Secured acquittals in respect of the charges against a prison officer of conveying class A drugs into prison, notwithstanding alleged/ disputed admissions made by the client during disciplinary proceedings.
R v H. 2019
Kingston Crown Court. Secured Acquittal of defendant charged with Arson with Intent to Endanger Life. Accusations of a revenge arson attack on 2 adults and a child, whilst they were asleep at night. Complex issues in respect of expert forensic evidence.
R v O. 2019
Wood Green Crown Court. Multi- handed trial, involving gang violence, namely Violent Disorder and Applying a Corrosive Substance with Intent to do Grievous Bodily Harm. Acid was used as a weapon against multiple, seriously injured victims.
R v A. 2019
Aylesbury Crown Court. Multi-handed Supply of Class A drugs trial, involving issues of Modern Slavery, making the case complex both evidentially and legally.
R v G. 2019
St Albans Crown Court. Secured advantageous basis of plea for defendant in respect of multi-handed Conspiracy to Facilitate Unlawful Immigration, namely people trafficking over the Channel, by a serious organised criminal group.
R v F. 2017
Woolwich Crown Court. Secured acquittal of defendant in multi-handed trial involving allegations of kidnapping and serious violence, against the background of offences in respect of the supply of Class A drugs. This case involved the lengthy cross-examination of experts in respect of cell-site data and telephone data.
R v A. 2016
Central Criminal Court. Secured acquittal of defendant in respect of Conspiracy to Cultivate Cannabis. Multi- handed case in which achieving a successful defence was made more complex by the jury being informed of the defendant’s long standing criminal record in respect of the supply of prohibited drugs.
R v V. 2020
Kingston Crown Court. Currently instructed in multi- handed large scale money laundering operation.
R v B. 2020
St Albans Crown Court. Currently instructed in multi- handed, very high value Fraud against a Local Council, involving expert medical as well as financial evidence.
R v J. 2018
Central Criminal Court. Secured acquittal for client in multi-handed money laundering case, in which he was accused of laundering the proceeds of drug offending.
R v S. 2017
Secured not guilty verdict for defendant charged in multi-handed pharmaceutical fraud.
R v F. 2015
Croydon Crown Court. Leading counsel in a large-scale, multi-handed immigration fraud, involving the false provision of legal services and the corruption of an employee of the immigration services, in order to facilitate the fraud.
