Andrew Morris

Andrew is a highly regarded criminal advocate with extensive experience in representing defendants charged with serious offences in the Crown Court and Court of Appeal. 

Recent cases include:

• R-v-EF[2023] Where Andrew appeared as junior counsel and then junior alone in a murder trial before the Central Criminal Court 

• R-v-LT [2023] where Andrew appeared as junior alone representing a defendant charged with murder 

• R-v-MA [2023] where Andrew represented a 16 year old defendant charged with rape who was found not guilty after trial 

• R-v-M[2023] where Andrew appeared as leading counsel in a large and serious fraud allegations before Southwark Crown Court 

• R-v-DA [2022] where Andrew appeared as junior alone at the Central Criminal court where he was successful in a half time submission on a charge of manslaughter and acheived not guilty verdict for an offence of assisting an offender. 

In the Court of Appeal, Andrew's recent cases include acting as junior alone in the AA [2019] EWCA Crim 1307 and Grimwood [2021] EWCA Crim 8 where multiple convictions for historic offences were overturned as a result of errors in summing up and weongly admitted bad character evidence. 

In HNF [2022] EWCA Crim 859 Andrew acted as junior alone where a conviction for being concerned in the supply of class a drugs were quashed on the grounds that the Jury had been misdirected on an element of the defence of Modern Slavery under s45(4) Modern Slavery Act 2015 as it relates to persons under the age of 18.

Andrew has also appeared before the Divisional Court in a leading case stated appeal on police powers of arrest Ali v DPP [2009] EWHC 3353 (Admin) in which the Court quashed convictions on the grounds of errors of law. In 2013 he was led junior in a landmark case of R-v- G [2012] EWCA Crim 1756 in which convictions were overturned and which is now a leading case on the law on half time submissions in the Crown Court.

Andrew is instructed in cases of alleged misuse of police powers of arrest and detention and recently in R-v- KD [2022] where he was successful in a trial where the issues concerned the misuse of police powers of stop and search under S23 Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, reasonable force and the freedom of expression under Article 10 of European Convention of Human Rights.

Andrew is a media contributor and an advocacy trainer for the Law Society. He has written journal articles on the issue of disclosure in the Crown Courts and also regularly trains advocates in cross examination of vulnerable witnesses. He has been a member of the Law Society Advocacy Advisory committee for a number of years and participated in advocacy round tables and media appearances.

In January 2023, Andrew was appointed by the Senior President of Tribunals as a Fee Paid Tribunal Judge sitting in the Mental Health jurisdiction.
 

TERRORISM

Andrew has been instructed to defend terrorism cases involving vulnerable Defendants and those charged with preparatory terrorist acts. These cases concern some of the most complex issues of fact and law. Andrew is known for his ability to see the best legal points to make and to fight fearlessly for his clients. He also appears as advocate alone in these cases. He has successfully argued for reduced sentences for a Defendant with below average IQ who was charged with preparatory terrorism offences.

R-v- KR [2022] Manchester Crown Court

Led junior in trial relating to a allegations of encouraging terrorism offences and dissemination of terrorist publications.

R-v-D [2021] Central Criminal Court

Leading junior in 6-week trial representing a defendant charged with encouraging terrorism, dissemination of terrorist material, possession of terrorist publications

R-v- AK [2021] Birmingham Crown Court  

Led junior in a trial representing a defendant charged with possession of terrorist publication and multiple counts of dissemination of terrorist material. Conducted preparatory hearing in camera on matters relating to national security.

R-v- IK [2019] Kingston Crown Court

Junior alone in a multi handed trial in which the main defendant was charged with preparatory terrorist acts.

R-v- AA [2018] Southwark Crown Court

Led junior in a case in which a young defendant was charged with preparatory terrorist acts.

R-v- SA [2017] Central Criminal Court

Junior alone representing a defendant charged with preparatory terrorist acts who was stopped on the Syrian border attempting to join ISIS.

MURDER

Andrew is regularly instructed to represent Defendants charged with multi handed murder cases and other murder cases before the Central Criminal Court. As junior alone he represented a vulnerable Defendant who was a hospital patient charged with attempted murder who had been suffering from severe depression at the time of the incident. These cases involve complex issues of bad character and admissibility of evidence.

R-v- DA [2022] – Manslaughter/Assisting an offender

R-v- VL [ 2021]  - Murder, Led junior

R-v- VR [ 2020] - Attempted murder – Junior Alone

R-v- LW [2019] – Murder, led junior

R-v- UH [2019] - Murder, led junior

R-v- BP [2018] – Attempted Murder, led junior