Andrew Dickens
Year of Call: 1983
Areas of work:
Member:
- Gray's Inn
- Criminal Bar Association
- Family Law Bar Association
- Midland Circuit
- Association of Military Courts Advocates
Andrew is a common law practitioner with a wealth of experience, appearing for both the Crown and the defence in courts from Bradford to Portsmouth, and from Norwich to Swansea. He regularly appears in multi-handed cases and was again graded 3 in the recent CPS grading. He has particular expertise in cases involving children and vulnerable adults, both in criminal and family cases, where his approach is both sympathetic and sensitive. His witness handling is excellent.
Before call to the Bar, Andrew was employed by Slaughter and May and is therefore able to appreciate the problems of solicitors. He is very patient and approachable which makes him popular with both solicitors and clients.
Andrew’s principal areas of practice are:
Crime
He has vast experience of defending and prosecuting in all the crown courts in London and the south east, including the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey), as well as crown courts on the Midland, North Eastern, and Western Circuits.
Andrew also has experience of Parole Board hearings, Mental Health Tribunal hearings, and prison disciplinary hearings.
Family
Andrew has appeared in the High Court, County Courts, and Magistrates’ Courts and employs endless patience in resolving cases involving matrimonial homes, contact, parental rights, and domestic violence. He has represented wives brought from India who are unable to speak English, and he is used to working with interpreters.
In care cases he represents fathers, mothers, children, guardians, and local authorities.
Licensing
Andrew has represented applicants and objectors in applications and appeals in all aspects of liquor licensing and, in London, night café licences. He has also been instructed in cases involving the preparation and sale of food.
Mental Health
Andrew has represented patients in Mental Health Review Tribunals, as well as people with mental health problems in criminal and family cases.
Reported Cases
CPS v Bate [2004] EWHC 2811 (cited in both Archbold and Blackstone)
Drink driving - when person ‘in charge’ of motor vehicle. Represented the respondent.
Kalonji v Crown Court at Wood Green [2007] EWHC 2804 (Cited in Blackstone)
Custody time limit, unavailability of a Judge or courtroom. Represented first interested party.
Recent Cases – crime
R v W (2014)
Defended in a trial of five counts of sexual activity with a child family member; jury unable to reach a verdict on any count and jury discharged.
R v Kobilnyk (2014)
Defended in a trial where D alleged to have used an improvised flame thrower against wheel clampers. Jury acquitted on all four counts.
R v Nelson (2014)
Defended on indictment for sexual assault on a female. Jury acquitted.
R v Keogh and Keogh (2015)
Defended one of two brothers in an allegation of robbery. Both defendants acquitted.
R v Dempster (2014)
Prosecuted arson with intent to endanger life; two counts – separate dates and premises.
R v Gavin (2014)
Prosecuted arson, reckless as to whether life endangered or not.
R v Jarrett (2014)
Prosecuted possession with intent to supply cocaine and possession of criminal property.
R v Kendal (2014)
Prosecuted ‘Newton’ hearing of possession with intent to supply £195,345 worth of cocaine where D claimed he acted under duress. Rejected by the judge and D sentenced to total of 9 years imprisonment.
R v Hutchinson (2015)
Prosecuted a trial of wounding with intent with a gang background. Jury convicted and D sentenced to six years.
R v Tshoma (2014) Prosecuted counts of possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply and possession of criminal property. Defendant changed his plea to guilty after making damaging admissions during cross examination.
R v Weaver (2013) Defending robbery in his home of an elderly man recovering from surgery. Victim tortured by the co-defendant to reveal the whereabouts of his debit card and details of his PIN.
Again represented defendant in the re-trial when he was convicted and sentenced to eight years imprisonment.
R v Nicalou (2013) Court of Appeal
Successfully opposed all nine grounds of appeal against conviction, having previously prosecuted in the Crown Court.
R v Newcombe (2013) Prosecuted a case of GBH with intent where the female victim had been attacked in a churchyard in the early morning and left unconscious with head injuries. Trial cracked on first day. Defendant sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, and ‘dangerousness provisions’ were invoked in view of previous offences against women.
R v Mills-Smith (2013) Prosecuted two counts of possession of a prohibited firearm (activated imitation handgun and sawn-off shotgun) and two counts of possession of ammunition.
R v Michaels (2013) Prosecuted a serious sex offence by an unlicensed minicab driver on a drunken female.
R v Rahman (2013) Prosecuted a case of dangerous driving of a stolen car by a disqualified driver. He twice rammed a police car head-on and then drove along the pavement damaging parked cars in an attempt to escape. He received a substantial prison sentence and further disqualification
R v McMillan (2012) Successful prosecution involving large scale importation and distribution of heroin where the defendant was the only westerner to have escaped from Thailand's most secure prison, nicknamed 'the Bangkok Hilton'.
R v Forrester and Others (2012) Prosecution of seven counts of money laundering of drug dealing proceeds where one of the defendants was a serving police officer.
R v James (2011) Defending a 67 year old man on a charge of sexually assaulting a 10 year old girl, involving careful cross-examination of the child.
R v Dyer (2005) & (2007) Defending historical sexual assaults on children; the first involving strangers, the second involving relatives.
Recent cases – family
LBL v K (2014)
Represented mother (via the Official Solicitor) in care proceedings where the mother’s IQ was lowest that the psychiatrist had seen.
LBC v O and Others (2013) A two day final hearing of care proceedings in the Principal Registry representing one of the three respondent fathers of the four children.
I v W (2012) Principal Registry Successfully represented applicant father in contested application for staying contact.
LBG v D and R (2012) Inner London Family Proceedings Court Represented respondent mother in contested application for interim care order (still running), having initially represented both parents until a conflict of interest arose.
D v M (2012) Wandsworth County Court Successfully represented respondent mother in application to discharge prohibited steps order.
M v B (2011)Barnet County Court and Principal Registry Represented respondent mother in final hearing relating to specific issues, prohibited steps and residence.
LBL v AB (2011) Principal Registry Represented respondent mother with mental health problems in issues resolution hearing before a circuit judge. Guardian and Official Solicitor involved.
ECC v L & J (2011) Colchester Family Proceedings Court Represented local authority in contested application for interim care order.
Mr Andrew Dickens is regulated by the Bar Standards Board, holds a current practising certificate and his details can be found on the BSB’s Barrister Register https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/regulatory-requirements/the-barristers'-register/
Mr Andrew Dickens holds insurance cover for all legal services supplied through professional indemnity insurance with the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund (BMIF) The coverage is worldwide subject to their terms which are available on their website https://www.barmutual.co.uk/
Mr Andrew Dickens is registered with the Information Commissioners office under the Data Protection Act https://ico.org.uk/
If you are not satisfied with the service that Mr Andrew Dickens you can make a complaint to Chambers. Information on Chambers Complaints Procedure is available on Chambers website www.9kbw.com/about-us/complaints-procedure
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from Chambers you may complain to the Legal Ombudsman (This must be done within the time limits set out) The contact details can be found on the Legal Ombudsman’s website http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/