Eleanor Laws is a highly experienced leading junior, regularly instructed to lead in all manner of criminal cases, in particular serious violence (including murder) serious sexual offences and drugs importations.

Eleanor Laws has considerable experience in the prosecution of homicide cases, as junior Counsel, and from 2005 as Lead Counsel.

Eleanor Laws has been appointed Grade 4 status by the Crown Prosecution Service, qualifying her to prosecute the most serious of criminal cases in London.

Her particular area of expertise is in the prosecution and defence of serious sexual violence and child abuse cases where she is regularly instructed as Lead counsel to prosecute and defend. Cases have involved historic allegations, abuse in childrenÕs homes, doctors and hypnotherapists charged with sexual offences upon patients, teachers on pupils, charity workers, and persons in charge of patients at hospitals.

Eleanor Laws has been instructed in relation to four of the defendants charged in connection with the child abuse investigation at the Haut de la Garenne children's home in Jersey. The trials are on-going.

Eleanor Laws is regularly instructed to lecture to outside agencies, most recently for the Child Exploitation Online Protection Agency. She has also been involved in training Consultant Paediatricians at St. Thomas' Hospital, Tooting in forensic issues. She has assisted with advising Kent police upon ABE interview techniques. She lectured to Social Services, Kent Police and Crown Prosecution Service lawyers upon Disclosure of third party material in criminal proceedings. She devised the programme, and took part in a multi-agency conference in relation to forensic and medical evidence in cases involving allegations of sexual abuse.

Publication

Eleanor Laws has recently published ÒThe Sexual Offences ReferencerÓ ( Oxford University Press ). This book is a definitive guide to Indictments & Sentencing in sex cases dating back to 1950. It also deals with special measures, CPS charging practise, and Ancillary orders upon conviction. The book is recommended to practitioners at the Criminal Bar Association training days on Sexual Offences, and also to Judges on the JSB training sessions.

Review of the book:

As Lead Prosecuting Counsel, or acting as Sole Prosecuting Counsel in the following cases:

• R v Bygrave:  Murder - Stabbing.

• R v M & L:  Murder - Mother and son in the dock.

• R v Hutchins:  Murder by strangulation.

• R v Penfold:  Murder by "broom"

• R v Taylor:  Mother drowning 10 year old son; nationally reported.

• R v Gray:  Murder by strangulation

• R v B:  Murder by strangulation - two child witnesses; nationally reported.

• R v M & others:  Murder by beating; joint attack upon a suspected sex offender by 4 youths.

• R v G:  Victim was stabbed in the back whilst 8 months pregnant by a female defendant.

• R v R & S:  Case involving incest charges of the gravest kind.

• R v Chinnery:  Serious sexual assaults upon a number of women; nationally reported.

• R v Sharma:  Stranger rape Ðinvolving y STR profiling.

• R v Smith, Parker & Morrison:  Kidnap and torture.

• R v Wenham and others:  Conspiracy to pervert the course of justice; 70 offences involved.

• R v Baker:  Multi million pound fraud; involving famous members of the Horse racing world; nationally reported.

• Karakaya [2005] EWCA Crim 346: use of Internet by jury in a sex case - leading to the standard judicial direction

• Vigon v DPP [1998] CLR 324: exposure case

• Burr v DPP [1996] CLR 324: hearsay evidence - public documents.