Charlotte Ventham KC

Practice Areas

Charlotte’s practice embraces all areas of civil and public law relevant to police and government, including judicial review, malfeasance claims, inquiries, inquests, discrimination and national security.

She was appointed to the Attorney General’s A Panel of Counsel in 2019 and as a Recorder of the Crown Court in 2020. She took silk in 2024.

Charlotte’s recent notable police cases include R (Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis) v Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court [2023] EWHC 1938 (Admin) (closed hearings in firearms licensing appeals); DE v Chief Constable of West Midlands Police [2023] EWHC 146 (KB) (necessity of arrest for imposition of bail conditions); Breeze & Wilson v Chief Constable of Norfolk [2022] EWHC 942 (QB) (multi-million pound damages claim for malicious prosecution). Charlotte also handles cases of the utmost sensitivity for government, including in the national security arena, eg Kamoka litigation (claims for unlawful detention and misfeasance based on alleged complicity of the British government in detention and torture abroad).

Charlotte was called to the Bar in 2001 and started her career in a mixed set practising crime and general common law before moving to 5 Essex Chambers to specialise in police law.

Charlotte was editor of the 5 Essex Chambers Police Law Newsletter for more than 10 years.

Please visit the 5 Essex Chambers website for Charlotte’s profile, which sets out full details of her practice including relevant work of note.