Claire Fraser

Practice Areas

Claire Fraser is a fearless and determined jury advocate who prosecutes and defends high-profile complex criminal cases across the country. Claire has reached the stage in her career where she is instructed as Leading Counsel and as Junior alone. Her practice consists of homicide, severe cruelty to vulnerable adults and children in institutionalised settings, serious organised crime including international importation and supply of drugs, firearms, serious rape and child abuse.

Claire is renowned for client care, taking time to form professional relationships with her clients, and ensuring that they feel valued and respected. She is thorough in her preparation and determined to ensure that every avenue of a potential defence is explored. When prosecuting Claire is able to present voluminous material in an effective and concise manner. She has a persuasive and warm advocacy style which has jurors hanging on to her every word.

Career

Call 2000

Professional Memberships

• Claire is on the CPS General Panel at grade 4, the RASSO panel, the regulatory panel crime list B.

• Midland Circuit

• South Eastern Circuit

• Criminal Bar Association

• Appointments – Legally Qualified Chair/Legally Qualified Person to serve on Police Misconduct Panels

Work Highlights

R v Young (2025) – Prosecution of a neighbour for the brutal murder of an elderly man. The defendant then staged a burglary to try to evade capture. The issue at trial was self-defence and a new assertion that the deceased had attacked the defendant. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c780427kpj4o

Operation Index – Mary Prior KC led Claire in this national high profile case of a daughter who killed her father by suffocation to end his suffering. In law, at face value, that was murder. The pathology and causation in this case was described by the expert witnesses as one of the most complex and challenging. Care was taken to ensure that the cause of death was, in fact the suffocation and not natural causes. The inability of palliative care in the community to manage pain relief was hotly challenged by the Crown. Work was undertaken to demonstrate its inadequacies. The case attracted national media attention. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/davenport-crown-court-oxford-crown-court-oxford-oxfordshire-b2731638.html

Rickard and Others – Claire defended in the landmark case of Rickard and others. This was the first time in 100 years the CPS authorised a prosecution for an offence of murder by deliberate starvation, and in this case for financial gain.

Craddock and Others – Claire successfully represented R v Craddock as Leading Counsel. Craddock was alleged to have physically abused residents at a residential care home for the elderly. This is said to be one of the first prosecutions of its kind.

Operation Waterloo – Instructed as Leading Counsel by the East Midlands Complex Case Unit. The case involved nineteen defendants concerned in the supply of wholesale multi kilogram quantities of high purity cocaine.

Operation Driftwood – Instructed as Leading Counsel by the East Midlands Complex Case Unit. The case involved eleven defendants involved in the supply of large quantities of cocaine where firearms and ammunition were also used and seized. A number of counts related to Operation Venetic, managed by the National Crime Agency.

Operation Gosling – Instructed by the East Midlands Complex Case Unit involving eight defendants concerned in a conspiracy to supply class A drugs within Northamptonshire.

Operation Oakridge – Instructed by the West Midlands Complex Case Unit and led by Samuel Skinner KC. Involved the prosecution of thirteen defendants for attempted murder, violent disorder, and firearm offences.

Operation Silver – Instructed by the East Midlands Complex Case Unit. The case involved the prosecution of sixteen defendants in a conspiracy to supply large quantities of high purity cocaine and heroin in and around Leicestershire. The accused were also charged with modern slavery offences.

R v B, Kidnap and Multiple Rapes – Instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service. The trial judge described Claire as “an expert in the field of sexual offending.”

R v K, Multiple Rapes – Instructed by the defence. K was aged 15 years and charged with rape and sexual offending involving 10 child complainants.

R v G, Kidnap and Multiple Rapes – Instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service. Prosecution of a defendant charged with kidnapping, multiple counts of rape and attempted rape.

R v G – Instructed by the Complex Case Unit involving the harassment of Lord Alan Sugar.

R v M, Murder, Rape and Arson – Instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service and led by David Herbert KC. The deceased was bound, beaten and strangled to death during a brutal and sadistic sexual attack.

R v J – Instructed by the defence to represent a father accused of S18 and neglect, ‘baby shaking’.

R v S – Instructed by the defence charged with S18 when he stabbed his father repeatedly to the face. Diagnosis of schizophrenia, finding unfit, mental health disposal.

Operation Silk, Rape and Serious Sexual Offending – Instructed by the defence for the lead defendant in this six-month trial. Instructed to represent the same defendant in Operation Sabaton which was a ten-week trial alleging multiple counts of rape and sexual exploitation.

R v H, Multiple Rapes – Instructed by the defence. K was a nurse who was alleged to have raped unconscious patients at a hospital where he worked.

R v H, Attempted Murder – Instructed by the defence as junior alone. Cut throat defence, acquitted.

R v C, Serious Sexual Offending – Instructed by the defence in this case alleging rape, serious sexual assaults of a number of young boys and meeting children following sexual grooming. The defendant was referred to as “Oxford’s most notorious paedophile

Industry Sector Expertise

Prosecution and defence high-profile complex criminal cases

Clients

Testimonials

Claire is an exceptionally able advocate who has demonstrated over a significant period that she can be trusted with very serious and complex criminal work. Her advocacy skills, both written and oral, are of a very high standard. Claire is in a class of her own, a true leader and a real team player whether leading or junioring. Legal 500, 2025

Claire's ability to pick up work at short notice and get to the root of the issues is astounding. She has a way with clients which is delightful in often difficult circumstances. Legal 500 2023

I would like to state that Claire was extremely thorough in her preparation which shone through during her cross examination. She was a masterclass in dealing with the correct tactical approach and managed to adduce evidence that otherwise would have been excluded.

She was exemplary in her handling of the defendant and his witnesses. Overall she was excellent. I have no doubt that the clean sweep of acquittals during this trial was testament to her tenacious, dedicated and skilful ability. It was a pleasure to work with her. Birmingham Solicitors

I just want to say how hugely impressed my colleagues and I have been with Claire. She inherited this case at the 11th hour and got an immediate grasp of the facts . She has also been really proactive in relation to missing evidence / advice to us about steps to take at the start of the trial and has constantly stayed in touch. She has also remained extremely patient with the defendant. Irrespective of the verdict she has been brilliant. We would always be really happy to instruct her. Leicester Solicitor