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About
Provided by Simon Antrobus KC
Practice Areas
Criminal regulatory law, including manslaughter (corporate and gross negligence manslaughter), health and safety, fire safety, consumer, environmental, trading law and judicial review.
Career
Simon has for more than 20 years been one of the leading barristers in the field of criminal regulatory law, appearing in the highest profile safety prosecutions and trials. He began his career at the Bar in Leeds, prosecuting and defending in mainstream crime before moving chambers to Manchester to become instructed in substantial civil trials, including group litigation concerning Miner’s respiratory diseases (Griffiths and Ors v. British Coal Corporation [2007] EWHC 672 QB), and knee osteoarthritis claims. His cross experience in both civil and criminal litigation enabled him to develop a practice in criminal regulatory law, specialising in technical and safety-related prosecutions, and resulting in a further move to his current London chambers, together with John Cooper KC, to set up the criminal regulatory team there. He has since represented defendants in trials relating to the Buncefield oil terminal explosion, the Smiler rollercoaster accident at Alton Towers, the Hillsborough disaster and the Pembroke oil refinery explosion. He has particular expertise in defending in corporate and gross negligence manslaughter prosecutions, successfully defending directors (e.g. successfully dismissing the case against one of three directors in R. v. Lion Steel Equipment & Ors), senior managers (e.g. R v Lakin-Hall, the successful acquittal of a site manager of a construction site in Mayfair from which a huge window frame had collapsed on a passing bystander), and companies (successful acquittal of a waste recycling company charged with corporate manslaughter: R. v. Ace Waste Haulage Ltd). In the 3-month long trial relating to the catastrophic explosion at Bosley wood mill that left 4 workers dead, Simon ran a successful submission of no case to answer on behalf of the Managing Director of the company, based on arguments as to legal causation before the trial judge, Mrs Justice May. He then successfully persuaded the Court of Appeal to uphold her decision, and in doing so clarify the law as to causation for criminal regulatory cases (R. v. Wood Treatment Ltd & George Boden [2021] EWCA Crim 618). More recently, Simon has represented the clothing retailer Arcadia in relation to a substantial 3-month trial relating to the death of a young child at its Reading Topshop store, together with the successful acquittal of a large insurance company for the death of one of its employees at a factory owned by a Formula 1 motor racing company. He provides advice and representation at all stages of the criminal process and is often retained immediately after an incident has occurred in order to advise as to strategy and police powers. He has particularly experience of working alongside PR consultants in relation to sensitive and high-profile incidents, examples being the Smiler rollercoaster incident, and the Grenfell Tower public inquiry (in which Simon represented an M&E consultancy). Simon is currently advising clients in Jersey in relation to the massive gas explosion at a block of apartments that left 10 residents dead and is representing ITV in relation to the ongoing inquest relating to the death of a participant on the Jeremy Kyle show. He also regularly provides advice to companies and public bodies on safety-related matters of regulatory compliance in this country, including those relating to trading standards and licensing.
Professional Memberships
Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association (HSLA)
Publications
“A Safer Conversation: Reasonable Practicability” Simon Antrobus and Mike Webster, British Safety Council, September 2020.
‘The Criminal Liability of Directors for Health and Safety Breaches and Manslaughter’ [2013] Crim LR 309.
Awards
Chambers and Partners Bar Awards, Health and Safety Silk of the Year 2021
Education
Sheffield University, LLB Law First Class