Stephen
Cadwaladr

Barrister | Called 1992

Stephen Cadwaladr

Background

Stephen Cadwaladr was called to the Bar in 1986 but then practised as a solicitor from 1988 to 1992 before joining Cornwall Street in that year. Having quickly built a busy practice in his chosen fields of general and regulatory crime, he has continued to develop in those areas, accepting briefs for the prosecution and defence in accordance with the cab rank rule, of which he is a fierce defender.

Stephen‘s expertise

Crime
  • General Crime
  • Courts Martial

With over 25 years at the criminal bar, Stephen has established himself as a respected member of the profession.  His approach is traditional, with an insistence on professional independence. Historically Stephen’s caseload was split evenly between prosecution and defence, but as his practice has grown he has moved principally into a defence caseload.  Traditional defence solicitors have received this news happily and his current practice consists primarily of defending those accused of serious offences across the criminal spectrum.  Last year, (2019), was typical and saw him appear in murder and attempted murder cases, as well as those where other serious violence was alleged.  Again typically, there were cases of serious sexual offences, drugs offences and the whole range of dishonesty offences, including the evasion of duty by the importation of cigarettes and alcohol.

Although in recent years the emphasis has been in publicly funded criminal cases, historically Stephen has had considerable experience of prosecuting and defending in private prosecutions brought under health and safety, environmental and animal cruelty legislation.  He still accepts instructions on both sides in these areas.

2019 saw an expansion into areas ancillary to the criminal law.  This resulted in the receipt of instructions from various police forces and local authorities in relation to disclosure of material between those two public bodies where potentially relevant to both criminal and care proceedings.  There were applications in the civil jurisdiction for domestic violence injunctions and forced marriage protection orders, as well as applications for freezing orders whilst criminal investigations were conducted into potential criminal offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act.  Stephen will continue to accept instructions in these areas. 

Regulatory
  • Environmental Law
  • Regulatory Offences
  • Trading Standards

Throughout his career at the Bar Stephen has continued to appear in Magistrates’ and Crown Courts in regulatory criminal cases. He has prosecuted for the RSPCA, various local authorities and the Environment Agency in proceedings against defendants from individuals to multinational corporations involving, by way of example, water and air pollution.

Recent instructions have included the defence of a construction company accused under health and safety legislation of causing the release of asbestos fibres in a primary school.