Martin McCarthy KC
Year of Call: 1994
Martin McCarthy King’s Counsel (KC) is a door tenant at Kenworthy’s Chambers who practices in
Martin McCarthy KC has an established defence practice across both crime and financial crime. He has experience of serious matters including those relating to people trafficking and terrorism. His cases regularly have cross-border elements.
A forceful, formidable advocate who is adept in heavyweight crime and financial crime cases. Known for his well-prepared, meticulous and devastating cross-examination.
Assiduous and extremely organised, his preparation for a case is excellent. He has an unrivalled sense of which direction a case is going once it's underway.
Martin is an exceptional practitioner who is the rare combination of a brilliant brain and an excellent advocate. He reads the room and even in the most challenging of cases ensures that the jury and judge are on board with him.
He has a very good forensic mind and the ability to dial it up or down in response to the mood of the courtroom.
In command of his papers, Martin is someone who robustly cross examines witnesses.
Martin is an astute tactician and a very good lawyer both in terms of his written and oral advocacy.
A Junior who possesses expert tactical acumen, both in his submissions and his dealings with witnesses and juries.
A strong and insidious Barrister with excellent judgment and who knows how to handle the opposition and get what he wants.
Martin McCarthy is charismatic and fights tirelessly! One of the most talented fraud and business crime Juniors at the bar.
An accomplished Junior in financial crime, very experienced and great to deal with. A very good jury advocate who is excellent at witness handling.
Martin McCarthy is the go-to Counsel in heavyweight crime, particularly drugs, people trafficking and serious organised crime.
Well thought of and a real fighter. A very, very good jury advocate.
He is a rare breed of Leading Junior Advocates who has a firm, tenacious manner in Court mixed with charm and charisma.
A walking disclosure manual whose cross examinations are effective.
He can absorb and understand vast amounts of complex material and explain it to a jury.
A thorough practitioner who will fiercely fight his clients’ corner.
Accomplished Junior with a strong track record of defending in financial crime cases. He is esteemed for his ability in cases of fraud, money laundering and serious organised crime.
He is brilliant on the law and has a superb cross examination technique.
Criminal Law
Martin
McCarthy KC is currently ranked as silk in Legal 500 and is recognised for his
practice in Crime and fraud.
Chambers and Partners distinguish Martin as a new silk and formerly as a Leading Junior for his practice in Criminal Law, fraud, and financial crime.
As a Criminal Barrister, Martin McCarthy KC is instructed in all aspects of organised crime including fraud, drugs, corruption, money laundering, and people trafficking. He also handles the most substantial and complex murder cases.
A considerable area of his practice is providing advice in serious fraud cases and related confiscation proceedings. He has appeared in contested cases in the Crown Court, the High Court, and the Court of Appeal. His detailed history of working on complex multi-handed, fraud, and money laundering trials has seen him handling cases involving diamonds, cars, and blackmail totalling over £10M worth of fraud.
Martin McCarthy's practice in cyber-crime focuses on various types of cyber fraud, as well as cases involving phishing, malware, and ransomware.
He has acted for lead defendants in organised crime group cases involving Class A and B drugs conspiracies. He also has provided advocacy at trials involving people trafficking and modern slavery and represented as a Criminal Defence Barrister in multiple high-profile murder trials.
For cases involving forensic cell site experts and specialist experts in computers, telephone, accountancy, and other technical evidence, Criminal Barrister Martin McCarthy is a highly experienced veteran.
If you have a Crime case you need advice or advocacy for, call our Criminal Clerks Paul Mander and Greg Highton on 0161 832 4036, e-mail [email protected], [email protected], or fill out our contact form.
Civil Litigation and Costs
Martin
McCarthy KC has developed a niche practice in appeals against Costs decisions in
the past few years and has substantial experience in VHCC cases.
Many of Martin’s Costs
cases have found their way into the LAA manual of Guidance for Criminal Costs.
He is highly sought after for his up-to-date knowledge and analytical approach
to Costs appeals.
He has been reported in several different types of Costs decisions
from Costs Judges, the High
Court, and the VHCC appeals committee. Martin has experience acting for
both Litigators and Counsel taking a significant number of points before the
Costs Judge on issues ranging from PPE, stayed indictments, and the start of
trial, to category and Newtons.
He has taken points of principle in many cases such as R v Mooney, R v Mehmetaj, R v Zigaras, R v Sereika, R v Francis, and R v Carter, where he has been successful in challenging the decisions of the LAA before the Costs Judge on behalf of Litigators or Counsel.
Martin was formerly an Independent Costs Adjudicator (previously recognised as a member of the LSC VHCC appeals committee). He was also an elected member of the Criminal Bar Association Executive Committee and was co-opted to the CBA Remuneration Committee.
He occasionally lectures and provides in-house training on Costs and Costs appeals for Solicitors and Barristers.
If you have a Costs case you need advice or advocacy for, call our Civil Clerks Michael Jones and Matthew Thomas on 0161 832 4036, e-mail [email protected], [email protected] or fill out our contact form.
+ Notable Cases
+Reported Cases:
- Lord Chancellor v McCarthy (2012) – Reported in EWHC 2325 (QB).
- Lord Chancellor v AJ Solicitors & McCarthy (2011) – Reported in EWHC 2113 (QB).
- R v Smith (Henry Lee) (2007) – Reported in Crim. L.R. 325 and Archibold 2011 Para 4-40 and 13-29.
- Smith v CPS (2005) – Reported in EWHC 3506 (Admin).
- MO, & Others, R (2011) – Reported in EWCA Crim. 2854 on 8th December 2011.
+Fraud and Money Laundering:
- R v RG – Martin McCarthy was the Leading Junior in this £1m+ money laundering case.
- R v S – Criminal Defence Barrister Martin McCarthy was the Leading Junior in this £10m car ringing conspiracy case.
- R v S at Southwark Crown Court – Three-month-long multi-million-pound international fraud case involving 15 defendants, prosecuted by QC and a Junior.
- R v S at Blackfriars Crown Court – Four-weeklong trial on a multi-handed parcel fraud case.
- R v M – Criminal Barrister Martin McCarthy was the Leading Junior in this mortgage fraud and money laundering case.
- R v M at Canterbury Crown Court – Three-week-long multi-handed money laundering trial.
- R v M at Southwark Crown Court – Complex multi-defendant fraud and money laundering trial heard over two and a half months.
- R v S – Martin McCarthy advised on this multi-jurisdiction computer phishing fraud case.
- R v M – Criminal Defence specialist Martin McCarthy provided representation in this 10-weeklong money laundering fraud trial.
- R v W – Martin McCarthy was retained to advise at the pre-charge restraint stage of this international fraud and money laundering case.
- R v G at Kingston Crown Court – Martin McCarthy acted as the Sole Junior in this fraud and money laundering case.
- R v C at Southwark Crown Court – Martin McCarthy was the Leading Junior in a diamond boiler room fraud trial.
- R v D at Wood Green Crown Court – Major money lending and blackmail case.
- R v H at Leeds Crown Court – Huge courier fraud case.
- R v H at Worcester Crown Court – Courier fraud case.
+Drugs:
- R v D at Lincoln Crown Court – Martin McCarthy was the Sole Junior acting in this trial on importing and onward selling Class B drugs involving an organised crime group.
- R v P at Stafford Crown Court – Criminal Barrister Martin McCarthy was the Leading Junior acting for the lead defendant in this case involving an Organised Crime Group.
- R v M at Birmingham Crown Court - Criminal Barrister Martin McCarthy was the Sole Junior acting for the lead defendant in this multi-defendant organised crime group case involving Class A drugs.
- R v X in Nottingham and Bristol – Split trials for two drug conspiracies with more than 20 defendants.
- R v K at Peterborough Crown Court - Criminal Defence Specialist Martin McCarthy advised the lead defendant in this substantial telephone-based drugs investigation involving multiple defendants.
- R v B - Criminal Barrister Martin McCarthy represented one of the main defendants in this multi-handed organised crime drugs case.
+People Trafficking and Modern Slavery:
- R v B – One of the largest human trafficking cases involving over 750 Sex Workers allegedly ran as part of an outcall service.
- R v B – Leading in the largest human trafficking case in Europe. Ongoing.
- R v M at Newcastle Crown Court - Martin McCarthy was the Leading Junior for this 10-week trial on people trafficking and modern slavery.
- R v C at Birmingham Crown Court – This people trafficking, and modern slavery case was heard over the course of four months and prosecuted by QC and two Juniors. Martin McCarthy acted as the Leading Junior.
- R v H – Martin McCarthy was the Leading Junior in this people trafficking case.
- R v D - Martin McCarthy was the Leading Junior in this modern slavery trial that lasted six weeks.
- R v G - Martin McCarthy was the Leading Junior in this people trafficking and modern slavery case.
+Homicide:
- R v KF at Wolverhampton Crown Court - Three defendant cutthroat murder and firearms case leading Chudi Grant of Kenworthy’s Chambers. KF was the only defendant acquitted of all counts.
- R v H at Worcester Crown Court – Martin McCarthy was led by QC in this murder trial that lasted six weeks.
- R v N at Wolverhampton Crown Court – Criminal Defence Barrister Martin McCarthy acted as the lone Junior against QC and another Junior in this murder trial. Martin’s client was the only defendant out of the six, who were all represented by Silks, to be acquitted of murder at the end of this month-long trial.
+Costs:
- Lord Chancellor v McCarthy at the High Court – The decision was overturned in Martin’s favour in this appeal against a Costs Judge’s decision to categorise a case from an A to a B in graduated fees.
- Lord Chancellor v Purnell QC & McCarthy (2010) – Reported in Costs L.R. 81, QBD.
+ Qualifications
- LL.B (Hons)
+ Professional Memberships
- Former elected representative of the Criminal Bar Association.
- Member of the Fraud Lawyers Association.
- Advocacy Teacher at Grays Inn.
- Member of the Criminal Bar Association.
- Member of the South Eastern Circuit.
- Member of the Proceeds of Crime Lawyers Association.
- Member of the Association of Fraud Lawyers.
- Former CBA Remuneration Committee Member.
- Former Independent Costs Adjudicator for the Legal Aid Agency.
Contact Us
To check the availability of Criminal Barrister Martin McCarthy for your Crime case call our Criminal Clerks Paul Mander and Greg Highton on 0161 832 4036,
e-mail [email protected], [email protected] or fill out our contact form.
If you have a Costs case you need advice or advocacy for, call our Civil Clerks Michael Jones and Matthew Thomas on 0161 832 4036, e-mail [email protected], [email protected], or fill out our contact form.
Latest Media
Introducing Kenworthy’s Chambers’ New King’s Counsel Barrister Martin McCarthy
