Louis Mably KC

Barrister

Year of Call

1997

Profile

Louis is a recognised leader in the fields of criminal litigation, corporate investigations and human rights. He has an international reputation for providing expert strategic analysis, and frequently acts in cases with a multi-jurisdictional dimension.

Louis has acted in numerous cases in the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights, and recently appeared for the Department of Justice in the High Court of Hong Kong in the territory’s largest corruption trial.

Louis was appointed Senior Treasury Counsel in 2015, and Queen’s Counsel in 2017.

  • “Louis is a powerful cross-examiner who plays very well before a jury.” – Chambers & Partners
  • “Polished and proficient.” – Chambers & Partners
  • “He’s engaging, forensic and thorough.” – Chambers & Partners
  • He is fantastic and really bright” – Chambers & Partners
  • He is fantastic for high-profile and sensitive cases” – Chambers & Partners
  • Clear, easy to work with and completely unpretentious” – The Legal 500
  • “Louis is highly sought-after. He is always on top of the legal or factual issues in a case and is balanced in his approach. He presents in a clear and structured manner which allows juries to identify issues from the start and follow the evidence with ease.” – The Legal 500
  • “He has a wonderful court presence that is understated yet supremely effective.” – Chambers & Partners
  • “A superstar…a really talented individual.” – Chambers & Partners
  • “He is in another league when it comes to legal argument… What a legend.” – Legal 500

Expertise

Louis’s specialism in the field of criminal litigation is dealing with cases, at first instance and on appeal, that are complex, high profile and sensitive. Recent cases include:

HKSAR v Hui, Kwok & others (Court of First Instance, Hong Kong)

Louis was admitted to the Hong Kong Bar and acted for the Department of Justice in the prosecution of the territory’s former Chief Secretary for taking bribes from property developers.

Parliamentary Expenses Scandal

Louis prosecuted the six Members of Parliament charged in connection with the Parliamentary expenses scandal. The litigation included the landmark constitutional case of R v Chaytor and others in the Supreme Court, on the scope of Parliamentary Privilege and Article IX of the Bill of Rights.

Isle of Wight Council v Platt (Supreme Court)

Louis represented the Secretary of State in the high profile Supreme Court case concerning the prosecution of parents who take their children on holiday during the school term.

R v Hurley

Louis represented the Crown in the Court of Appeal in a case where fresh evidence was called to challenge the safety of a murder conviction dating back 25 years.

R v Walker

Louis represented the Crown in the Court of Appeal in a case which clarified the means by which the DPP grants consent to prosecute.

R (Kenward) v DPP (High Court)

Louis represented the Attorney General in the litigation challenging the DPP’s policy on assisted suicide.

R v McLoughlin (Court of Appeal)

Louis represented the Crown and the Attorney General in the Court of Appeal in a case concerning a challenge to the compatibility of whole life sentences with Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Other recent cases include advising on the scope of the privilege against self-incrimination under Hong Kong law; the prosecution of the man who interrupted the Boat Race for public nuisance; the prosecution of the Bulger killer Jon Venables after he re-offended; and numerous murder trials at the Central Criminal Court.

Louis specialises in cases involving allegations of bribery, corruption, cartel activity and financial or corporate misconduct. He has recently advised on the coercive powers of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, and on the criminal and extradition exposure of UK corporate officers in connection with conduct in an Asian jurisdiction. Other recent cases include:

London Whale Affair

Louis is acting for one of the involved in the London Whale affair, arising from JP Morgan’s announcement of a US$2 billion trading loss in 2012. Litigation has taken place in Spain; there are ongoing criminal and civil proceedings in the US involving the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission; and the UK litigation includes proceedings against the FCA in the Upper Tribunal, Tax and Chancery Chamber.

Akcine Bendrove Bankas Snoras v Antonov

Louis acted for a major Lithuanian bank in the Commercial Court in proceedings concerning the application of the privilege against self-incrimination and Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights to disclosure in civil proceedings.

JPMorgan v SFO

Louis represented JP Morgan and a number of other City banks in the High Court, challenging the lawfulness of a section 2 (CJA 1987) Notice to produce documents, issued by the SFO at the request of an overseas prosecutor.

SFO v BAE

Louis acted in relation to the SFO’s investigation into BAE’s global business dealings.

Louis has represented the UK Government in numerous cases in the European Court of Human Rights, including the following cases in the Grand Chamber:

Ibrahim v UK

Concerning whether the questioning of terrorist suspects under domestic legislation violated Article 6 of the Convention.

Vinter v UK

Concerning whether the domestic scheme of whole life sentencing was compatible with Article 3 of the Convention.

Al-Khawaja v UK

Concerning whether the domestic legislation in relation to hearsay evidence was compatible with Article 6 of the Convention.

  • Queen’s Counsel, 2017
  • Senior Treasury Counsel to the Crown at the Central Criminal Court, 2015
  • Junior Treasury Counsel to the Crown at the Central Criminal Court, 2009

University of Leeds, BA (Hons) (First Class), History

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Notable cases

Related news

21 December

Whole-life prison term for murder of four

Louis Mably KC and Peter Ratliff prosecuted Damien Bendall for the murder of his pregnant partner, her two children, and another child. Following his guilty pleas to the murder of all four victims...