Joanne Sear

Date of Call 2004

Joanne was called to the Bar in 2004 and practices in criminal and civil law.

Joanne prosecutes and defends all areas of crime, from violence and sexual assaults to fraud and business related offences.  Recent instructions in serious cases include:

• Defending an alleged “rogue trader” in a conspiracy to defraud worth over £100,000. The case was dismissed at half time following successful submissions on the legal nature of conspiracy. The decision to find no case to answer was upheld by the Court of Appeal following the Prosecution’s Appeal;
• Successfully defending a rape where the complainant was alleged to have been asleep when the offence took place;
• Defending as a junior a youth indicted for murder. The Crown accepted a plea to violent disorder on day one of trial;

Joanne is a member of the Proceeds of Crime team, and has appeared in high-value POCA applications.

Joanne was briefed by Thames Valley Probation Area to appear for the Respondent in the High Court in the case of Richards v National Probation Service [2007] EWHC 3108 (Admin).  This was a case concerned with the limits of the obligation on an offender to keep in touch with his Responsible Officer.

Joanne’s experience of the civil and family jurisdictions complement her criminal practice. She is regularly instructed to advise on disclosure of Social Services and family court records, both to individuals and into criminal proceedings.

She also has experience of the Court Martial system and the Coroner's Court (including inquests with juries).

Qualifications: 

• 2003 : LLB (Hons), University of Wales, Cardiff, "1st Class"
• 2003 : Richard Yorke Scholarship, Gray's Inn
• 2004 : Bar Vocational Course, Cardiff Professional Law School, "Outstanding"
• 2005 : Ellenbogen Prize for Advocacy, Gray's Inn