BackgroundMarguerite was one of the Founder Members of Garden Court Chambers and throughout her career has been committed to developing understanding of equality and human rights issues both within the legal process and in society at large. She is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada.. She was an invited speaker at a symposium organised for Madame Justice L'Hereux-Dube on her retirement from the Canadian Supreme Court. She , advised Labour MPs and MEPs on crime issues as well as domestic violence, abortion, embryo experimentation and reproduction technologies. Marguerite has a particular interest in IT and was involved in assisting in the creation of a legal database for a Legal Web site..
PracticeMarguerite specialises in criminal law has appeared in nearly all major Crown Court centres..She has over many years appeared for the defence in a large number of nationally publicised and notable cases- The Bradford 12, Conspiracy Trial [Leeds Crown Court,1980] he Orgreave (Miners) Riot Trial,[Sheffield Crown Court1985 The Strangeways Prison Riot Trial,[Manchester Crown Court, 1993] The Whitemoor Prison Escape Trial [Woolwich Crown Court 1997] She has successfully acted as a leading junior, for a number of years - and has led in cases as diverse as murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, wounding with intent [Birmingham,Manchester St Albans, Reading , London] conspiracy to cause explosions, large scale frauds [London,Manchester ]and major robbery and drug cases.[Manchester,Birmingham, Luton, London, Norfolk, Bristol] and blackmail [Newcastle and London] 1997 . At the CCC R v Murphy and others- Marguerite successfully led for a defendant in the "electricity substation conspiracy to cause explosions" case. 2005 At the CCC R v Khalef and others -Marguerite successfully led for a defendant in the "Ricin" terrorism case. 2006-2007 At Woolwich and Norwich Crown Courts R v Ward Marguerite successfully led for one of the alleged leading conspirators in a major drugs importation case. Marguerite has developed a particular interest and expertise in the cross-examination of expert witnesses- in areas as diverse as identification of footwear, DNA, handwriting, psychology , and drug trace evidence. In the 2007 case of R v Ward and others, her cross-examination ,according to a well respected international expert, revealed more information regarding covert recording systems than had ever before been disclosed in any court and it led to a Crown expert admitting that he had mislead a defence expert. Recently In 2009 at Birmingham Crown Court she successfully cross-examined to exclude facial mapping evidence, thereby stopping the trial and achieving a directed not guilty verdict. Other areas of work include: sex discrimination in employment and elsewhere and civil actions against the police. Marguerite was Inquiry Counsel to the 1987,Macdonald Inquiry- which concerned racism in a playground killing. Publications- 'The Impact of the Canadian Charter of Rights on Privacy in Canada' chapter in Developing Key Privacy Rights (Hart Publishing, 2002) - 'Towards Global Equality' (LSUC, 2002) - Peer reviewer for Are We 'Persons' Yet? Law and Sexuality in Canada (University of Toronto Press, 1999). - Canadian journal of Women and the Law 1990- Women and Criminal Trials - 1990 Book Review Queens Law Journal
Notable CasesMarguerite has been involved in a number of notable cases throughout her career starting with R v Thorne (1977) 66 Cr App R 6. [overloading indictments] then inter alia: R v Barber and others (1985)- the Orgreave Miners Trial R v O'Dhuibir and Sherry- (1997) Whitemoor Prison Escape R v Murphy and other (1998) Conspiracy to Cause Explosions R v Adams and others (1998) Several men were charged with conspiracy to supply drugs and one of them with the possession of a Magnum revolver after a surveillance operation for over a over a year which led to the arrests, R v Pearson 2001- The largest advance fee fraud to occur in Manchester,, over 2500 Junior doctors allegedly defrauded by tax advisors- R v Bilgi and other 2004 - Drugs Ring Case R v Khalef and others 2004/5- the first major post 9/11 " terrorism" trial in the UK- R v Salih 2006- described in the media as "London's largest gun conversion operation, which supplied hundreds of weapons to the underworld." R v Ward 2007 - Drugs importation case-exposure of covert recordings methodology R v Chun Yu and others 2008 Large scale people Smuggling
acted as Leading Junior Lectures and SeminarsMarguerite taught University advocacy courses for post -graduate students in 1988-89 She has given seminars on Cross-examination of Expert Witnesses; Trial Tactics and Speech Preparation; and Covert Recording Systems
SocietiesBar Lesbian and Gay Group (BLAGG) and Criminal Bar Association. (Last Updated: October 2009.)
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