Ross McQuillan-Johnson

Regulatory

Ross has a strong regulatory practice, acting extensively for local authorities and defendants. His work with the local authorities ranges from pre-charge advice, case management (including disclosure and interim applications) through to prosecutions. His regulatory experience includes a wide range of areas including environmental offences, animal welfare matters, trading standards prosecutions, the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) and Health and Safety matters.

RSPCA v O – Representing a defendant charged with conspiracy to defraud alongside 21 other defendants. Ms O is placed in a ‘leading’ role within the operation, with the valuation exceeding £1.5 million.

SBC v S – Represented a defendant charged with causing unnecessary suffering to animals at their Pembrokeshire farm. This case was reported on the BBC.

SCC v T – Successfully prosecuted a director for being engaged in the supply of unlawful e-cigarettes and counterfeit cigarettes.

RCT v G – Led by Hashim Salmann in a high-value money-laundering and POCA indictment exceeding £1 million.

RCT v G – Successfully prosecuted a defendant for unlawfully dumping significant volumes of waste materials.

RCT v B – Instructed by the Local Authority to prosecute a fraudulent builder responsible for causing more than £100,000 worth of damage to a property.

SCC v K – Successfully prosecuted a retailer for selling e-cigarettes which were not compliant with The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.

BCC v J – Successfully prosecuted a chain of convenience stores for selling counterfeit cigarettes and e-cigarettes that did not comply with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations.

BCC v K – Successfully prosecuted a rogue landlord for unlawful eviction, both in the Magistrates’ Court and on appeal before the Crown Court.

CCC v H – Successfully appealed the revocation of a taxi licence following a fatal road traffic incident, the taxi driver was voluntarily intoxicated through illicit substances.

Discipline

Ross is developing a strong professional discipline practice with a keen interest in sport discipline, combining his experience in regulatory and criminal law.

R v B – Instructed by the Police Federation to represent a serving police officer in respect of alleged actions arising from the execution of his duties. Not guilty verdict returned in under four minutes using a controversial defence of ‘necessity’.

R v G – Instructed by the Police Federation to represent a police officer concerning conduct during a routine emergency call-out.

R v G – Represented a Police Officer charged with controlling and coercive and ‘revenge’ porn.  Ross was instructed by the Police Federation. This case was reported on the BBC.

R v N – Acted for a teacher accused of engaging in sexual communication with a current pupil, facts involved elements of grooming and coercion. This case was reported on the BBC.

NMC v T – Successfully argued against an interim suspension order for a registrant charged with rape.

HCPC v Y – Successfully argued against an interim suspension order and removed imposing conditions on the registrant’s conditional order.

Consumer

Ross is currently on secondment at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), advising on the implementation of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA), with particular focus on price transparency and drip pricing.

Ross maintains a busy criminal practice, acting for both the defence and the prosecution. He regularly appears in cases involving serious violence, sexual offences, and large scale drug operations.

Drugs / Violence

Significant experience in defending high profile and serious organised crime drug offences and money laundering.

R v H – Successfully defended in a firearms case, the case was heard before a High Court Judge.

R v L – Successfully co-defended in a three-handed violent public disorder.

R v T – Defended in a two-week domestic violence trial including offences of false imprisonment, serious violence, weapons offences and threats to kill.

Sexual offences

R v H – Successfully defended a client facing multiple allegations of sexual assault, false imprisonment, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and witness intimidation.

R v E – Represented a defendant who travelled from the United States intending to ‘marry’ a 14-year-old girl that he had groomed online. This case was reported on the BBC.

SWP v R – Instructed to oppose an application for a Sexual Risk Order brought by South Wales Police following several unsuccessful attempts to prosecute the appellant.

Youth Court

Ross is a highly sought after advocate for youth court proceedings. He has previously given evidence to Dame Vera Blair KC, independent expert adviser to the Welsh Government on devolution of youth justice in Wales and was part of the expert group working on this report from The Bar Council of England and Wales, calling for the minimum age of criminal responsibility to be increased from 10 to 14.

R v T – Successfully defended in a interfamilial rape involving a youth.

R v H – Represented a youth charged with rape.

Ross accepts instructions in inquests and public inquiries. He provides training to local authorities and other public sector organisations on inquests, coronial law, and related legal developments.

Recent experience includes:

• Re NH – Instructed on behalf of the Local Authority in an inquest concerning the death of a vulnerable individual following discharge from its care. No Prevention of Future Deaths (Regulation 28) Report was issued in respect of the Local Authority.
• Re HT – Instructed by the mother of the deceased in connection with the death of her son whilst in custody. Ongoing.
• Re TS – Instructed by the family of the deceased in relation to an inquest following the deceased’s death whilst in the care of the state. Ongoing.

• Lord Denning Scholar, Lincoln’s Inn
• Panel Member for Advocate
• Criminal Bar Association
• Young Barristers’ Committee, Bar Council
• Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board
• Bar Council’s Regulatory Panel
• ARDL / CBA / HSLA