Simon Ralph

An established practitioner and former military legal advisor with unique experience in a range of tribunals and jurisdictions.

Simon's practice focusses on prosecuting and defending serious crime in the Crown Court and Court of Appeal, including advising on strategic approaches to litigation at an early stage. His criminal practice encompasses defending in the Court Martial, and acting in a number of cases at the intersection of criminal and civil law.

In addition to his criminal work, he has advised at the highest level on matters of public international, international criminal and international humanitarian law, and provides advice and representation to major government departments on a range of matters as a member of the Attorney-General’s Panel of civil counsel.

He has established a reputation as an astute and tenacious advocate, and a robust and client-focused advisor. Simon is comfortable advancing complex legal arguments in court, and advising on cases whose subject matter spans a range of jurisdictions, tribunals, or areas of law. His cases often involve sensitive material and require the provision of commercially aware, common sense advice.

Background and Experience

Crime

Simon has acted for the defence as junior alone across the spectrum of offences, successfully representing individuals on multi-handed fraud, drugs importation, and rape – including historic allegations. As led junior he has prosecuted and defended the most serious allegations, including murder, and prolific sexual offending resulting in life sentences. 

He is a Grade 4 CPS prosecutor, and routinely prosecutes at that level, with a particular emphasis on complex fraud and money-laundering trials. He is a member of the CPS specialist fraud and counter-terror panels.

Defending, he is regularly sought after in cases requiring skilled and sensitive cross-examination, such as RASSO trials and trials involving vulnerable witnesses. He is particularly adept at cross-examining experts, whether in relation to forensic science, cell-site data, or accountancy. The Court of Appeal described his advocacy as a ‘credit to himself and his profession’ when describing his ‘obviously effective’ cross-examination of a prosecution cell-site expert. 

Simon takes a keen interest in ‘quasi-criminal’ cases, and in the past has appeared in committal for contempt proceedings in the High Court, represented a business and its owner in a large scale prosecution for breach of planning law (where he successfully argued abuse of process over two days), and represented an acquitted defendant in a civil claim against the police for malicious prosecution.

Military and Public Law

Following seven years at the defence Bar Simon joined the British Army as a legal advisor, promoting to Major shortly before re-entering private practice. In addition to prosecuting in the Court Martial he advised the chain of command and Whitehall on counter-terror and state-focussed operations in the UK and overseas. His primary expertise relates to international humanitarian law and the treatment of detainees, but extends to general public international law (e.g. prohibited interventions), international criminal law/war crimes, human rights, RIPA and IPA, and the extra-territorial application of the ECHR. He was deployed to the Middle East during his period of service where he operated in hostile environments, liaising with government departments, allied forces, and local overseas security forces. He provided advice on law, policy, and the overseas application of the state’s Article 2 obligations.

His work in the Army encompassed the sorts of issues routinely litigated in public inquiries and high profile inquests, and his combination of insight, experience, and ability as an advocate, makes him ideally placed to act and advise in these most sensitive of cases.

When prosecuting in the Court Martial he focussed on fraud, serious violence and RASSO work. His cases included major firearms offences attracting mandatory five year sentences, routine prosecution of s.18 GBHs, offences committed on operations, and offences under RIPA. He understands the needs of the three services, as well as the particular requirements of service personnel, and continues to accept instructions in the Court Martial (defending) and civil cases involving service personnel or the wider military.

General Civil Law

Simon also accepts instructions in civil law cases on a private basis and on behalf of government departments. Such cases generally involve criminal/civil cross-jurisdictional elements, or a military context. His own period of military service, experience dealing with government departments and agencies, and trustworthiness in relation to sensitive cases, makes him an ideal fit for such matters.

Recent instructions include advice and representation for the MOD in relation to a multi-million pound claim involving concurrent criminal proceedings, advice on the DWP’s criminal jurisdiction, a Ministry of Justice Art. 3 prison dispute, and advice on the Proceeds of Crime Act for HMRC.

In addition to his routine practice Simon also sits as a Recorder of the Crown Court and a Deputy District Judge (Magistrates’ Court).