Rachel Spearing KC

Call 1999 | Silk 2025

Rachel Spearing KC | Call 1999 | Silk 2025

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Overview

Rachel is a leading barrister who has developed a novel practice at Serjeants’ Inn, incorporating her legal, consultancy and academic skills across civil, criminal, regulatory and public law. She maintains a specialist interest in policing and intelligence-led work, drawing upon her earlier experience in prosecution and defence criminal work. She is experienced in managing complex disclosure issues and working with vulnerable witnesses. Rachel provides advice and appears on behalf of police forces in sensitive disclosure matters across a range of courts in the UK.

Her current practice focuses on inquests, inquiries and investigations. She is regularly instructed to act as Counsel to the Inquest or Inquiry by judges, coroners and investigating authorities. This includes matters involving legal and parliamentary privilege in high-profile and complex cases.

Rachel is clerked primarily by Lee Johnson, Clare Sabido, Jennifer Pooler and Emma Bell.

Rachel is the co-founder of the Bar Wellbeing Initiative, which aims to address and support the challenges facing the legal profession. For more information visit the Bar Council’s Wellbeing website.

“A very impressive advocate with an eye on the detail.”

Chambers and Partners

Experience & Expertise

Inquest & Inquiries

Rachel’s practice spans all aspects of complex inquest law. She acts on behalf of police forces, NHS Trusts, medical and nursing professionals, and other organisations. She has particular expertise in managing sensitive inquests where there may be media interest or potential disciplinary, civil or criminal consequences. A member of the editorial team for the Inquest Law Reports, she also undertakes advisory work and judicial reviews, and is regularly instructed as Counsel to the Inquest.

Rachel is also instructed in a range of public and private inquiries. She recently acted for the UK Health Security Agency in the Covid Inquiry, advised police in the Undercover Policing Inquiry, and worked with judge-led inquiries (including with HH Brian Barker CBE KC) as Counsel to the Inquiry. She accepts instructions to conduct rapid reviews of disclosures or fact-finding exercises , either independently or alongside a team of experts, for statutory and non-statutory purposes. She has a particular interest in safeguarding, reflected in her judicial and organisational appointments.

REGULATORY AND DISCIPLINARY

Rachel has an extraordinary range of interest in this area, including Financial, Disciplinary and Health & Safety.  Providing a wide range of advice and representation from Hedge Funds, Regulators, Trusts and Organisations.

Other Experience:

Prior to a career at the Bar Rachel worked in Capital Markets for a US Investment Bank. Following her call to the Bar in 1999, she has undertaken sabbaticals from practice within Revenue & Customs, Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office and Industry including overseas deployments. In 2014 she undertook post graduate studies at the University of Cambridge Institute of Criminology adding a Masters in Global Risk Management. She was appointed a Fellow of Higher Education & Academia in 2016,  a visiting Fellow of Bond University and a Senior Consultant to the Singapore Academy of Law in 2017.

Rachel has provided consultancy via a ‘think thank’ to support business leaders (including the Royal College of Surgeons) on regulatory, and disciplinary issues.  She has designed and delivered executive education and training in collaboration with Government and Academic partners to the Nigerian Government, British Virgin Islands, Ghana Government and corporate clients in financial, regulatory, governance and penology. In 2025 she was appointed to the Church of England Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel.

Notable cases include:

  • Shepherd v Information Commissioner [2019] EWCA Crim 2: Leading Authority concerning the reverse burden and standards of proof in data protection act defences.
  • TBG v A Chief Con of Police [2022] EWHC 2665 (Admin): Important guidance concerning the application and lawfulness of Sexual Harm Prevention Orders in addition to Life Licence for potentially dangerous persons to public.
  • R v T: ‘Operation Carnival’ substantial bank fraud. Multi-national and multi-handed.
  • Scott v HMRC: Confiscation – Hidden Assets, PII and findings of fact by sole Judge in contested confiscation hearings following plea to substantive offences. Procedure to be applied for hidden assets.
  • The Cargo Inquiry: Successful reinstatement & overturning of Stewards Enquiry at Jockey Club Appeal. Acting for Owners & Trainers.
  • Kent Trading Standards v Bonner: Test Case involving novel legal argument. Successful prosecution of ‘Irish Tom’ rogue horse dealer in Kent under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968
  • Re: C: Leading Authority concerning Extradition to Romania. High Court, House of Lords & Strasbourg. Led by Edward Fitzgerald KC.
  • Re V: Novel F.A.C.T Private Prosecution of global counterfeiting fraud (successfully defending)

Sport & Regulation

A keen rider and follower of horse racing, Rachel has provided advice & representation to the Race Owners Association, National Trainers Federation and Jockey Club conducting hearings, appeal and advice following Steward and regulatory enquiry. She has also provided assistance to the League Managers Association and other main sport regulatory bodies.  She has acted for players and professionals in disciplinary, conduct and criminal matters.

Data & Information Rights

Rachel assists a wide range of clients with statutory compliance, reporting and management of requests under FOIA and GDPR.  She prosecutes on behalf of the Information Commissioner’s Office in relation to breach matters, and has appeared in civil, criminal courts and information tribunal appeals.

Mediation

Rachel qualified as a Civil & Commercial Mediator in 2015, She undertakes facilitative mediation to support dispute resolution in a wide range of disputes. She brings a practical, empathetic and efficient approach to support resolving complex and contentious matters.

Rachel helps parties to concentrate on essential issues, understand and make a realistic assessment of one another’s cases, canvass ways forward and formulate an agreed solution.

Rachel also provides advice to clients on risk management and pre-litigation preventive measures.

General Crime:

Rachel has been instructed as a senior junior over the last 15 years in cases of serious and organised crime, involving murder, drugs, RASSO, fraud and POCA. She maintains a specialist interest with Intelligence led investigations. She provides advice and appears on behalf of Police in sensitive and PII matters in all court jurisdictions including family, chancery, civil and admin divisions.

Her current practice focuses on corporate criminal responsibility, civil and criminal fraud and financial crime.

Independent Counsel

Rachel is regularly instructed to act as Independent Counsel by Investigating Authorities and Police. She provides preparatory guidance to safeguard warrant application, seizure and compliance with common law duties. This includes legal and parliamentary privilege in high profile and complex matters.

Cases and Work of note

  • R v K & Others: ‘Operation Eyeful’. Largest ever, single importation of cocaine in customs history.
  • Appeals to CA & Strasbourg. Trial and International Confiscation.
  • R v H & Others: Gangland Kidnap, Murder & Attempted Murder.
  • R v L & Others: Chinese Organised Crime, human trafficking and money laundering.
  • R v K & Others: Turkish Drugs Conspiracy. Lengthy drugs/violence international organised crime.
  • R v A & Others: Multi-handed Murder / Violent Disorder between Iraqi/Kurd organised crime.
  • R v K & Others: ‘Operation Benbradagh’ Largest undercover Met Drugs Operation. Extensive legal arguments relating to RIPA & Covert Methods. Abuse of Process.
  • R v D & Other: ‘Operation Benzol’. NCA / Customs substantial cannabis importation conspiracy. Legal arguments relating to use of probes, RIPA.
  • R v A: ‘Operation Carousel’. Multi-handed, multi-national identity conspiracy to defraud. Civil and Criminal proceedings with multiple restraint aspects.

Recommendations:

Rachel is recommended in the directories by The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for her Inquests and Inquiries practice.

  • Rachel is a team player who anticipates what is needed and what is important to the client;
  • sensitive, sensible and seriously smart;
  • a very impressive advocate with an eye on the detail;
  • displays great judgement on what issues to pursue and what to drop in court;
  • Rachel is knowledgeable of the law;
  • good on complex cases;
  • fantastic barrister;
  • well grounded;
  • Rachel is very good both on her feet and in writing.

ARTICLES & PUBLICATIONS

Rachel is a frequent commentator on the law and on the profession with examples as follows:

Other work includes:

  • The Annual Bar Conference (2017 Chair)
  • Masters thesis planned for publication in 2018 (via Cambridge University Press & Institute of Criminology) ‘Risk Takers & Rule Breakers in Banking – Predicting Crime’ part of a compendium with professors within SAT discipline (Situation Action Theory).
  • Educating for Well-being in Law (Chapter 13), Positive Professional Identity & Well­being at the UK Bar. Published by Taylor & Francis, under Routledge imprint. Final print due July 2018, for publication Oct 2018.
  • Extensively contributed to CPD training for solicitors (General Crime, Criminal Responsibility in Business, POCA & Wellbeing)
  • Wellbeing at the Bar Portal: co-founded the initiative & led the research/professional response for Bar Council. www.wellbeingatthebar.org
  • Drafted BSB policy & protocol for practical application of the Handbook Code on Fitness & Mental Health
  • Trained BSB Staff (summer 2017)

Privacy

Rachel adopts and adheres to the provisions of the privacy notice which can be accessed here.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further details of Rachel’s practice please contact a member of the clerking or client service team.

Bar Council Membership No: 40334
Registered Name: Rachel Michelle Spearing
VAT Registration No: 855057318