Michael Tanney

Call - 2004 Joined Chambers - 2021
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Chambers and its members are regulated by the Bar Standards Board.

Criminal

Michael is a highly experienced criminal barrister. He has a busy practice of repeat work from solicitors and comes highly commended for both his defence and prosecution work.

Michael Tanney was called to the bar in 2004 following seven years as a solicitor at a Legal 500 ?rm. Consequently he bene?ted from an extensive defence practice, which he has maintained. This has included successfully representing defendants accused of multiple rape, and defending instranger rapes, abductions, child sex offences, drug trafficking, fraud and manslaughter, as well as prominent gang cases in the Midlands (including an instance of deliberate blinding).

He is also a senior (Grade 4 RASSO qualified) prosecutor. He has conducted numerous sensitive prosecution trials nationally. He has been privy to confidential high level police and NCA briefings. He has been instructed in complex Flying Squad and Operation Trident cases for the Metropolitan Police, and for Gang, Vice and ?rearm Squads attached to other forces.

He has extensive Court of Appeal experience for both Crown and defence and he has had a number of reported cases. For example, submissions drafted by him in respect of the basis of valuation of drugs and assets in POCA proceedings changed the standard practice prevailing at the time. Likewise, instructed by the defence following a complicated sentencing hearing at Canterbury Crown Court, his submissions led to clarification of the applicable sentencing regime when both indeterminate and fixed sentences were to be passed. And, paradoxically, when appearing for the Crown on a defence appeal following the controversial admission of hearsay evidence in a child sexual activity trial in 2016, the Court approved the submissions made by the Prosecution (Michael Tanney) at trial, which had attempted to dissuade the judge from that course.

Recent cases

R v W (2019, St Albans Crown Court) – prosecution of sexual activity with children/sexual assaults. Case notable for the Crown’s citation (during two week trial) of rarely used s76 of SOA2003.

R v M ( 2019, St Albans Crown Court) – prosecution of historic rape of 12 year old girl.

R v T ( 2019, St Albans Crown Court) – complex rape trial centring on presumptions with regard to consent and covert video recording.

R v B ( 2019, Kingston Crown Court) – prosecution of assistant head teacher for internet grooming/ possession of indecent photographs of children (highest category).

R v P ( 2019, Old Bailey) – prosecution of grooming and rape of 12 year old schoolgirl, intercepted on way to school. Case notable for successful hearsay application involving analysis of evidence of four psychiatrists over a voir dire of two days, prior to trial.

R v A (2019, Woolwich Crown Court) – prosecution trial of alleged member of organised drugs supply chain involving several kilos of pure cocaine.

R v S (2019, Isleworth Crown Court) – nationally prominent prosecution trial of senior business executive for racially aggravated disorder on long haul flight.

R v D (2018, Sheffield Crown Court) – prosecution counsel in gang torture trials, leading to successful resistance of defence appeal.

R v S (2018 , Woolwich Crown Court) – graphic attempted murder trial involving public disembowelling of complainant, complex psychiatric evidence and protracted arguments re admissibility of evidence.

R v B (2018, Blackfriars Crown Court) – Gangs Unit prosecution trial in respect of kidnapping and extreme violence.

R v E (2018, Wood Green Crown Court) – Flying Squad armed robbery prosecution trial.

R v N 2018, Harrow Crown Court) – prosecution trial for sexual assault and false imprisonment of complainant in an isolated cabin.

R v R (2018, Croydon Crown Court) – series of trials in respect of marital rape and serious sexual offences.

R v B (2018, Isleworth Crown Court) – prosecution trial of graphic s18 torture incident with disfiguring facial injuries inter alia.

R v H and D (2017, Woolwich Crown Court) – prosecution of s18 assault offences following prison riot.

R v M and R (2017, Croydon Crown Court) – prosecution of large scale Class A drug offences pursuant to discovery of “Breaking Bad” type Crystal Meth drugs factory.

R v A (2017, Harrow Crown Court) – rape trial; stranger rape of woman in street.

R v N (2017, Woolwich Crown Court) – complex child neglect prosecution with major disclosure issues and admissibility difficulties at trial.

R v T (2017, Harrow Crown Court) – prosecution of father for protracted course of child cruelty (physical injuries).

R v N ( 2016, Old Bailey) – series of major money laundering trials with multiple defendants and complex admissibility and esoteric forensic accountancy issues (both conducted solely and led).

R v D (2016, Newcastle Crown Court) – nationally prominent stranger rape trial involving 16 year old psychopathic defendant breaking into complainant’s flat.

R v D (2016, Guildford Crown Court) – successfully prosecuted historic paedophile complaints against a “digitally forensically aware” defendant. Formidably difficult case: the man concerned had lately retraced his (physical) steps to various hotel locations, and altered his digital tracking history in order to delete visitor records/embedded digital data which incriminated him.

R v D (2016, Blackfriars Crown Court) – major gang/organised crime related drugs prosecution (Trident).

R v M (2016, Blackfriars Crown Court) – stranger sex attack prosecution (eight year old girl victim).

R v T (2016, Lincoln Crown Court) – prosecution trial of mother hiring out young daughter for child sex offences.

R v Z (2015, Teeside Crown Court) – prosecution of senior social worker for historic child abuse offences.

R v M (2015, Lewes Crown Court trial ) – prosecuted defendant for multiple rapes of infant (5 years old at trial).

R v CX (2015, Isleworth Crown Court) – prosecution trial of importation of child pornography through Heathrow.

R v D (2015, Croydon Crown Court) – prosecution trial of s18 assault in planned gang attack of victim as he answered his front door.

Appointments

CPS grade 4 advocates panel
RASSO approved

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