CBC Callum Church Profile Picture

Callum Church

Year of Call: 2018
Email Address: [email protected]

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Clerks Details

  • Clerk Name: Stuart Pringle
  • Clerk Telephone: 01962 868884
  • Clerk Email: [email protected]

Overview

Callum Church is a criminal and regulatory practitioner with a practice well ahead of his year of call. He joined 3PB in April 2026 after a highly successful period practising as a crime barrister in the Midlands, which saw him shortlisted as Junior Barrister of the Year in 2024 by the Birmingham Law Society.

Callum has been ranked as a Tier 1 Rising Star for Crime (General & Fraud) in the Legal 500 UK Bar Rankings from 2024-2026. He is a much sought-after brief as a leading, led, or sole advocate in serious cases, especially those containing complex legal or factual elements.

His combination of in-depth research, persuasive manner before juries, and personable nature with all manner of clients have led to his advanced practice. He has significant experience with vulnerable defendants.

 

Expertise

  • Crime and Regulatory Crime
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    Callum Church’s criminal practice has covers the full scale of serious crime. He is commonly instructed in cases involving technical elements, and has a particular interest and expertise in ‘paper-heavy’ and complex work. He believes that true excellence in advocacy derives from preparation and a strong early grasp of the issues in any case, and thorough preparation allows him to achieve this.

    His prosecution practice is testament to his strong results, as he is trusted to achieve positive outcomes from difficult positions. Whilst his advocacy on his feet stands out due to his calm nature ‘under fire’, his work ethic and legal drafting also make him an excellent candidate for led work.

    As a defence advocate, he is unafraid to stand up for his clients and make submissions which may appear unpopular where appropriate. He is often instructed as a ‘repeat’ brief for clients accused on multiple indictments.

    Recent cases - Prosecution

    Operation Lockspur (2025) – Led by Rebecca Wade KC – Instructed as Led Junior for a 7-handed indictment alleging s.18, Kidnap & Aggravated Burglary

    Operation Fulltime (2025) – Led by Rebecca Wade KC – Instructed as Led Junior for an 8-handed indictment alleging a Class A drug conspiracy

    Operation Venogram (Current) - Junior Alone – Instructed in relation to a 5-handed Class A drug conspiracy.

    Operation Macular: (2026) - Led by Ben Close - instructed as Led Junior in relation to a 7-handed indictment alleging drug supply and firearms offences

    Operation Consistency (2024) – Junior Alone – Instructed to prosecute a 4-handed Class A drug conspiracy

    Operation Briquette (2024) – Led by Kevin Hegarty KC – instructed as led junior to prosecute a case arising out of the “Encrochat” hack.
    Press coverage: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/cocaine-dealer-named-trendybuster-who-28944072

    Operation Syngraph (Current) – Junior Alone – Instructed to prosecute a case relating to firearms recovered in the course of a National Crime Agency surveillance operation.

    R v RF [2024] - Junior alone - Instructed to prosecute a serious domestic violence allegation, where the victim had sadly died before trial. Issues of admissibility of hearsay evidence, and defence attempts to adduce evidence after their case had closed.

    Recent cases - Defence

    Operation Orochi/Monument (Current) - Junior Alone - instructed to defend in a multi-handed County Lines Class A drug conspiracy. Issues of "SIM-swapping", and expert analysis of digital and cell-site evidence arise.

    Operation Iago (2024) – Led by Michael Gomulka – Initially instructed as trial advocate alone 9 working days before trial for a Defendant accused of assisting offenders after a homicide, following a transfer of legal aid. The case was the subject of the Channel 4 documentary “Catching a Killer: A Stab in the Dark”.
    BBC News case coverage: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1k72mjlzvko

    R v LH – (2023) – Led by Jonathan Rees KC – Instructed as Led Junior to represent a man accused of multiple rapes, assaults, and controlling and coercive behaviour. The Defendant was acquitted at trial of all rapes and assaults.

    Operation Jamb (2025) – Led by Kevin Saunders – Instructed as Led Junior to represent a woman accused of taking part in a £12million money laundering operation. The Prosecution offered no evidence against the Defendant.

    R v SMT (2024) – Junior Alone – Instructed as trial counsel to represent a man alleged to have taken part in a County Lines Class A drug conspiracy.

    Operation Tafias (2025) - Junior Alone - instructed as trial counsel to represent a man for offences linked to a 13-handed drugs conspiracy.

    R v SZ [2026] - Junior Alone - Instructed as Defence Counsel in a courier fraud, where the Defendant avoided immediate custody.

    R v ES (2025) – Junior Alone – Instructed as trial counsel to represent a man accused of defrauding John Lewis of over £700,000. Following representations the prosecution accepted a basis of plea with a £280,000 reduction in the final figure, resulting in a significantly reduced sentence.

    R v COJ [2024] - Junior Alone - Instructed as trial Counsel in a conspiracy to defraud, where the Defendant was alleged to have threatened one of the victims of the scam with a knife. The Defendant avoided immediate custody.

    R v JW [current] - Junior Alone - instructed from the outset across multiple indictments alleging drug supply, domestic violence, and perverting the course of justice. Issues of abuse of process via autrefois, reluctant witnesses and complex disclosure matters arise.

    R v HV [2026] - Junior Alone - Instructed to defend a youth accused of multiple serious offences following the granting of certificate of counsel. The prosecution discontinued all proceedings following submissions re disclosure failings and undermining material being brought to the Crown’s attention.

    R v CW [2023] - Junior Alone - Instructed from the outset to defend across multiple indictments, including as the lead Defendant in a National Crime Agency firearms surveillance operation. Callum secured acquittals for CW on two separate s.18 Wounding/GBH allegations.

    Operation Guy [2021] - Led by Edmund Vickers KC - Instructed as trial counsel to Defend in a case of assisting an offender after a homicide.

    Regulatory Crime 

    Callum has been instructed on behalf of a number of private prosecutors, including Royal Mail Group and the RSPCA. He also appears in the Crown and Magistrates Court in relation to Food Safety, Trading Standards and Licensing appeals.

    Recent cases include:

    RSPCA v LK - Instructed to prosecute Crown Court proceedings against LK for cruelty towards a puppy.

    RSPCA v CD - Instructed to prosecute an application under s.20 Animal Welfare Act

    LCC v Hirez - Instructed to prosecute a taxi licensing appeal at the Crown Court stage

    Royal Mail v MB - Instructed to prosecute a delivery driver for theft from the post.

    BCC v DS - Instructed to Defend in a Trading Standards Confiscation.

    WMP v JS - Successfully struck out an application for a Sexual Risk Order.

    WMP v SB - Successfully stayed an application for a Sexual Risk Order during interlinked Criminal proceedings.

     

  • Proceeds of crime
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    Callum Church’s Proceeds of Crime practice is perhaps the most advanced in the country for his year of call. He deals in heavyweight, complex, multi-handed Confiscations for both the prosecution and defence on a regular basis.

    As well as taking charge of his own Confiscation work, following instruction in large-scale investigations at trial, Callum is also instructed post-sentence. He is often instructed against silks and senior juniors, or when those counsel have returned the brief due to its complexity.

    His specialist knowledge allows him to advise and represent parties at all stages of the Confiscation process, including those involved in pre-charge or enforcement proceedings. He is adept at employing arguments of Equity due to his academic pedigree, which places him at a significant advantage over most who practice in the area.

    Given his expertise, Callum is able to accept instructions in third party/s.10A proceedings. He knows of the importance of equitable principles to such applications, and is able to formulate arguments to secure the best results to protect those at risk of loss due to another’s criminality.

    A snapshot of his recent cases include:

    Operation Olly (2025) – Leading Annabel Hale – Instructed at the confiscation stage to prosecute a matter spanning multiple indictments, where the three Defendants are members of the same family. Complex issues of layering transactions, equitable interests of third parties, and particularisation of particular criminal benefit arises. An application under s.10A by a third party intervenor was successfully resisted in relation to full equitable ownership in four properties, and a total benefit of over £800,000 was secured.

    Operation Ngala [Current] - Junior Alone - instructed in relation to urgent restraint proceedings concerning over £6million in assets. Repatriation, crypto-assets and cross-border jurisdictional issues all arise.

    Operation Law [Current] - Junior Alone - instructed in relation to restraint proceedings concerning an asset jointly held by an intervenor and a Defendant. Issues of Joint Tenancy, Equitable and Legal charges, and the impact of the Restraint Order being placed with the Land Registry arise.

    Operation Briquette [2026] - Contested application for appointment of an enforcement receiver, in which a Third Party intervenes and the primary Defendant has absconded. The impact of payments of the mortgage, the applicability of Stack v Dowden, and issues of constructive trusts all arise.

    Operation Facade [2026] - Junior Alone - Instructed at post-sentence stage after much more senior counsel had returned the brief due to the complexity of the proceedings. Prosecution of a multi-handed Confiscation with multiple third party applications. Issues of the equitable presumption of Advancement, Resulting and Constructive Trusts, and the application of the principles of Westdeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale v Islington LBC arose.

    Operation Briquette II [2026] - Led by Jonathan Underhill - Prosecution of a confiscation following an Encrochat drug conspiracy, where the Defendant is represented by Silk and Junior.

    Operation Gondola (Current) – Junior Alone – Instructed to prosecute at the confiscation stage, in a case with issues of bankruptcy and concurrent civil proceedings.

    Operation Pyrogenic (Current) - Junior Alone - Instructed at the confiscation stage, when the Crown had been represented by Silk and Junior at trial, in a multi-handed confiscation following drug supply convictions. Contested benefit figures for the remaining Defendants total c. £2.4million.

    Operation Layer [2024] - Junior Alone - Instructed to prosecute at the Confiscation stage following a drug supply conviction. The Defendant was represented by a Silk and the third party intervenor by a highly experienced junior.

    Operation Venogram [2025] – Junior Alone Instructed to prosecute the confiscation following a drugs conspiracy.

    Operation Consistency [2025] – Junior Alone – Prosecuted the confiscation following a successful prosecution of a 4-handed drugs conspiracy.

    Operation Kenn [2025] - Junior Alone – Instructed at the post-conviction stage for a Defendant involved in a Conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into custody. Issues of jointly obtained benefit. Following defence representations, the benefit figure was reduced by 97%.

    Operation Stiri [2025] - Junior Alone - Instructed at the post-conviction stage in a conspiracy to steal. The initial benefit figure sought by the Crown was upwards of £1million.

    R v SA [Current] - Junior Alone - Defence instruction in s.22 Reconsideration proceedings, in which equitable issues arise including the presumption of advancement and constructive trusts.

  • Motoring offences
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    Callum gained significant experience of Motoring and Road Traffic Law during his pupillage, and this interest has been maintained throughout his practice. He is instructed to Defend in both the Magistrates and Crown Court, generally on a private-paying basis. His meticulous preparation means that he is able to apply this technical and developing area of law to his advantage, and his persuasive courtroom advocacy allows him to deploy his knowledge successfully.

    R v DD (2024) – Instructed as trial counsel on a late return, Callum devised and deployed a special reasons argument for a man in relation to causing serious injury by dangerous driving. As a result, the Defendant received 5 points for an offence carrying otherwise mandatory disqualification, allowing a professional driver to keep his license.

    R v MP [2025] - Instructed to defend a prominent musician accused of failing to provide a sample of blood, where the reasonable excuse put forward was the Defendant’s Rastafarian beliefs. The Defendant was acquitted after a successful half-time submission.

    R v SC [2025] - Instructed to defend a business owner at the appeal stage, who had been wrongly named under a s.172 notice and disqualified from driving. Appeal granted in the Crown Court without opposition following submissions to the Prosecution.

  • Recommendations

    “Callum is a highly intelligent, thoughtful and hard-working advocate who defends fearlessly and well. He has an excellent bedside manner with lay clients and an easy affability with his solicitors, who trust him with cases beyond which those of his call would ordinarily be instructed.” Legal 500, 2026

    “Callum is an energetic and positive advocate who always demonstrates commitment to his cases with admirable enthusiasm.” Legal 500, 2025

    “Callum is thorough, patient and extremely well-prepared. He is unflappable in difficult situations.” Legal 500, 2024

    “Callum’s calm and confident advocacy, coupled with his ability to communicate complex legal arguments clearly and persuasively, greatly contributed to the positive outcome of the case… It was a privilege to be represented by a barrister of such calibre, at such a difficult time.” Lay client, Operation Kenn

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