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Nick Robinson

Year of Call: 2006
Email Address: [email protected]
CJSM: [email protected]
Telephone: 01202 292 102

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Clerk Details

  • Clerk Name: Stuart Pringle
  • Clerk Telephone: 0330 332 2633
  • Clerk Email: [email protected]

Crime and Regulatory Crime

Private Client Defence: Criminal Allegations in Family & Domestic Proceedings

Nick has particular experience defending private clients — professionals, business owners, and high-net-worth individuals — facing criminal charges arising from the breakdown of a marriage or relationship, where proceedings run in parallel with the Family Court. A recurring feature of this work is one-sided police investigation, prosecution failure to obtain and disclose material from third-party agencies, and criminal charges deployed to gain tactical advantage in ancillary proceedings. Nick has a proven track record of exploiting these failures through targeted disclosure applications and abuse of process arguments. His Direct Access and accredited litigator status means he can be instructed immediately, without a solicitor, to assemble the complete defence team from the outset.

Selected Cases

R v TW — (2025) Assault ABH charge brought by a former partner during contested family proceedings. Nick prepared an abuse of process argument; the Recorder refused the prosecution's adjournment application and listed it for the first day of trial. The prosecution offered no evidence. Formal not guilty verdict entered.

R v DH — (2024) Four charges arising from the breakdown of the defendant's marriage: ABH, two assaults, and coercive and controlling behaviour. Nick secured the prosecution offering no evidence on the two most serious counts; the defendant — a professional of effective good character and the family's sole breadwinner — received a community order. At sentencing, the Recorder imposed a wide-ranging restraining order without formal application or notice, notwithstanding active Family Court proceedings. On appeal, Stuart-Smith LJ, Stacey J and HHJ Conrad KC quashed the order as wrong in principle and recorded the Court's gratitude for the high quality of Nick's written submissions. Reported: [2024] EWCA Crim 1003.

R v TT — (2022) Instructed on a direct access basis at the point of arrest on suspicion of attempted murder arising from the breakdown of a marriage. Early proactive representations to the police and Crown Prosecution Service secured successive reductions in the alleged offence — from attempted murder to ABH, and ultimately to common assault. A defence statement was served and targeted disclosure obtained, producing evidence that shaped the resolution of the case on a favourable basis. A custodial sentence was avoided. A compelling illustration of the value of retaining specialist counsel at the earliest possible stage.

  • Recommendations

    • Chambers & Partners Rankings (2019–2026)
      Chambers UK 2026 / Crime — Western Bar > “Nicholas is a dynamic barrister. He is calm, sympathetic and gives a huge amount of effort to every case. He is a strong and persuasive advocate with an eye for persuasive arguments.”

      Chambers UK 2025 / Crime — Western Bar > “He has a great practice.” > “He is a smooth advocate who has a great way of speaking to the jury.”

      Chambers UK 2024 / Crime — Western Bar > “He is highly effective and highly skilled in all aspects of criminal defence work.” > “Clients love Nicholas. He’s a very good lawyer and a persuasive advocate.” > “Nicholas handled the cross-examination deftly but devastatingly. His ability to juggle disclosure requests, client management and legal arguments is remarkable.”

      Chambers UK 2023 / Crime — Western Bar > “He has a very client-centred approach.” > “His advocacy skills are impressive.” > “Nick is an industrious individual.”

      Chambers UK 2022 / Crime — Western Bar > “Has a very positive attitude and his written work is excellent.” > “He has an approach and flair which juries like.”

      Chambers UK 2021 / Crime — Western Bar > “He has a very good reputation and his written work is of the highest quality.”

      Chambers UK 2020 / Crime — Western Bar > “He is both responsive and proactive, and his advocacy skills are fantastic.”

      Chambers UK 2019 / Crime — Western Bar > “He is both responsive and proactive, and his advocacy skills are fantastic.”

    • Legal 500 Rankings (2011–2026)
      Legal 500 2026 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Nick is a good barrister. He is always well-prepared and will fight his corner as required.”

      Legal 500 2025 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Nick is a committed, highly competent and effective criminal barrister. He is an effective trial advocate who gets good results, and his pleas in mitigation are always carefully constructed with great preparation.”

      Legal 500 2024 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Nick is diligent and always enthusiastic about his work. His written work is of the highest quality. He is also a very persuasive and effective advocate.”

      Legal 500 2023 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Nick is a top level operator. A first-class and fearless advocate with a very robust and incisive approach to criminal litigation. An exceptional strategist.”

      Legal 500 2022 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Nick’s strengths are his intelligence, his ability to fully engage with a jury and his thorough preparation.”

      Legal 500 2020–21 / Crime — Western Circuit > “A criminal defence specialist.”

      Legal 500 2018–19 / Crime — Western Circuit — Tier 1 > “An expert in defending in serious crime cases.”

      Legal 500 2017 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Self-assured and dedicated.”

      Legal 500 2016 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Extremely diligent in his approach to cases.”

      Legal 500 2015 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Known for his defence work in the Crown Court, and his practice has an emphasis on serious crime.”

      Legal 500 2014 / Crime — Western Circuit > “He specialises in sexual offence cases, particularly those involving children and historical allegations of misconduct.”

      Legal 500 2013 / Crime — Western Circuit > “A very confident and knowledgeable advocate.”

      Nick was also recommended by the Legal 500 for 2011 and 2012.

    • Judicial Commendations
      Court of Appeal

      R v Hitchings [2024] EWCA Crim 1003 — Stuart-Smith LJ, Stacey J, HHJ Conrad KC: “The Court is grateful to Mr Robinson… for the high quality of his written submissions.”

      R v Sherriff [2012] EWCA Crim 2381 — Lord Justice Aikens: “Mr Robinson presented the arguments very concisely, clearly and persuasively.”

      R v Kluver [2010] EWCA Crim 3237 — Lord Justice Moses: “There is ample authority for the proposition that counsel for the defence has so skilfully identified both in his written grounds and in his oral submissions and we are indebted to Mr Robinson for them.”

      R v Bennett [2010] EWCA Crim 1032 — Mr Justice Davis: “Mr Robinson, on behalf of the Appellant, has put the case very well.”

      R v Woodcock [2011] EWCA Crim 1347 — Mr Justice Blair: “It is submitted by Mr Robinson, who has argued this case well for the applicant, that this is excessive.”

      R v Knight [2013] EWCA Crim 2486 — Fulford J: > “detailed and able”

      Crown Court

      Mr Recorder Don Tait, following the acquittal of his client (R v RC — Crown Court, 2016), in open court: “Mr Robinson you did an excellent job defending this man. You very skillfully revealed all of the inadequacies in this investigation”.

    • Instructing Solicitor Testimonials
      “Truly grateful for your proactive case management, first class professionalism and dedication.”

      “This was a difficult case in one sense and your efforts and assistance went beyond the call of duty. I very much appreciate it.”

      “Please accept my heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all your incredible and excellent hard work on this firm’s cases and for always doing over and above what is required in every matter that you deal with. Not only that, well done on all of your outstanding results and faultless client care!”

      “Thank you Nick, I am very grateful for your assistance. Your professionalism and support is unbelievable.”

      “Fine work. Very fine work indeed. That was mission impossible. I am genuinely very impressed with that result.”

    • Lay Client (defendant’s father)

      "I had the pleasure of watching Nick during the trial and cannot praise sufficiently the way he handled the case. He was the perfect professional and we all felt our case couldn't have been in better or more capable hands. As the day progressed it looked increasingly certain that a custodial sentence would follow, and the judge intimated as much. However, Nick's response was totally stunning. He spoke calmly, quietly, slowly but with an air of total credibility — and when the judge interjected, he gently responded with additional information. He retained sufficient material to respond to each of the judge's concerns. If it had been a dramatic performance there would have been applause at the end. He is a real credit to his profession."

      Lay Client

      "I write to you to express my sincere gratitude about a member of your Chambers Mr Robinson who defended me at trial … The case required complete concentration and an eye for detail. This worried me as being on legal aid I thought I might not receive the same service as a client paying privately. This wasn’t the case at all and in fact the complete opposite. Mr Robinson genuinely cared about his client and even spent time to reassure my co-defendant … During the trial Mr Robinson’s charisma was a breath of fresh air; he kept the Jury on their toes and concentrated throughout and also he was very calming during the breaks when tensions were high. Finally Mr Robinson’s closing speech was mesmerising and got across every possible point I could think of and more. I knew after his speech there was no way I would be convicted. I feel in debt to this man and feel that the literature in my email doesn’t allow me to explain my true gratitude."

      Lay Client

      “Just wanted to express my thanks, for the confident, reassuring and supportive way that Mr Robinson has handled my case. At short notice he has been able to defend me to his confident best.  His caring and clear way in which he dealt with me and my family and friends was top notch”.

      Lay Client (Direct Access)

      "Nick - I'm eternally indebted to you and will never be able to thank you enough for today's outcome … thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done for me. You've given me my life back”.

      Lay client’s grandparent

      "I would also like to say a specific thank you for bringing Nicholas Robinson in as L's barrister. L felt very comfortable talking to Nick, and Nick, in turn, put L at ease. The relationship barristers have with their client, the trust and confidence in the barrister's ability is paramount, and we certainly had that with Nick. I think it also proved that a barristers relationship with his counterparts on the other side is also important and in our case this definitely proved to be significant”.

      Lay Client (defendant’s mother)

      “Your preparation was meticulous, your manner was calm under pressure, and your advocacy was outstanding… You also showed such patience and understanding with [our son]. He has a lot of difficulty, and you never let that become an obstacle. You took the time to explain things clearly to him and treated him with real respect, which meant the world to us as a family.”

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