Paul Ozin KC specialises principally in the fields of financial and business crime, regulatory and disciplinary proceedings and related public law, civil actions and international work. He is an established writer, speaker and Chair of conferences in those fields.

Paul was the Chair of the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers (2020-2022).

Until taking Silk, he was Standing Counsel to the Department of Business.

Paul is permitted by the Bar Council to accept instructions directly under the Public Access Scheme.

Paul is consistently ranked as a Leading Silk in the principal legal directories. He is recognised for his mastery of factually and legally complex cases.

FINANCIAL & CORPORATE CRIME

Paul Ozin KC has particular expertise in defending and prosecuting in financial crime cases (including company, business, revenue, market related, advance fee, factoring, bribery and corruption, money laundering, confiscation and asset recovery). He is well placed to deal with the whole landscape of financial crime cases, with complementary expertise in regulatory and disciplinary proceedings including financial regulatory proceedings.

Before taking Silk, he was Standing Counsel to the Department of Business.

He is experienced in the management of document-intensive cases and proficient in the use of information technology as an investigative, preparatory and trial presentational tool.

Current (2022) work includes high profile and substantial Financial Conduct Authority, Department of Business and Crown Prosecution Service proceedings concerning allegations of fraud, bribery, and failure to give notice of collective redundancies.

Paul’s recent publications in this practice area include:

Blackstone's Police Operational Handbook (PNLD; OUP) - Consulting
Editor, 2022)

PACE: A practical Guide to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984",
Ozin & Norton (Oxford University Press, 5th ed. 2019

Content for LexisNexis on search warrants - applications and challenges relating to excluded material and special procedure material under PACE 1984, with Mills (2018)

Paul’s recent seminars in this practice area include:

Speaker at MBL Business Crime – 2019 Conference on the subject of ‘Private Prosecutions – Challenges & Pitfalls’

Guest Seminars on money laundering reporting obligations and legal services regulation for the Mauritius Institute for Judicial and Legal Studies to the legal professionals and technical specialists in the financial sector (March 2018)

PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINARY

Paul Ozin KC has a wide practice in regulatory and disciplinary cases, including public law challenges and statutory appeals. Regulatory fields include financial, legal services, police, healthcare, NHS Performers List and barring list cases. He appears for both registered persons and regulators.

Paul advises on and drafts guidance on legal issues affecting regulators and regulated persons. This includes issues relating to the impact of criminal law on regulators and the regulated. Recent examples include: advising regulators on the application of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 to the work carried out by registrants in the regulated sector; assisting the Forensic Science Regulator on the drafting of guidance on the legal obligations affecting forensic scientists and other experts working within the criminal justice system Legal Obligations (Issue 8)

He has chaired the principal annual Healthcare Regulatory Conference, from 2017, The CLT Regulation-of-Healthcare-Professionals-Conference-2019

He is short-listed for the Legal 500 Bar Awards Professional Disciplinary and Regulatory Law Silk of the year 2022. He was short-listed for the Chambers and Partners UK Bar Awards Professional Discipline Silk of the Year in 2021.

Current (2022) work includes police, healthcare and legal services proceedings, including substantial and high-profile cases

Paul’s recent publications in this practice area include:

Chapters in Gomez, ‘The Regulation of Healthcare Professionals: Law, Principle and Process’ (Sweet & Maxwell, 2nd ed, 2019)

“PACE: A practical Guide to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984”, Ozin & Norton (Oxford University Press, 5th ed. 2019)

Content for LexisNexis on search warrants - applications and challenges relating to excluded material and special procedure material under PACE 1984, with Mills (2018); and on diverse regulatory subjects (2017-18)

Blackstone’s Police Operational Handbook (PNLD; OUP) – Consulting Editor, 2021.

Paul’s recent seminars in this practice area include:

Chair of ARDL Inaugural One Day Conference 1/10/21

Chair of ARDL Webinar: Global Financial Services Regulation: views from the Cayman Islands, Guernsey and Mauritius 19/5/20

Chair of ARDL Seminar: The new Police Regulations and other recent developments in police regulation 26/3/20

Chair of ARDL Seminar: Abrogation of the right to silence/ adverse inferences in regulatory proceedings 10/3/20

Speaker at seminar on ‘“Reassessing the ethical principles of the legal profession: the case for updating the Code of Ethics for Attorneys” for the Mauritius Institute for Judicial and Legal Studies to the legal professionals and technical specialists in the financial sector (October 2019)

Speaker at CLT Disciplinary and Regulatory Tribunals Conference 2019 on ‘Experts – when is an expert not an expert/disclosure obligations’ (March 2019)

CRIME

Paul Ozin KC defends and prosecutes in heavyweight criminal cases.

Paul has particular expertise in:

- Paper-heavy and legally complex cases.
- Cases with a regulatory dimension.
- Cases with a public law (judicial review) element.
- Cases concerning complex clinical and forensic pathology issues.

Paul has completed Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) training and Advocacy and the vulnerable training.

Paul provides a safe pair of hands in complex cases and is always on top of the detail.
Chambers, UK 2021

Notable Cases

Wray v General Osteopathic Council [2021] EWCA Civ 1940; [2022] 1 WLR 1626

PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINARY & REGULATORY

Court of Appeal Civil Division case confirming the permissibility of reliance in a conduct case on a conviction resulting in a conditional discharge
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants v Awodola [2021] EWCA Civ 1635; [2022] 4 WLR 17

Court of Appeal Civil Division case concerning the application of the presumption against retrospectivity to the regulatory scheme and the scope of the procedural exceptions.
Wayne Couzens

Disciplinary case concerning police officer convicted of kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard; advising on related disciplinary allegations concerning WC and others; 2021-
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SRA v O

SRA case concerning allegations of making inappropriate conditional fee arrangements and loans; 2021
Competition Commission of Mauritius v X & Y

Ongoing CCM proceedings against the main suppliers of a major commodity in Mauritius alleging that they operated price-fixing and market sharing cartels and participated in bid rigging. (2019-)
SRA v [Locke Lord] & Denton

SRA case concerning the former partner whose conduct in relation to transactions that bore the hallmarks of a dubious investment scheme led to the record £500,000 fine for US law firm Locke Lord; 2018
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Dr X v NHS Commissioning Board (operating as NHS England)

NHS England case before the First Tier Tribunal and Performers List Decision Panel in Performers List case, of national interest, concerning the requirements of appropriate indemnity cover; 2017.
ACCA v Francis

For ACCA in successful case concerning allegations of misconduct by a regulated non-member Insolvency Practitioner with respect to personal and corporate insolvency cases; 2017.
PS S & Oths (re Olaseni Lewis)

Substantial MPS IPCC directed case concerning the conduct of 11 officers (6 facing misconduct proceedings) relating to the restraint of OL in a hospital psychiatric ward and his subsequent death; 2017. This matter led to a call for a change in the law and the passing of an Act, known as ‘Seni’s law’.
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R. (Chief Constable of Sussex) v Police Appeals Tribunal [2017] EWHC 2333 (Admin)

Judicial review claim by the Force against the decision of a Police Appeal Tribunal to allow an appeal.
Darfoor v GDC [2016] EWHC 2715 (Admin)

Statutory appeal for GDC; case dismissed on preliminary issue of extension of time; appearing in case below, concerning allegations incl. dishonestly placing cow bone material without informing patient and in earlier proceedings concerning failure to obtain informed consent and inaccurate website statements.
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ACCA v Gimson –

ACCA case concerning allegations of accountant knowingly assisting a person disqualified from being a director in being concerned in the management of companies; 2016.
ACCA v R

ACCA case concerning allegations of misconduct and other breaches by Insolvency Practitioner acting as receiver of solicitor’s firm; 2015-2016.
Kimmance v GMC [2016] EWHC 1808 (Admin)

GMC statutory appeal; issues of bias and dishonesty and approach to non-attendance at hearing.
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Selim v GMC [2016] EWHC 1865 (Admin)

GMC statutory appeal; issues of bias and dishonesty
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GMC v Dr H -

GMC case concerning allegations about the care and treatment of 9 patients at an institution where learning disability patients were subject to staff abuse and the failure to escalate those concerns to management or to an appropriate external body; 2016.
ACCA v JP

ACCA case against a former ACCA Council member concerning alleged dishonest announcements by an international accountancy organisation about a merger; 2014-2015
R. (Golfrate Property Management Ltd) v Southwark Crown Court [2014] EWHC 840 (Admin)

See Financial Crime section on the web-site for further details.
GMC v Dr S

GMC case concerning allegations including failings in relation to the running of a London Out of Hours healthcare service and racist communications; 2014
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Home Office Forensic Pathology Disciplinary Committee v Dr Shorrock

Home Office Forensic Pathology Disciplinary Tribunal case concerning inadequate post mortem investigations relating to 2 widely publicised homicide cases; 2011-2013.
GDC v Merchant

GDC case concerning allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a dental nurse and clinical failings; 2013
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GDC v Merchant

GDC case concerning allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a dental nurse and clinical failings; 2013
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GMC v Dr Giwa-Osagie

GMC FTPP case concerning allegations against locum obstetric registrar relating to life-threatening blood loss in 2 caesarean sections; 2011-2012; statutory appeal [2013] EWHC 1514 (Admin).
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GMC v Dr S

GMC Investigation Committee hearing concerning allegations that a GP insensitively sought to impose his own religious beliefs on a patient; 2011-2012
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GMC v Dr Tlusty

FTPP health, performance and misconduct case concerning allegations against GP including accessing pornography and the creation of photo-manipulated pornographic images featuring colleagues and a patient; 2011
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Pathology Delivery Board v Dr Acland

Disciplinary proceedings concerning forensic pathologist’s failure to interpret correctly injuries caused to deceased by blows to the head with a patterned weapon; Disciplinary Tribunal 2009; Appeal Tribunal, 2010
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GMC v Dr J

Fitness to practise proceedings concerning clinical allegations against a surgeon relating to 16 patients; 2010.
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R (Sosanya) v GMC [2009] EWHC 2814 (Admin); [2010]

Med. L.R. 62 JR and Statutory appeal of decision of GMC’s Interim GMC’s Interim Order Panel; 2009.
Commander Ali Dizaei - MPA “fast-track”

Police disciplinary proceedings following criminal convictions for two serious criminal offences; reportedly the first tribunal assembled to consider charges against an officer of ACPO rank; 2010
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DCI Wheeler

MPS - Chief Officer’s Review of the decision of a misconduct board in the police disciplinary proceedings arising out of the investigation into the death of Victoria Climbié & the Laming Inquiry, following judicial review of original decision; before Sara Thornton, Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, 2009.
R (Gannon) v Chief Constable of Merseyside [2009] EWHC 2133 (Admin)

JR of decision to apply the fast-track procedure under the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2008; leading case providing guidance on the regulatory test for fast track cases.
Dr Heath

GMC fitness to practise proceedings concerning allegations for unjustified unlawful cause of death diagnoses in two cases resulting in proceedings for murder, R v Fraser & R v Puaca; 2009
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R V H & Os – bribery case

CRIME including FINANCIAL & CORPORATE CRIME

Ongoing 5-handed bribery case.
R v Croft, Coleman & F – criminal market manipulation case

FCA case brought against the former CEO, CFO and FD of AIM listed company, Redcentric, involving allegations of making false and misleading statements to the market (overstating the cash position by £13.1m and £12.2m) and false accounting. Trial 2021-2022.
The Financial Times
The Times
The Telegraph
The FCA press release
R v F & P failure to give notice of collective redundancies

On-going case concerning the collapse of Sports Direct subsidiary, fashion retailer USC, and allegations of failing to give notice to the Secretary of State of a proposal to make collective redundancies contrary to s. 194(2) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations
(Consolidation) Act 1992. Related Judicial Review proceedings: R (F) v The Northern Derbyshire MC [2017] EWHC1152 (QB) [2017] ICR 1161 (judicial review of decision to
prosecute on a 'Carltona principle' challenge); Palmer & Anor, R (on the application of) v Northern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court [2021] EWHC 3013 (Admin) (12 November 2021) ; [2022] I.C.R. 531; [2022] B.C.C. 467 (decision on consolidated judicial review on jurisdiction to prosecute in United Kingdom; and on whether Insolvency Act appointed administrators fall within the reach of the offence; application for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court pending).
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R v Syri Ltd

– MHRA investigation concerning prosecution of pharmaceutical company for supply of unfit (under-strength) special medicine to a child; 2021
Government press release
MKCitizen report of conviction
R v C -

Conspiracies to supply unlicensed etc medicines, concerning a supply chain relating to Indian medicines sold and distributed worldwide from the UK, the defendant running a licensed mail forwarding business operating as the UK postal hub; 2019.
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R v D & Others

Conspiracies to supply unlicensed etc medicines, concerning a supply chain relating to Indian medicines sold and distributed worldwide from the UK; 2018
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Re: X (Restraint Proceedings) –

Successfully applied to discharge in its entirety a pre-charge restraint order freezing all of the client’s assets; 2017. Client under criminal investigation by the City of London Police in connection with alleged Ponzi/ boiler room fraud.
R v L & M - Corruption case

NHS corruption case concerning a supplier of IT services making corrupt ‘kickback’ payments to a procurement official in an NHS Trust; related confiscation proceedings, 2016-2017
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R v K & Oths

3 multi-handed linked trials concerning allegations against 13 defendants of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office, involving HMRC officers and their associates; 2014-2016, Central Criminal Court.
R v Lord Greville Janner of Braunstone QC

Criminal and judicial review (Lord Janner v Westminster Magistrates' Court [2015] EWHC 2578 (Admin)) proceedings.
R. (Golfrate Property Management Ltd) v Southwark Crown Court

[2014] EWHC 840 (Admin); [2014] 2 Cr. App. R. 12; [2014] Lloyd's Rep. F.C. 431; [2014] Crim. L.R. 830; [2014] A.C.D. 90. JR concerning challenges to the issuing and execution of search warrants in an international money laundering investigation
R v M, B & B

Case concerning the corruption on a massive scale of the Sainsbury potato buyer by directors of a major supplier; and related money laundering offences; 2012.
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R v S & G

BIS prosecution for fraudulent trading of businesses promoting the “Les Frogs” brand; 2011.
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R v Haq & Oths

7 handed MTIC carousel fraud case, brought by CPS Central Fraud Group South (Fiscal), formerly RCPO 2010-11; related confiscation proceedings 2011-13.
R v Rollins (Appellant)

[2010] UKSC 39, [2010] 1 W.L.R. 1922; [2010] Bus. L.R. 1529; [2010] 4 All E.R. 880; [2011] 1 Cr. App. R. 4; [2010] Lloyd's Rep. F.C. 585; (2010) 154(30) S.J.L.B. 34; Times, August 2, 2010 - Supreme Court decision on whether the FSA had power as a private prosecutor to bring proceedings for offences of money laundering or was limited to its statutory prosecutorial powers.
R v T

FPS prosecution for Companies Acts offences including falsifying company documents, misleading auditors and fraudulent trading; 2009
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R v N & Oths -

SFO's 3 linked prosecutions of company directors, 2006-2008: (1) conspiracy to defraud a provider of government funding for training; (2) fraudulent trading, by defrauding creditors and for the fraudulent purpose of obtaining factoring finance (3) conspiracy to defraud a provider of government funding for training.
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R (Griffin) v Richmond Magistrates' Court

[2008] EWHC 84 (Admin); [2008] 1 W.L.R. 1525; [2008] Bus. L.R. 1014; [2008] 3 All E.R. 274; [2008] B.C.C. 575; [2008] 1 B.C.L.C. 681; [2008] 1 Cr. App. R. 37; [2008] Lloyd's Rep. F.C. 196; [2008] B.P.I.R. 468; Times, March 31, 2008 - For BERR in case concerning the Art 6 compatibility of the legal burden in s.208 Insolvency Act 1986.
R v H & Oths

DTI's prosecution for conspiracy to manipulate the market by those concerned with share dealings connected with The Mirror's "City Slickers" column; 2004-2006
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R (SFO) v S & Os (‘Wickes’)

SFO's prosecution of the former executives of Wickes Plc and its trading subsidiary for fraudulent trading and making false statements to auditors; trial 2002; preliminary hearings 1999-2002.

Appointments

Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers (Chair, 2020-2022)
QC Chair, Bar Tribunals & Adjudication Service Panel
SFO Panel of QCs
Lexis Nexis Corporate Crime Lawyers Consulting Editorial Board
Former Standing Counsel to The Department of Business; 2008-2016
Former member of CPS Panel of Advocates – Level 4; and Level 4 CPS
Specialist Panels: (i) Serious Crime Group panel (ii) Fraud panel
Former member of Specialist Regulatory Advocate in Health and Safety and Environmental Law, List A.

Professional Associations

Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
Fraud Lawyers’ Association
Criminal Bar Association

Education

Balliol College, Oxford University (Exhibitioner)