Josh Normanton
Barrister
Trinity Chambers
Josh is a sought-after advocate in high-profile, sensitive and complex cases nationwide. His practice spans the complementary areas of criminal, regulatory, disciplinary and financial services law. He has considerable expertise and experience in each area and a proven track record of achieving results.
Josh also has a busy advisory practice with three focuses: (1) Advising corporates on criminal and regulatory issues which arise in commercial transactions or relationships; (2) Providing a service to private individuals who are dealing with criminal or regulatory issues and require urgent, reliable and strategic advice; and (3) Advising corporates and entrepreneurs on licensing and regulatory law in the novel food and legal cannabis markets.
Josh practised exclusively in London until 2022 when he joined Trinity and began practising on the North-East Circuit.
Financial Crime
Josh is regularly instructed in complex cases involving fraud or dishonesty. His expertise in financial services law and regulation is considered an asset in such cases. Recent instructions include defending in a well-publicised multi-million pound carbon credit fraud and acting for the first defendant in a large-scale accounting fraud against a well-known fashion retailer.
Josh has also been instructed to advise corporates on financial crime and POCA issues either in the context of internal investigations or during initial public offerings and similar transactions.
Serious Crime
Josh has a wide range of experience in serious criminal cases involving violence, sex and drugs, including appearing as leading counsel. He has been instructed as junior in murder cases and regularly appears in cases which are considered to be complex or difficult.
Josh has particular expertise in drug regulation and licensing and is regularly instructed to defend in complex drugs cases. Instructions have included a number of Encrochat cases and, due to Josh’s expertise in the legal cannabis market, a now long list of cases involving CBD companies and individuals in the CBD market facing criminal proceedings for selling cannabis (all of whom have been acquitted).
With respect to sexual offences, Josh was a core member of the Rook Group Advocacy and the Vulnerable Committee which developed the national advocacy programme on cross-examining vulnerable witnesses. Josh therefore has particular skills and expertise to bring to bear in cases involving vulnerable witnesses (he also edits the chapter in a leading practitioner textbook which deals with this area of law). His knowledge has translated into extensive work throughout his career in high-profile and complex cases involving sexual abuse and rape. Recent instructions have included representing a man with a severe mental disability accused of historic rape and other sexual offences against multiple complainants. The fitness to plead process in that case required four experts and spanned over a year and the subsequent trial required an intermediary throughout. The defendant was acquitted of rape and the majority of other counts.