Malcolm Bishop KC

Practice Overview

Malcolm Bishop KC has appeared in all Divisions of the High Court as well as the Court of Appeal, the House of Lords and the Privy Council. He also appears in the Caribbean and is a member of the Bar of the Turks and Caicos Islands where he defended in a five year trial, believed to be the longest in the history of the Commonwealth. His range of expertise is unusually varied.

When he started in practice solicitors expected counsel to provide a comprehensive service and this habit of tackling diverse areas of the law has stayed with him all his professional life. As a result he has regularly handled commercial, property, landlord and tenant, defamation, trusts and public law litigation.  He regards himself as an archetypal all-rounder.  He believes strongly in the importance of advocacy and the supremacy  of courtroom skills. 

His unusual hobby is translating into modern English the books of the New Testament from the original Greek. He has published to wide acclaim St. Mark, Matthew and John. His translation of “The Gospels – a lawyer’s translation from the original Greek”, has just been published by Matador, available on Amazon

Notable and Reported cases

• House of Lords / Supreme Court / Privy Council
  • Re M and H 2 FLR 431: Family childcare; 
  • Re: Birmingham CC: Family childcare;
  • R (Champion) v Gwent CC: Judicial Review of Chief Constable's disciplinary powers;
  • R v Ireland and Burstow: Crime ingredients of assault
  • R v France and Vassal murder conviction appeal from Jamaica
• Court of Appeal
  • R v Wood CA [2008] EWCA Crim 1305: involuntary intoxication in murder cases
  • R v Jabber: new guidelines on permissible inferences;
  • R v Carmona: CA [2006] EWCA Crim 508: Article 8 and deportation rules; permission to appeal to the House of Lords granted;
  • R (Sezek) v Sec. of State for Home Dept. CA [2001] EWCA Civ 795: Judicial Review, Article 8 and deportation;
  • R v SENT ex parte South Glamorgan CC: admin civil procedure
  • R v Ali: Court of Appeal Crim Div. Hughes LJ, Roderick Evans J and HH Judge Gordan: 18 Feb. 2011 Guidance on 'steps to verdict' directions 
  • R v Ali: Court of Appeal Crim. Div Thomas LJ, Saunders and Sweeney JJ Important decision on autrfois acquit in terrorist case:  
• Administrative Court
  • South Glamorgan CC v Secretary of state for Wales. Admin Court. Wide ranging dispute by all the Welsh local authorities against Sec of States amendments to contracts of employment and pension provisions
  • R (B) v Gloucestershire CC: child care, parent's right of appeal;
  • Burston v Rawlins: JR of magistrates taxation of costs;
  • R v Governor of Brixton prison ex parte Marais [2001] EWHC Admin 1051: extradition application of Act to South Africa; 
  • R (C) v Regent's Park College, Oxford [2008] EWHC 739: JR of order of Conference of Colleges Appeal Tribunal;
  • R (South Glam CC) v XY: JR of Sec. of State's failure to rule on school closure;
  • R (Gwent CC) v X: JR of school closure
  • R (Gurmit Singh Nahal) v Law Society; [2003] EWHC 2186 (QB): powers of Law Society to strike off solicitor;
  • Gwent Area Health Authority v X: JR of hospital closure;
  • R (Robinson) v Sutton Coldfield Magistrates Court [2008] EWHC 307 Admin: new guidance on hearsay and bad character evidence
• Crown Court
  • R v Ajosi: manslaughter of vicar's daughter by 2 teenage girls
  • R v Spencer: The 'Johnson Crew' gangland shooting
  • R v Stephen: The South Wales Police Alleged Corruption following the Lynette White murder
  • R v Lamponi: alleged double murder with Italian connections
  • R v Barot and Jalil: appeal in the Al Qaeda connected USA/UK terrorist plot
  • R v Ashiq Hussain: gangland shooting allegedly arising out of 'drug territorial wars'
  • R v Carty & others: Letitia Shakespeare and Charlene Ellis: gangland shooting in Birmingham
  • R v Sivakumar & others: lsaid at the time to be the longest ever murder trial at the Old Bailey;
  • R v Abedin: first ever Al Qaeda trial in UK
  • R v Patack & others: MTIC fraud at Nottingham Crown Court;
  • R v Sarwar et al: the 'airlineliquid bomb’ terrorist trial and retrial
  • R v Zaheer: incitement to murder: preaching at Regent's Park mosque;
  • R v Babamuboni: The 'Peckham christening'- fatal shooting at a  christening involving young defendants
• Other
  • Re LC (Medical Treatment Sterilisation) [1997] 2FLR 258: sexual abuse-sterilisation of mentally handicapped patient
  • NSPCC v H and H [1989] FLR 131: locus of NSPCC in care proceedings
  • Re Duncan: Chancery Division: dispute as to correct interpretation of NHS service agreements
  • R (on the Applications of Richard Carnell v (1) Regents Park College, Oxford University (2) Conference of Colleges Appeal Tribunal (2008) EHWC 739 (Admin QBD) Black J) 7/4/2008 ( appeal against decision of Oxford University disputes tribunal)
  • The Earl of Cardigan v Moore and Cotton ( trust dispute in behalf of Earl of Cardigan )
  • Lusidkin v Eco3. Corporate dispute between two Russian oligarchs alleging civil fraud.
• Overseas
  • Supreme Court Turks and Caicos Islands. R v Hall et all. 6 year trial of cabinet members and attorneys on corruption, bribery and money laundering charges.
• JR Advisory Work
  • JR against Probation Service
  • JR for national Union of Mineworkers Pensions Scheme
  • Advising the Dean of Christ Church Oxford in dispute with the college( now settled )

• Appointments

  Bencher of the Inner Temple; former deputy High Court Judge and Recorder; Hon. Fellow and Hon. standing counsel Regents Park College, Oxford University; former chair Isle of Man Legal Aid  Commission of Inquiry.

   

• Education
  • Regent's Park College, Oxford University MA (Oxon) (Honour Moderations in Theology and Final Honour school jurisprudence. Samuel Davies prizeman.)
  • Ruabon Grammar School (North Wales)
• Recent Advisory Work
  • JR against Probation Service
  • JR for national Union of Mineworkers Pensions Scheme
  • Advising the Dean of Christ Church Oxford in dispute with the college (now settled)
• Recent Travels
  • Commonwealth lawyers conference in the Bahamas, gave talk on Religious Freedom and Human Rights
  • MOJ Delegation to Dubai
• Other Activities

  • Published 4 volumes of a translation of the New Testament: St. Matthew’s Gospel, St.  Mark, St. John, Revelation, St.  Luke ( with the printers )  all entitled  “A lawyer’s translation from the original Greek” published by M

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