Christian Jowett

Practice Overview

Christian’s core specialisms lie in fraud, environmental and regulatory law (and the interface between their criminal and civil elements), and also in administrative law (focused on immigration and asylum law and environmental law).

Christian’s criminal practice focuses on fraud, environmental and regulatory law. With a multi-disciplinary background, Christian has a particular interest in subsidiary confiscation and asset recovery under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the related areas of property and chancery law with which it interacts, including matrimonial and cohabitee finance, inheritance, and insolvency. His practice is best represented by R v Morgan [2013] EWCA Crim. 1307, [2014] 1 All E.R. 1208, [2014] Env.L.R. 5, [2013] Lloyd's Rep FC 655, an appeal arising from an environmental prosecution, which concerned the interface between criminal confiscation, environmental regulation, landfill tax and the effect of Article 1, Protocol 1 to the ECHR. He appears not only in the criminal courts in relation to such matters, but also the County Court, High Court, and related Tribunals. He also writes, blogs and lectures on the interface between criminal confiscation and other areas of law. He is recommended in the Legal 500 since 2017 and Chambers UK since 2019 for his criminal law practice.

Christian’s distinct public law practice is immigration and environmental law based. A longstanding member of the Wales Working Party of the UK Environmental Law Association, Christian was elected to its National Council in 2017 with special responsibility for Wales. An experienced practitioner in all aspects of Immigration, Asylum and Human Rights law, he regularly appears before the High Court, and before both tiers of the Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). Christian is recommended in the Legal 500 since 2015 and Chambers UK since 2020 for his Administrative and Public law and Immigration practices. 

Notable and Reported cases

• Fraud, Regulatory & Civil Law

  R v EM (Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court; 2018-2019)
  Christian successfully prosecuted this breach of planning enforcement notices trial, which involved novel issues of statutory construction and received coverage in the UK national media.

  R v SC (Swansea Crown Court; 2016-2020)
  Christian successfully prosecuted this case of fraudulent trading and insolvency offences at trial ad confiscation, concerning the fraudulent procuring of pension transfers.

  R v AM (Cardiff Crown Court; 2012 - 2017)
  Christian prosecuted this NHS fraud successfully to trial; confiscation proceedings with international element ongoing.

  R v SS Ltd (in Administration) (High Court, Chancery Division, Sep-14) 
  Application for permission to continue to confiscation and sentence in respect of a company in administration.

  R v Morgan [2013] EWCA Crim. 1307, [2013] Lloyd's Rep FC 655, [2014] 1 All E.R. 1208, [2014] Env.L.R. 5
  Christian successfully resisted this appeal against a confiscation order made in respect of various waste offences.

• Administrative Law

  R (Akudike) v SSHD IJR [2015] UKUT 213 (IAC)
  Christian successfully represented the respondent in this complicated judicial review brought in respect of a refusal of leave as a Tier 4 (General) Student.

• Administrative & Public Law

  Christian has significant experience in judicial review matters and statutory appeals. He has been a member of the Attorney General's Regional Panel (Wales) since 2007.

  Christian's core public law practice encompasses immigration and environmental law. He is co-convenor of the Wales working party and member of the National Council of the UK Environmental Law Association.

• Regulatory

  Christian has a specialist and niche practice encompassing criminal and civil fraud and regulatory law. He also accepts instructions in related civil law matters.

  Christian’s fraud practice focuses on Revenue, NHS and social security fraud. Significant Revenue frauds include Operation Ukraine (2008-2012): prosecution for evasion of VAT on importation of vehicles from other EU states. He is currently instructed in a Capital Gains Tax fraud and also accepts instructions in civil Revenue matters before the Tax Chamber. Christian recently successfully prosecuted a high-profile NHS fraud and regularly undertakes social security fraud work.

  Christian’s regulatory practice focuses on environmental law but also involves trading standards and related matters. Noteworthy regulatory cases include Operation Ascot (2010-2012), a prosecution under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 concerning depositing of waste in West Wales, including spoils from a major national infrastructure project. In the substantive prosecution, Christian was led junior at trial, Court of Appeal and re-trial; in the subsequent confiscation proceedings, he appeared as junior alone, both before the Crown Court and, successfully, before Court of Appeal. Christian also deals with non-criminal regulatory matters, with a particular interest in environmental matters including the transfrontier shipments of waste and emissions trading.

  Christian has a particular interest in the interface between asset recovery and competing rights under other legislation, such as the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 and the Insolvency Act 1986. He recently appeared before the High Court (Chancery Division) concerning the effect of a company’s entry into administration upon outstanding criminal confiscation proceedings.

  Christian is appointed to the List of Special Regulatory Advocates in Health and Safety and Environmental Law A List, having previously been B List from 2012 to 2019. He is a longstanding Grade 4 Prosecutor, and member of the Specialist Fraud Panel (Grade 4). He is a member of the Proceeds of Crime Lawyers Association and the UK Environmental Law Association, and is a member of UKELA’s National Council and the sub-committee of its Wales Working Party.

• Chancery & Commercial

  Christian’s primary chancery and commercial interest lies in the interface between these areas of law and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. His advisory and advocacy practice deals with unusual situations where criminal confiscation meets inheritance, insolvency and and administration, and other chancery and commercial matters.

  Christian also has experience in applications under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996, and in particular those cases where these matters overlap with the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. He has also appeared in the High Court (Family Division) dealing with the interface between matrimonial finance and criminal confiscation.

• Immigration & Asylum

  Christian’s practice encompasses statutory appeals and judicial review across the spectrum of Immigration, Asylum and Human Rights law. He is a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association. Christian regularly appears in First-Tier and Upper Tribunals in addition to the High Court.

• Appointments

  Panel Appointments

  • Crown Prosecution Service Specialist Panel: POCA (2020 - Level 4)
  • Attorney-General’s Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown (Wales Panel) (2007; A Panel 2018)
  • List of Specialist Advocates in Health & Safety and Environmental Law (2006; A List 2019)
  • Crown Prosecution Service Approved List (2003; Grade 4 2009)
  • Crown Prosecution Service Specialist Panel Fraud List (2018; Level 4)

  
  Judicial Appointments

  • Recorder (2019)
  • Deputy District Judge (Civil) (2010)
• Career
  • Having undertaken pupilage in London from September 2000, Christian subsequently moved to Cardiff where he joined chambers as a tenant in 2003.
  • Christian joined 30 Park Place in September 2015.
• Education & Qualification
  • 1999-2000:  LL.M. (Merit) University College London
  • 1998-1999:  Bar Vocational Course; Inns of Court School of Law (Very Competent)
  • 1995-1998:  LL.B. (Hons) (IIi) University College London
• Memberships

  Crime, Regulatory and Civil:

  • Criminal Bar Association
  • Proceeds of Crime Lawyers’ Association
  • Revenue Bar Association
  • UK Environmental Law Association (member of the sub-committee of the Wales Working Party)’ with UK Environmental Law Association (member of National Council and co-convenor of the sub-committee of the Wales Working Party) 

  Administrative, Public and Immigration:

  • Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association
• Awards

  Academic Awards

  • 1999-2000:  Joseph Hume Scholarship in Law (University College London)
  • 1998-1999:  The Holt Award (Gray’s Inn)
  • 1996-1997:  Simmons and Simmons Property II Prize (University College London)
  • 1995-1996:  Andrews Prize for Laws (University College London)
• Related News

  Recent Lectures

  • Nov-14: Confiscation and Civil Recovery (Cardiff & District Law Society)
  • Oct-14:  Confiscation and Civil Recovery (Local Authority Solicitors)
  • Oct-14:  Confiscation and Civil Recovery in Environmental Crime (UK Environmental Law Association)
• Related Publications
  • Equitable accounting and bankruptcy [2017] Fam. Law. 652
  • The illegality defence, trusts of land and the family lawyer: Patel v Mirza  [2016] Fam. Law. 1208
  • 2015: Confiscation Orders and Waste Depositing Offences, e-law, the Journal of the UK Environmental Law Association, Vol. 90 Sep/Oct-15
  • 2011: The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in Financial Remedy Proceedings (Family Law Week; co-authored with Rhys Taylor)
• Recommendations

  • "Christian is incredibly user-friendly. He is very proactive and unbelievably organised. He is a very comfortable advocate and he is so thorough." "Christian is very experienced, very succinct and to the point." (Chambers & Partners 2025 - Administrative & Public Law)

  • "He is excellent - conscientious, very accessible and easy to work with." (Chambers & Partners 2025 - Immigration)

  • ‘Christian is a very user-friendly, very organised and very proactive barrister. He is also a good advocate.’ (Legal 500, 2025 - Administrative law and human rights)

  • ‘Christian is meticulous in his advice and his attention to detail is excellent. He sees all sides of an argument and is clear, succinct and persuasive on his feet.’ (Legal 500, 2025 - Business and regulatory crime)

  • Tier 1 (Legal 500, 2025 - Immigration)

  • Christian Jowett is an experienced barrister who is sought after to act as sole counsel on behalf of claimants and defendants in immigration and asylum judicial review challenges in the tribunals, High Court and Court of Appeal. Recently his practice has also involved a substantial volume of work concerning health and safety enforcement."Christian has a broad administrative and public law practice." "Chrisitan is very sound and user friendly; he is proactive and well organised." (Chambers & Partners 2024, Administrative & Public Law)

  • Christian Jowett runs a busy immigration practice and is instructed from the tribunals to the higher appellate courts. He predominantly represents the Home Secretary."Very pragmatic and thorough. He is very easy to work with." "His attention to detail, his organisation and his ability to very quickly master a case are excellent." (Chambers & Partners 2024, Immigration)

  • Ranked tier 1 for Immigration (Legal 500, 2024)
  • Ranked tier 1 for Business & Regulatory Crime (Legal 500, 2024)
  • "His attention to detail is excellent. He has an ability to plough through a vast amount of material and pick out the salient points with ease. He is user-friendly and a great advocate." (Legal 500, 2024 - Administrative & Public Law)
  • “Christian is very knowledgeable in immigration and public law. He is professional yet approachable, and can work under pressure.” “He is very organised and efficient with great attention to detail. His advice and pleadings are clear and to the point.” (Chambers UK, 2023 - Administrative & Public Law)
  • "His written advocacy is very strong." (Chambers UK, 2023 - Immigration)
  • "Christian is very approachable, knowledgeable and reliable. He always provides sound and well considered advice. As an advocate he is assertive, calm and adaptable under pressure." (Legal 500, 2023 - Immigration)
  • "He is meticulous in research and always extremely well prepared for hearings - no stone is left unturned." (Legal 500, 2023 - Business and Regulatory Crime)
  • He is very approachable, knowledgeable and reliable. An advocate who is assertive, calm and adaptable under pressure. (Legal 500, 2023 - Administrative & Public Law)
  • He can turn work around very quickly and with high quality." "He's user-friendly, responsive, and the quality of his work is very high indeed." (Chambers UK, 2022 - Administrative & Public Law)
  • ‘He is able to assimilate a great deal of information very swiftly to produce a comprehensive and effective work.’ (Lgal 500, 2022 - Administrative & Public Law)
  • ‘Christian is dedicated, hardworking with a eye for detail. His thorough preparation instils a quiet confidence in his advocacy.’ (Legal 500, 2022 - Business & Regulatory Crime)
  • ‘Christian is an excellent fraud lawyer.’ (Legal 500, 2022 - Crime [General & Fraud])
  • ‘Thorough and practical, with sound advice based on years of experience in the area. ’ (Legal 500, 2022 - Immigration)
  • "He is good in complex and intricate cases. He puts an enormous amount of preparation into his work." (Chambers UK, 2021)
  • 'Meticulous case preparation with excellent attention to detail.' (Legal 500, 2021)
  • 'He is particularly good at analysing complex fraud cases and is instructed in some voluminous VHCCs.' (Legal 500, 2021 - Crime)
  • 'He's a very good operator for claimants and for the Home Office.' 'Christian Jowett is very thorough in his work.' (Chambers UK, 2020 - Administrative & Public Law)
  • 'He is very, very able and a great all-rounder.' 'Very studious, hard-working and diligent.' (Chambers UK, 2020 - Crime)
  • 'Instructed by clients on both sides of immigration proceedings.’ (Legal 500, 2020 - Immigration)
  • ‘Meticulously prepared with particular understanding of complex NHS fraud cases.’  (Legal 500, 2020 - Crime)              
  • 'He is excellent, one of the outstanding junior barristers in Cardiff.' (Chambers UK, 2019)
  • ‘Very experienced across the spectrum of immigration and asylum cases.’ (Legal 500, 2019)
  • ‘A diligent advocate with an analytical eye.’ (Legal 500, 2018)
  • 'A painstaking, professional and courteous barrister.' (Legal 500, 2017)
  • 'He combines a terrific eye for close detail with gritty determination'. (Legal 500, 2017)
  • ‘An expert in human rights and immigration cases.’ (Legal 500, 2016)
  • 'He has extremely wide and up-to-date knowledge’ (Legal 500, 2015)
• Mediation

  Christian is a Civil Mediation Council regulated Civil and Commercial mediator.

  

• Arbitration

  Christian is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb)

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