Patrick Ormerod
Patrick is an Associate in our Business Crime & Investigations team. He acts for individuals and organisations in criminal investigations and proceedings, extradition proceedings, public law matters and public inquiries. He has particular experience in high-profile, complex and sensitive cases, often involving a political, international, or human rights dimension.
Patrick’s practice encompasses financial crime matters, serious and general crime, extradition and INTERPOL matters, protest law, public law, public and parliamentary inquiries. He has acted in cases involving allegations of fraud, money laundering, bribery, disclosure of official secrets, terrorism, licensing and regulatory breaches, violent and sexual offences, electoral offences, public order and social media offences, section 2 interviews, extradition and Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings. He also has experience of judicial review claims, criminal record disputes and the law relating to political parties and campaign spending.
He deals with a range of enforcement authorities and opponents, including the police, the National Crime Agency, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office, the Competition and Markets Authority, central and local government agencies, and is an experienced litigator in the magistrates’ court, Crown Court, High Court and Court of Appeal. He has a track record of negotiating out of court disposals, discontinuances and civil penalties in lieu of prosecution.
Patrick is qualified to advise clients at the police station and is experienced in advising in connection with police interviews under caution, including following arrest under PACE and the Terrorism Act 2000, as well as compelled and voluntary interviews conducted by other enforcement agencies.
Patrick has particular expertise in cases involving interference with human rights and civil liberties. He is recognised as an ‘associate to watch’ in protest law by Chambers & Partners and is ‘highly recommended’ by Netpol. He has acted in some of the most high-profile protest cases of recent years, advising campaign organisers and defending activists for peace and democracy, racial equality, women’s rights, environmental protection and action against climate change, and freedom of expression and assembly. He also acted in a number of noteworthy cases brought under emergency Coronavirus legislation.
Case examples
Acted for former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in connection with Covid Regulations and the Privileges Committee inquiry into whether he misled Parliament over ‘Partygate’.
Acted in over 30 cases relating to emergency Covid legislation, including Reclaim These Streets’ judicial review relating to the right to protest during lockdown, Neale v Director of Public Prosecutions, a case concerning the extent of the duty of citizens to assist law enforcement, and a challenge to hotel quarantine on behalf of a prominent Syrian journalist.
Defended the alleged administrator of an international anarchist website accused of terrorism and drugs offences in a prosecution involving complex technical evidence, resulting in the discontinuance of all terrorism charges and the successful opposition to an application for a Serious Crime Prevention Order.
Undercover Policing Inquiry – assisted in the representation of numerous non-state, non-police core participants, including a former cabinet minister and anti-Apartheid campaigners infiltrated by the Special Demonstration Squad in the 1970s.
Advised a whistleblower on issues connected with revelations made about Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and the Brexit Referendum.
Protest cases – defended women arrested/prosecuted for attending vigils during lockdown in 2021, Black Lives Matter activists prosecuted for public order offences in 2020, and dozens of Extinction Rebellion activists in numerous multi-defendant trials in 2019 in which the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer gave evidence for the defence.
Advised multiple witnesses in connection with compelled interviews by the SFO as part of a complex fraud investigation into a multinational corporation.
Advised an organisation on its response to an investigation by the London Fire Brigade, resulting in no further action taken following written representations accompanied by fire safety expert evidence.
Acted for the family member of a politician accused of terrorist offences in civil cash forfeiture proceedings leading to a negotiated out of court settlement.
Acted for refugees who had pleaded guilty to false document offences following inadequate advice from previous legal advisers, leading to the quashing of convictions at the Court of Appeal.
Assisted on the Law Society’s successful judicial review of the Lord Chancellor’s cuts to criminal legal aid in 2018.
Advised a political party in connection with its application for registration with the Electoral Commission.