Chandra Sekar is a leading junior barrister (called in 1996) whose main specialisms are criminal defence, employment and human rights. Chandra can be instructed through a solicitor (and can recommend solicitors) or be instructed directly by members of the public through the Direct Access Scheme for which he has been accredited since 2009. Chandra has always acted for individuals against the State or corporate bodies, and has considered his law practice as an extension of his background in human rights.
Chandra's experience in criminal cases includes successfully acting in fraud, serious violence (including murder), sex and drugs cases. Chandra is a specialist in successfully defending cases involving all aspects of scientific and technical evidence and also has regularly appeared in the Court of Appeal. His most recent case there is R v Kinse Aidid [2021] EWCA Crim 581, [2021] 1 WLR 4939 CA, a murder case referred to him by WISH, a women's charity working in prison with vulnerable women. After being refused on the papers by the Single Judge, Chandra got leave pro bono before the full Court on a single ground - whether the trial judge had directed correctly on intoxication and intent. He was then lead in the full Appeal by Keir Monteith QC on an argument essentially the same as that advanced at the leave hearing as to the correct directions to be given in cases involving specific intent (such as GBH, murder, etc) where the accused was intoxicated. The Court agreed with the Appellant's submission on the applicable law and directions, and is now reported and the leading authority on the issue.
Chandra also practices in Employment (mainly discrimination cases), Public Law and Civil Law matters. For Direct Access cases his normal practice, if approached directly by a member of the public, is to provide preliminary advice on an informal basis, including as to any formal agreement that may be necessary should he be instructed.
Prior Experience
Chandra's experience prior to the law was of working in the arts and campaigning, notably being a founder-member and co-ordinator (in 1986 with Jerry Dammers and Dali Tambo) for Artists Against Apartheid (who put on the 1986 Clapham Common Concert and the 1988 Mandela Concert at Wembley Stadium). Following this he worked with his brother (Satish Sekar) on miscarriages of justice (including the Cardiff Three) and regularly did pro bono cases for the Free Representation Unit in Employment, Social Security and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (as was) for a number of years while training and in practice.Regulated by the Bar Standards Board
If you wish to check my status as a practicing Barrister (or anyone else's) you may do so at:
https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/for-the-public/search-a-barristers-record/the-barristers-register.html
