Ruby Hamid is a versatile advocate, known for her thorough preparation, thoughtful approach to client care, and for fighting her corner.
She has progressed quickly at the Bar and now acts in increasingly complex and challenging cases, the majority for the defence, both as a sole junior, and being led. She has worked on a wide range of criminal and quasi-criminal cases and is well-respected by those who instruct her.
She has a particular specialism in financial crime: her work includes insider dealing, mortgage fraud, frauds on finance companies and banks, money laundering, restraint and confiscation proceedings as well as a growing body of experience in Cash Forfeiture under POCA. She has recently completed a 7-month secondment at the Financial Services Authority where she managed Restraint Orders, advised on searches and evidence handling and assisted the investigation team in two insider dealing operations.
In 2009 she was appointed to the Attorney General’s List of Counsel. She is also a Grade 3 Advocate for the Crown Prosecution Service.
Other work at a serious level includes drug importation, firearms, rape, multi-handed kidnap and robbery. She has experience at both first instance and in the Appellate Courts, including Judicial Review. Regulatory work in the fields of Health, Safety and the Environment, and Professional Standards features increasingly in her practice: instructions include the Accountancy & Actuarial Discipline Board and the Medical Defence Union.
She undertakes both privately funded and legally aided work, has been instructed in a number of VHCCs, and as such understands budget constraints and the need to adhere to case plans and allotted hours.
Publications
- Contributor to Rook and Ward on Sexual Offences (Sweet & Maxwell)
- Contributor to Forensic Gynaecology: Towards Better Care of the Female Victim of Sexual Assault, a publication for doctors treating victims of sexual violence.
- Trainer of Financial Investigators in restraint proceedings under POCA.
Illustrative Cases
Fraud
Operation Duke (FSA, 2009-date)
- Junior counsel in insider dealing investigation; specialist knowledge gained of corporate finance, M&A and share dealing
- Responsible for disclosure process
Meadows (2008)
- Junior to Mark Lucraft QC defending high-status mortgage broker accused of complex property fraud
- High-volume, dense and technically demanding material tackled
Chavda (CPS, 2007-8)
- Led by Mark Lucraft QC, successfully prosecuted investment fraud/money laundering worth millions
- Undertook the entire disclosure exercise tackling material from banks, investors and solicitors, complicated by LPP; successfully fought abuse argument
- For confiscation, undertook forensic analysis of bank accounts used for laundering and advised investigating officer on Letters of Request to obtain material from Thailand, India and Dubai
- Resulted in £2.7M order made (£2M hidden assets); largest obtained for CPS in 2008
Meadows (2008)
- Junior to Mark Lucraft QC defending high-status mortgage broker accused of complex property fraud
- High-volume, dense and technically demanding material tackled
Operation Gnawed (RCPO, 2007)
- Defence junior in 9-handed multi-million MTIC VAT fraud, acting for main fraudster’s wife
- Interesting argument arose on admissibility of the defendant’s contempt of court in failing to comply with terms of Restraint Order
Regulatory Work
AABD Fraud Investigation (2009-date)
- Instructed to prepare a fraud investigation for presentation to the Tribunal
- Complex fraud, complicated by concurrent SFO investigation
Hertsmere Borough Council v Patel (Health and Safety, 2008)
- Defended sandwich factory against environmental and hygiene regulatory offences
- Dense EC Regulations to navigate; legal argument resulted in half the counts deleted; sentence limited to conditional discharge and very low costs order
Serious Crime
Uddin & others (2009)
- Successfully defended in multi-handed kidnap & false imprisonment case
- Credit card cloning operation implicated victims and required careful handling before the jury
Pharoah (CPS, 2008)
- Prosecution junior in 26-count historic sexual abuse trial
- Entrusted with disclosure exercise involving 3 complainants’ medical and psychiatric notes; advised on obtaining material, statement-taking and service
Islam (2006)
- Defence junior in multi-handed heroin cartel case for main defendant; Defendant acquitted
- remit was to master the defendant’s accounting records in a short time and present tax fraud ‘prosecution’ to the jury to establish that his wealth was not drug money; proceeded to advise on Hansard negotiations with Revenue
Duncalf and Duncalf (2006)
- Sole prosecution advocate in s.18 attack; intra-family violence and background of witness intimidation; Special Measures and sensitive handling required
Confiscation & Restraint
FSA Investigations (2009)
- Instructed to advise on the obtaining of restraint orders in two insider dealing investigations; drafting of Court documents
- Day-to day management of 9 orders whilst on secondment; legal objections, variations and negotiation handled
Hussein (2007)
- Defence Junior in complex joint confiscation for credit card fraud and importation of 388kg heroin committed simultaneously; ultimately £1,200 order made; prosecution had sought £1.5M
- Given sole responsibility for digesting large-volume material from drugs trial and scheduling and shaping financial data for court presentation
- Called prosecution ‘super-grass’ as defence witness and cross-examined OIC on credit system in Turkish importations
Cash Seizure
EPS Bigvalue (2006-8)
- Acting for Nigerian-owned MSB and invoice settlement company, suspected of money laundering, advised and acted throughout 2-year cash detention and forfeiture
- Directed overseas evidence gathering; condensed all material into full advice on strength of case which informed decision not to contest forfeiture
- Instead pursued successful negotiation with police for return of 30% of monies seized
Doherty (2008-9)
- £500K cash seizure from wealthy businessman; suspected of tax fraud in Ireland and UK, leasing fraud and defrauding Insolvency Service
- advice provided on IP and BERR investigations, extra-jurisdictional enquiries and return of material in hands of Irish authorities.
