Edmund Walters

Introduction

Edmund has experience in both civil and criminal law. He is a specialist in property and regulatory law.

His civil practice covers the following areas:-

Regulatory law, including licensing of all types and environmental law, in cases both for and against local authoritie
Landlord and tenant, both commercial and residential
Property disputes, including cases concerning boundaries, party walls, easements, rights to light and restrictive covenants
Leasehold enfranchisement
Commercial and contractual disputes
Company and personal insolvency
Professional negligence

His criminal practice has a particular focus on the following areas:-

Fraud, including property, employee and benefit fraud
Regulatory offences including environmental, planning and licensing offences of all types

Edmund is both a defence advocate and a prosecutor for local authorities.

Edmund believes that many cases can be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties before a fully contested trial. Edmund is skilled at finding the shortest and least expensive route to such an outcome, if that is best for the client. Edmund has extensive experience of successfully mediating civil cases.

In fully contested cases, Edmund is an eloquent, versatile and tenacious advocate.

Edmund believes that his experience of criminal advocacy and the criminal courts has been invaluable to his civil practice, particularly in civil cases where there are parallel criminal issues and in civil cases requiring robust advocacy.

Edmund has extensive experience of public access work.

Animal Welfare Law

Edmund is a very experienced regulatory barrister with a practice which includes both civil and criminal regulatory and licensing law, and he has worked extensively both for and against local authorities (examples of his reported cases include Begum and Another v Luton Borough Council [2018] EWHC 1044 (Admin) [2018] 2 Cr.App.R.18 Regina v Tapecrown Limited, R (Tapecrown Ltd.) v Crown Court at Oxford [2018] EWCA Crim 1345, [2018] EWHC 1450 (Admin), [2019] 1 WLR. 3394, Kumar v Sharma [2022] EWHC 612 (Ch) and [2022] EWHC 1008 (Ch)).

Edmund has a particular interest in the environment and animal welfare. He is able to provide clear advice and robust representation in the areas of environmental and animal welfare law in cases in both the civil and criminal courts, either through a solicitor or on a direct access basis.

He is a member of A-Law.

Selected cases

Rabino v AE Abbiss Ltd. [2014] – defined boundary application under the Land Registration Act 2002 concerning agricultural land
R v Lloyd [2014] -Woolwich Crown Court (5 day trial) – successful fraud prosecution for local authority
R v Budziszewski [2014] – Oxford Crown Court (5 day trial) – successful defence in case of defendant accused of racially aggravated public order offences
[2014] – representing a property developer in relation to a prosecution for the unauthorised demolition of a building in a conservation area- persuading the relevant council to drop the prosecution after the first appearance for legal and factual reasons
Frou Holdings Ltd. v Cadogan Estates [2013] – application and appeal in leasehold enfranchisement case
Taylor v Bradshaw [2013] – representing a defendant in possession action with counterclaim in proprietary estoppel
R v Eze & Offormezie [2013] – Croydon Crown Court (6 day trial) – successful prosecution of right to buy fraud
[2013] – First-Tier Tribunal – appeal against revocation of licence for house in multiple occupation
R v Pariola [2013] – Woolwich Crown Court – successful prosecution of employee accused of fraud
R v Read & Butler [2013] -Oxford Crown Court (7 day trial) –defending in a case of fraud and the forgery of a TR1 in relation to the sale of a property
[2013] – Croydon Employment Tribunal – successful representation of applicant in a disability discrimination case
[2013] – successfully negotiating with police and licensing authority at a police station on behalf of nightclub owners to ensure that their licence was not reviewed
[2013] – advising defendant contractor in prosecution brought by the Environment Agency for carrying out unauthorised works on a riverbank, which was withdrawn following negotiations
Najmzadeh v Najmzadeh [2010-2013] – long running case for the Claimant in the County Court in relation to the enforcement of a possession order and charging order involving multiple applications and appeals to the High Court and Court of Appeal made by the Defendant- all the hearings in the case were concluded successfully in favour of the Claimant
R v Henderson-Charles [2012] – Woolwich Crown Court (4 day trial) – successful fraud prosecution for local authority
R v Clissold [2012] – Woolwich Crown Court (2 day trial) – successful fraud prosecution for local authority
R v Trevor Mitchell [2012] – Woolwich Crown Court – successful fraud prosecution for local authority
Power v WODC [2012] – Oxford Crown Court -successful appeal against sentence imposed for non-compliance with planning enforcement notices in respect of property
[2012] – successfully persuading CPS to withdraw case against a client, a chief town clerk, in relation to an alleged offence of failing to disclose minutes of privileged council meetings to the public
[2012] – advising a local authority in relation to a major redevelopment and its effects on the rights of shop owners and market traders
Docdata Fulfilment Ltd. v Nowell [2011 and 2010] – Queen’s Bench Division – successfully representing Claimant in a freezing injunction application and civil fraud case
Blackheath Society v LB Lewisham & Nimby Events Ltd (8 day hearing during 2011) – appeal against the grant of an annual festival licence on Blackheath Common successfully defended on behalf of the local authority
R v Mohammed (Bilal, Dogar, Khan, Mohammed and Unan) [2009] Oxford Crown Court – 29 day trial – defending first defendant who was acquitted of the main offences of kidnapping.
[2009] – advising local authority in relation to the Lakanal House fire disaster in Camberwell
[2008] – Colchester Military Court Centre – 3 day court-martial successfully defending a Senior Aircraftman accused of a serious assault
[2008] – successfully petitioning the General Court-Martial to review sentence imposed in a different case against the same defendant at a court-martial at the Colchester Military Court Centre, following a guilty plea for wounding
Wilson v Ashley Law [2007] – successful contractual claim for commission on behalf of Claimant
R v Taylor and others [2007] – Reading Crown Court (9 day trial, 2 day trial and 7 day trial) – drugs conspiracy case-three trials – case severed twice – defence of only defendant who was acquitted
IMG v London Borough of Camden [2006] (4 day hearing) – appeal against variations of the licence for the Kenwood Concerts successfully defended on behalf of the local authority
Brown v First Security (Guard) Ltd. [2003] EAT/0364/03 LA – acting on behalf of the Respondent and successfully resisting an appeal to the Employment Appeals Tribunal, on the basis that letters did not constitute an originating application
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v Leyton Housing Trustees Ltd. [2000] 2 BCLC 808 – Chancery Division – defending application by the Secretary of State to wind up six companies on the ground of public interest
Wheatley v Scottish & Newcastle PLC [2000] – application on behalf of victim of the Soho nail bombing
Re: Rayatt (A Bankrupt) [1998] B.P.I.R. 495 – case involving the retention public school fees by a bankrupt
Hibberd v DPP [1997] CLY 1251 – Divisional Court case on meaning of “lawful activity” in the offence of aggravated trespass

Introduction

Animal Welfare Law

Selected cases

Areas of Expertise

Professional memberships

Education

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