![Sarah Waters](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/2374?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Ms Sarah Waters
Lecturer
- WatersS6@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 29208 75718
- Law Building, Room 3.27, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
Overview
I am a lecturer in the Cardiff Professional Legal Studies department, teaching predominantly on the Bar Training Course. I joined the team in January 2019.
For the 20 years prior to that I practised as a barrister at 30 Park Place Chambers, Cardiff, having successfully completed my pupillage there in September 1999.
I was called to the Bar by the Honourable Society of Middle Temple in 1999, after completing the Bar Vocational Course at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Between 1999 to 2019 I mainly practised as specialist criminal barrister, but I did undertake significant amounts of work in other areas.
Practice Areas
- Crime
- o Prosecuted and defended in all aspects of criminal work from, motoring offences, drugs conspiracies, complex fraud through to serious sexual offences and homicide.
- o Grade 4 Prosecutor and Member of the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Panel of Prosecution Advocates.
- Personal Injury and Actions Against the Police
- For the first 7 years I also practiced in the areas of family and immigration. During that time I gained experience of conducting cases involving insolvency, contract and employment law.
I was ranked as a leading junior' barrister in the UK legal directories, Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.
For further details of some of the high-profile cases I conducted in by career as a barrister please go to my biography.
Teaching
I teach a range of knowledge and skills subjects on the Bar Training Course, with a particular emphasis on advocacy, professional ethics and crime. I share joint module responsibility with Suzanne Thomas for the Trial Advocacy and Criminal Advocacy modules.
I am sole module leader for the module Professional Ethics, which deals extensively with the Bar Standards Board Handbook and Code of Conduct which governs and helps regulate barristers' conduct generally.
In addition, I supervise students on both the BTC and LPC who are undertaking the LLM.
Myself and my colleague Kath Clague organise the extra-curricular mooting competitions (internal and external) for 2nd and 3rd year undergraduate students and students doing the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL).
Biography
Experience
2019 - present: Lecturer, Cardiff University
2000 - 2019 : Self-employed barrister at 30 Park Place Chambers, Cardiff.
1999 - 2000 : Pupillage at 30 Park Place Chambers.
1997 - 1998 : Paralegal at Myers Lister Price Solicitors, Northenden, Manchester.
Notable Cases;
Sexual Offences
R v Perry [2018] - successfully prosecuted a headteacher of a girls secondary school on 2 counts of indecent assault of a 16 year old girl.
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/headteacher-found-guilty-sexually-abusing-1688425
R v Sewell [2014] – succesfully prosecuted a prominent member of a Jehovah Witness congregation upon historic sexual allegations ranging from rape to indecent assault involving both child and adult female complainants, including a relative.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/jehovahs-witness-elder-mark-sewell-7357318
R v Baker [2010] - represented a defendant charged with 33 offences, including rape of multiple victims (aged from 13-21), child abduction, child prostitution and pornography, administering a substance with intent, and keeping a brothel.
https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/4854131.ebbw-vale-man-60-admits-child-sex-offences/
Murder
R v Rabjohns and others [2014] - defending in a trial concerning 3 counts of conspiracy to murder (shooting at persons in a moving vehicle) jointly with 3 other Defendants.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/newport-drive-by-shooting-four-men-7346605
R v Gareth Jenkins [2012] - defending a client charged with the murder of a male following a fight in a public house in Abergavenny. Ultimately he was convicted of manslaughter after a contested trial.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/fighter-jailed-after-victim-died-2055943
Large scalen conspiracies (fraud/drugs)
R v Yandell and Others, ' Operation Dino' [2018] - defending in a conspiracy to defraud insurance companies by falsely claiming they had a road traffic accident occasioning them financial loss and/or personal injury.
R v Mouncher and others [2009 to 11] – defending one of 14 police officers charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, following alleged manipulation of witnesses and evidence to implicate innocent men in the murder of Lynette White in 1988. Often described as the largest police corruption trial in British legal history, with over 10,000 pages of evidence, including complex pathology reports, handwriting and electrostatic detection apparatus (ESDA) expert evidence.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Lynette_White
Operation Corolla (Newport 2003): Defending in a multi-handed trial involving a Class A and B drugs conspiracy and money laundering in the Newport area.
Operation Gearstick (2001): Defending in a Class A and Class B drugs conspiracy case involving trafficking from London to Newport.
Civil Cases
Caerphilly CBC v Hughes, Verity & Rowlands: LTL 17/3/2006. QBD (Silber J). Reported High Court case. Acted for the Repsondents in a case concering contempt of court in the context of making false statements in a fraudulent personal injury 'tripping' claim. Sentencing implications. Described as a 'first of its kind' case by the national press.
Council takes false claimant to court for contempt | The Independent | The Independent
Honours and awards
1999 - Lady Templeman Scholarship (Middle Temple)
1998 - Jules Thorn Scholaship (Middle Temple)
Professional memberships
Member of the Bar of England and Wales
Member of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple ("Middle Temple)
Member of the Middle Temple Wales Circuit Society