About
Bruce Reid is one of the most experienced Magistrates Court advocates in London. A resident of Brixton long before it was fashionable, he has practised in South London for years and now conducts the firm’s cases at Croydon Magistrates Court. He has an enviable reputation for swift, pertinent and sometimes blunt advice, but it is always delivered with sympathy for the clients that he represents, with many of them returning to him.
Defending in the police station, he is pro-active, viewing a police interview as the first stage in a trial; a chance to shape the police evidence, if not refute it entirely. At Court, he believes that the secret of successful Defence advocacy is an accurate strike at the weaknesses of the Prosecution; he then presents the Defence case lucidly and with empathy, achieving results that are often far more than his client’s could hope for.
Bruce understands that many people have addiction and mental health problems that bring them to Court, but that others may need his help simply because of bad luck or a foolish mistake. He doesn’t judge any of them.
Experience & Areas of Expertise
Bruce has Higher Rights of Audience, enabling him to appear in the Crown Court. He lectures on Magistrates Court advocacy on professionally approved courses and writes a regular acerbic column in the London Advocate, the publication of the London Criminal Courts Association.
To relax, Bruce treks twice a year in the Himalaya and wishes he had practised his Spanish. He has a flamboyant taste in ties.