About
Rakesh Bhasin is a Partner, and a senior solicitor within the Criminal Department. He qualified as a solicitor in 1996 and joined Steel & Shamash in 2004. Rakesh has Higher Rights of Audience (Criminal) enabling him to represent clients both as a Solicitor and Advocate at all levels of Criminal Courts.
Experience & Areas of Expertise
He has considerable experience dealing with clients facing allegations involving complex Frauds or serious violence such as Murder and manslaughter, especially where there are issues concerning mental health. Rakesh also deals with many other serious and complex allegations, often involving large scale conspiracies to commit offences such as Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Drugs offences and Sexual offences.
Rakesh also advises and represent clients in respect of Extradition matters both into and out of England and Wales.
Rakesh is recommended in both Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500.
Highly sought-after criminal practitioner Rakesh Bhasin has “the confidence and common sense that give assurance to a client,” as well as “superb judgement in relation to case strategy.” (Chambers and Partners 2014)
Rakesh Bhasin of Steel and Shamash offers perfect judgement, assiduous preparation and a high level of client commitment (Chambers and Partners 2013)
Steel and Shamash does heavyweight crime very well with Rakesh Bhasin and Robert Dynowski both recommended (The Legal 500 2014)
hardworking and progressive it counts various former MPs amongst its clients. Rakesh Bhasin, Robert Dynowski and Carl Newman are highly regarded. (The Legal 500 2013)
Memberships
- Member of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association (LCCSA)
- Member of the Solicitors Association of Higher Court Advocates (SAHCA)
- Director of International Doctors for Healthier Drug Policies (IDHDP) www.idhdp.com
Notable cases include
- R v A (2012/2013) – Representing a Defendant charged in connection with an advanced fee fraud, involving complainants in Australia and America.
- R v R (2012/13) – Rakesh has successfully represented as Led Junior advocate the first of five Defendants charged with conspiracies to kidnap, false imprisonment, and blackmail. The allegations involved a person allegedly kidnapped and tortured over a period of two days, during which time two ransom demands were paid. The Defendant was acquitted of all charges. http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/waterboard-ordeal-of-30000-kidnap-victim-8461513.html
- R v G (2012) – Rakesh represented one of ten Defendants charged with a conspiracy to steal gold bullion worth £1 million pounds. G was one of three who were arrested in Belgium, where the theft took place, and had to be extradited to the UK to face trial. The case was investigated by the Special Projects Unit for Serious and Organised Crime, in conjunction with the Belgian Authorities. It was prosecuted by the Special Casework Unit. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2244548/Sam-Billie-Faiers-plead-judge-stepfather-sentenced-4-years-prison-1-1m-bullion-heist.html
- R v AS (2012) – Rakesh represented one of two boys charged with Murder following a random stabbing outside Bermondsey Tube Station. The case involved the marshalling of a number of different experts including CCTV, cell site analysis, pathology, blood splatter analysis and a cardiovascular surgeon. The expert evidence that was obtained by the Defence, and submitted to the Prosecution led to the Crown subsequently offering no evidence. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14351285
- R v F (2012) – Rakesh successfully represented this Defendant who was acquitted on a number of historic allegations of Rape and Sexual assault. The allegations dated back to the 1960s.
- R v G (2012) – The Defendant was charged with an offence of Rape in circumstances where he and the Complainant found themselves together in a field in the early hours of the morning, both having consumed a considerable amount of alcohol. This was a notorious case involving local media attention and Rakesh was approached by the Defendant to take over his representation. The Defendant was subsequently acquitted of the Rape charge at trial http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/9849666.Cresselly_man_cleared_of_rape_but_jailed_for_assault/
- R v M (2011-2013) – Rakesh represented this former MP charged with offences arising from the MP’s expenses scandal. She was notorious for having claimed expenses for repairing dry rot to her home in Southampton, whilst an MP for Luton South. The case attracted considerable media coverage, not least because we were able to show to a Court that the Defendant was unfit to plead through mental illness. Having been found to have done the act she was subsequently given a Supervision Order.
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-15494404
- http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4663724/Caught-at-pub-Cheating-MP-Margaret-Moran-too-ill-to-face-court.html
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2247967/Margaret-Moran-spared-jail-fiddling-53-000-expenses-faces-supervision-order-instead.html
- R v C, R v M, R v D (2010/2011) – Rakesh also represented the first three MPs charged with false accounting arising out the MP’s expenses scandal. The case as well as attracting considerable media coverage also involved an appeal to the Supreme Court over the issue of whether the actions were covered by Parliamentary Privilege.
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12403945
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/may/20/mps-expenses-elliot-morley-sentenced
- R -v- H (2011) – Rakesh successfully represented this Defendant who was extradited to England to face an allegation of Perverting the course of Justice. The case related to a DVD entitled ‘7/7 the Ripple effect’ sent to both the Judge and Jury at Kingston Crown Court during the course of a trial of three Defendants alledged to have been involved in the 7/7 bombing in London. The Defendant was acquitted following trial.
- R -v- J (2010/11) – Represented a Defendant nicknamed ‘The Tome Raider’ in connection with the Theft of rare/antique books from the RHS Library, and thereafter in confiscation proceedings. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-10696907
- R -v- M (2010) – Rakesh represented a 14 year old charged with 2 counts of Murder and 3 counts of Attempted Murder. The allegation was of a jilted schoolboy who set fire to his girlfriends house killing her and her sister. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1293357/Schoolboy-15-jailed-murdering-ex-girlfriend-older-sister-house-fire
- R -v- B (2010) – Defendant charged with Possession of a large number of False ID documents, and Conspiracy to Cheat. The allegation was that he was part of an organised criminal network who used fake ID documents to gain entry to casino’s in order to cheat. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11848949
- R -v- O (2010) – Rakesh successfully represented a Defendant charged alongside 2 others with Conspiracy to Supply Class A drugs. The case involved a lengthy police surveillance operation into a suspected drug factory in Brixton, South London. The Defandant was acquitted after trial.
- R -v- T (2010) – Represented a Defendant alleged to have engaged in sexual activity with a mentally disordered person (impeding choice). Rarely prosecuted and very specific offence in the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The case raised issues concerning nature of consent, the human rights of the alleged victim, and abuse of process.
- R -v- A (2010) – Allegations of Kidnapping and False Imprisonment. The Prosecution alleged this was a drug deal gone wrong leading to the victim being kidnapped held against his will and tortured over a two day period. They eventually accepted a plea to ABH.
- R -v- O (2010) – Rakesh represented a Defendant alleged to have funded Terrorism overseas. The allegation involved sending money on four occasions to individuals in Azerbaijan, who were said to be involved in terrorist activities connected to the Chechen Rebels. The case involved questions over the admissibility and reliability of Court proceedings and Judgements from another jurisdiction – Azerbaijan, and insight into the plight of Chechens in the Caucasus. The Defendant was acquitted following trial.
- R -v- O (2009) – Rakesh represented (as both solicitor and junior counsel) a Defendant charged in a large scale conspiracy to Supply Drugs operating out of a tyre shop in Brixton. Investigation by SOCA (Middle Market Team) involved lengthy surveillance operation including internal probe evidence. http://cms.met.police.uk/news/convictions/tyre_shop_drug_dealers_jailed
- R -v- W (2009) – An allegation of sexual assault where neither party could remember how they ended up in bed together. The Defendant was acquitted after trial
- R -v- N (2008/9) – Rakesh represented (as solicitor and junior counsel) a Defendant charged with Conspiracy to Supply Drugs of Class A, B and C. The case involved a lengthy surveillance operation leading to the arrest of four Defendants. The allegation was that they were the hub of a large drug trafficking enterprise in South London. Thereafter represented him through confiscation proceedings. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23527621-drugs-gang-boss-jailed-for-18-years.do