About Caroline Liggins
Caroline Liggins is a Partner in the Criminal Defence team and Head of the Youth Team. She qualified in 2009 as a non-practising Barrister and cross qualified as a solicitor in 2012. She has vast experience in representing youths from initial Police Station interview through to Youth and Crown Courts and the Court of Appeal.
Caroline understands the importance of building a relationship of trust and the need for continuity when representing vulnerable and young clients. She has a particular interest in clients with mental health conditions; she works with a wide range of other professionals in order to ensure that her clients are empowered to effectively participate in their defence and navigate their way through the criminal justice system as simply as possible.
Caroline is an experienced trial advocate in the Youth Court and has defended young clients charged with GBH, rape and armed robbery. She has built a substantial client following and has been described by her peers as pragmatic, hardworking and attentive; demonstrating maturity beyond her years.
Caroline is seen as a leader in her field. She conducts and is regularly instructed in Crown Court cases involving allegations of serious crime. She has acted in cases concerning sexual offences, murder, assault, fraud, the possession or use of firearms and the possession of drugs. She liaises closely with expert witnesses and counsel, allowing her to carefully prepare a case and defend it aggressively, resolving matters swiftly and effectively. In the course of her career Caroline’s expertise has seen her regularly called upon to represent high profile individuals including bankers, sports and media personalities.
Caroline was asked to speak to the House of Commons, as a part of the Justice Select committee opposing the introduction of Knife Crime Prevention Orders and she currently sits on the committee for Youth Justice Specialist Panel and enhanced fees and Quality of Advocacy working group with the Ministry of Justice. She is often asked to talk at conferences on aspects of Youth Justice. She also provided the impetus for the formation of the Youth Practitioner’s Association (YPA) which aspires to promote and ensure proper representation for young people within the criminal justice system.
Caroline is a regular contributor on television and radio where she shares her insights on a variety of matters relating to youth justice and the criminal justice system. Due to her expertise in the area she has also been asked to review scripts for legal on screen dramas for various television channels.
"She has never-ending energy for her clients and dedication to them. But behind that, she is supremely intelligent and is one of those trailblazers. She's changed the game a bit because the requirements to have a level of accreditation weren't there before she started. She's got this steely intelligence which is changing the criminal justice system." - Chambers UK, 2024
"Caroline has extraordinary enthusiasm, energy and dedication to her clients as well as being supremely intelligent." - Chambers UK, 2024
Publications
Caroline is a co-author of Dalton & Liggins: Blackstone’s Magistrates’ Court Handbook 2024, due to be published in 2024.
Notable Cases
- New instruction – R v J – Murder at Old Bailey
- New instruction – R v Farquhar – Murder at Northampton CC
- New instruction – R v GM – international conspiracy to supply drugs and firearms
- New instruction – R v S – Central Criminal Court – looking at the appeal for conviction and sentence
- New instruction – R v M – Central Criminal Court – murder
- R v Hoare – Central Criminal Court – mother charged with the manslaughter of her young son by a car seat crushing him. The defendant was found not guilty of manslaughter after a 7 week trial
- R v K – Central Criminal Court – 17 year old found not guilty of murder after being able to pull apart cell site and able to show client was not where the police said he was
- CPS v S – Highbury Youth Court – GBH with intent – Serious youth matter –able to exclude all evidence apart from ID by police officer, client had a distinctive lip
- R v I – Wood Green CC – Trafficking case – client allegedly bought young women over to work as prostitutes under the modern slavery act. Client was 18 and – legal argument – very vulnerable. Client found not guilty
- R v P – Croydon CC – Affray – difficult case due to victim and alleged racism involved – client was acquitted at half time at trial
- R v O – Blackfriars Crown Court – represented a city accountant charged with sexual touching
- R v R – boiler room fraud
- R v S – Inner London Crown Court – represented defendant charged with blackmail. The Defendant pleaded guilty and received a sentence of a 16 months suspended for two years and ordered to take a six-month drug rehab course. The Defendant was looking at a minimum of 5 years
- R v H – Blackfriars Crown Court – acted for defendant involved with oyster card fraud
- R v C – Southwark Crown Court – represented a defendant charged with child neglect, terrorism and fire arm offence. After pressure put on the Crown terrorism and fire arm offence discontinued. Defendant pleaded to low level child neglect and received a very lenient sentence
- R v M – Inner London Crown Court – acted for a defendant who was charged with aggravated burglary with a guns, client acquitted after trial
- R v M – Croydon Crown Court – represented a defendant charged with benefit fraud in excess of £200,000, client acquitted after trial
- R v R – Woolwich Crown Court – represented 2 defendants charged with DWP (benefit) fraud in excess of £150,000, both defendants were acquitted after trial
- R v J – Woolwich Crown Court – represented defendant for attempted murder. Defendant had mental health issues. The Crown agreed on a basis and the defendant was sentenced to an order under the Mental Health Act
- R v K – Woolwich Crown Court – acted for a young defendant under the age of 16 allegedly involved with a gang rape, client acquitted after trial
Client Comments
- “If ever you need a lawyer who is experienced in youth criminal law, Caroline Liggins of HJA is absolutely the person to turn to, especially if the young person is neurodiverse. Caroline has a calming, reassuring professional presence, as well as extensive knowledge and understanding of autism, enabling her to communicate with a young person in a way they understand. She has the patience of a saint with anxious parents, caregivers, clients and a clear, no nonsense approach in fully explaining realistic outcomes. All this, and a sense of humour! I cannot recommend her more.”
- “Thanks to Caroline Liggins my son secured bail when we were in a tricky situation, we are so grateful to her and forever will be. I highly recommend her services to anyone in this situation as she is truly an astonishing person who presents a great case. Once again, this is all thanks to Caroline Liggins!”
- “My case was very sensitive and emotional. Caroline was very caring and understanding. She was very patient, strong and firm. Not most solicitors have this in them. It was like she was part of a family. I was very comfortable with her and just want to give her a big thank you for her support.”
- “I would like to thank you for the professional and compassionate way that HJA has looked after me. I really can’t find fault in the service I received, extremely happy and the result was fantastic! My case was a very close thing and I really wasn’t sure how it wasn’t going to go. But with the help, support and expertise of Caroline Liggins I won my case. My family and me will be forever grateful.”
Membership & Appointments
- Young Legal Aid Lawyers
- LCCSA
- Young Fraud Lawyers
- The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
- Standing Committee for Youth Justice
- The Traveller Movement
- Hybrid Orders Working Party Group
"Caroline was very caring and understanding. She was very patient, strong and firm. Not most solicitors have this in them. It was like she was part of a family."
Career & Personal Interests
Career
- Hodge Jones & Allen – solicitor, 2015 to date
- Brady Eastwood Pierce & Stewart – solicitor, 2014 – 2015
- Mackesys Solicitors – cross qualification to become a solicitor and assistant solicitor, 2009 – 2014
Caroline frequently provides comments on issues relating to youth crime. She has also given interviews to both radio and newspaper journalists and appeared on the Victoria Derbyshire Show on BBC.
Education
- Duty Solicitor Accreditation, 2013
- Qualified Legal Transfer Test, College of Law, 2012
- Police Accreditation Course, 2009
- Bar Vocational Course, London College of Law, 2008 – 2009
- LLB (Hons) Law, 2004 – 2007
Personal Interests
Caroline enjoys going to the theatre and the gym, cooking and gin tasting.
