Waheed Omran-Baber

After being called to the Bar in 1999, I subsequently left the profession before obtaining my full practise certificate in order to pursue my second passion, Teaching. Being one of only a handful of candidates selected on the Governments newly devised Graduate Teacher Training Programme, I successfully obtained a distinction in a PGCE qualification in Modern World History and taught for 2 years. The experience is invaluable when dealing with youths and juveniles in practise.

I began practise in London in September 2004. Immediately I was thrust into both the criminal and immigration courts. I excelled in both fields with appearances at the Immigrations Appeal Tribunal, the Court of Appeal and Crown Courts. Longing to return back to the North I joined Chambers on the North Eastern Circuit as a Criminal Practitioner in December 2004. I was instructed in both Prosecution and Defence matter at all levels of seniority. However, I increasingly found myself being instructed by defence on serious crime matters. To name a few, rape, affray, grievous bodily harm, wounding, indictments detailing multiple counts of supplying drugs and conspiracy to supply drugs with multiple defendants and counts on the indictment. At the same time I began to lecture at Leeds Metropolitan University in Crime and became a member of the law advisory board to the University. The purpose of my membership was to monitor and advise the University as to the level of vocational experiences being offered to law students.

Wanting to develop both as a Barrister and person, I left these shores for the city of Lahore in Pakistan and joined the Bar Council of the Punjab. I remained in Lahore for 6 months and joined Chambers, undertaking solely criminal defence work. Practising in a jurisdiction reliant primarily on witness testimony rather than modern forensic evidence, DNA analysis being unheard of in Pakistan, I developed and perfected my witness handling skills. Knowing the right question to ask and homing in on the crucial answers is a skill that is proving very helpful. This has also provided me with a greater insight into the social, cultural and ethnic background of people from the Asian sub-continent, especially useful when representing such individuals.

I returned back from Lahore and straight back into practise dealing with serious crimes, but as In-house Counsel for a firm of Solicitors. The nature of my work included, importation of drugs, conspiracy to import, again multiple counts and indictment, high value proceeds of crimes matters, including Certificates of Inadequacy before the High Court. My time as in-house counsel brought me into contact with a Judge-Advocate and fuelled my interest in Courts Martial work. I intend to develop this interest into positive instruction by marshalling at the local Barracks.

Now a member of chambers, I hope to continue the growth of my practise into serious crime and courts martial work.

I am fluent in Urdu and Punjabi, which has proved an asset when representing people from the ethnic community.