News

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A New Era for the Crime Team

The Colleton Chambers’ Crime team has been successfully clerked by Nikkie Browning for the last 10 years. Having reached that amazing milestone Nikkie has decided it’s time to retire and so with huge thanks for her excellent work and dedication and some sadness we wish her well in retirement from July this year.

On a happy note, for many years we have had Josh trained and ready to step up to the role that he has very successfully been covering when Nikkie has been away from work and generally assisting on a day-to-day basis. Many people will know that Josh started at Colleton as a junior clerk at the tender age of 16 in 2013 and has become an invaluable member of the clerking team, covering both Family and Crime and having been the dedicated Employment Clerk in his own right. We look forward to Josh taking up this well-deserved promotion and becoming our Senior Criminal Clerk from July.

In addition to the changes to clerking, Emily Pitts stands down as Head of the Crime team after 7 years of dedicated service, having steered the team through some troubling times at the Bar including the pandemic and Criminal Bar Association action in respect of Legal Aid remuneration. We are hugely grateful for her hard work and commitment to the team which will continue through her ongoing work.

Taking over as Head of the Crime Team is Herc Ashworth. Since joining Colleton Chambers in 2015 Herc has established a busy Crown Court practice and he now undertakes cases of the utmost seriousness and complexity. He is an enthusiastic and diligent member of the team, respected by colleagues and the judiciary and popular with clients. Herc is proud to take over the role as Head of Crime and hopes to bring the same dedication and energy to the role as Emily in implementing impending changes in the clerks’ room and trying to build on the current strength of the team, as well as facing the challenges posed by reduction in court sitting days and the backlog of criminal work. Herc is excited about the task ahead.

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