Mon - Fri 09:00 - 18.00
Central Court 25 Southampton Buildings London WC2A 1AL
clerks@churchcourtchambers.co.uk
Tel: +44 020 7936 3637
DX 458 London Chancery Lane
Chambers provides an out of hours service. If you call Chambers main number you will be diverted to the clerk on call who will be able to deal with your enquiry.
Senior Clerk
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Practice Director
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Fees Administrator
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Practice Administrator
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Year of Call - 1999
“A force of nature. George has a very quick mind and an electric personality, and is great fun to work with”
Giles Bark-Jones, Principal, Bark & Co, a 'Top Tier' Legal 500 Firm
George Hepburne Scott is a highly experienced expert extradition defence specialist. He has experience in all types of cases brought under the Extradition Act 2003 including Part 1 cases, Part 2 cases and ‘ad hoc’ cases.
He is highly experienced in all aspects of oral and written advocacy relating to extradition including: securing bail in extradition proceedings, attending case-management and directions hearings, and leading full extradition hearings and extradition appellate proceedings in the High Court including by way of Judicial Review. He is also experienced in applying to Interpol to have Red Notices removed.
He has dealt with myriad cases relating to extradition requests including from the following countries:
Part 1: Poland, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Denmark, Lithuania, Ireland, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, Finland, Luxembourg,
Part 2, Type A: Albania, Moldova, USA and Switzerland
Part 2, Type B: Ecuador, Thailand, India, Antigua and Bermuda
Part 2, Ad hoc: Japan
He is highly experienced in running all available objections to extradition including the following:
Lack of prima facie case (part 2 only),
Lack of particularisation in warrant,
Failure to establish identity,
Failure to establish an extradition offence,
Double jeopardy,
Forum,
Specialty,
No decision to charge or try,
Oppression due to passage of time,
Less coercive measures available,
Proportionality generally,
Oppression due to medical condition,
Extra-territoriality,
Right to life (Article 2),
Risk of inhuman treatment due to prison conditions (Article 3),
Risk of harm from non-state actors (Article 3),
Right to liberty and security (Article 5), and
Right to a fair trial (Article 6),
Right to respect for private and family life (Article 8).
He appears in extradition cases at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and the High Court almost every day. He has been involved in extradition since 2006. He has been involved in many of the most high-profile extradition cases in recent years, including the following:
Japan v J.C. & Ors – first ever Japanese extradition request to the U.K.
Queen (on the application of J.C. & Ors) v Home Secretary & National Police Agency of Japan – related judicial review
India v N.R. – India requesting extradition of a billionaire said to be mastermind of $1 billion global banking fraud. This case generated global media attention.
Italy v M.H. – regarding alleged kidnapping and ransom of English model in Milan by Polish brothers as part of an international crime group. This case generated global media attention.
Belgium v S.H. – Extradition request of Albanian accused of triple murder. Case re-opened on the identity issue after the initial hearing and the requested person discharged and released.
He is connected to a wide network of international lawyers and expert witnesses covering all areas of human rights and relevant law and procedure in foreign jurisdictions.
He has published widely in leading legal journals on the subject of Extradition law including, New Law Journal, Lexis Nexis and Law Society Gazette, and he frequently appears in the media as a commentator on Extradition: eg BBC News, ITV News, & Reuters.
He has been quoted in questions to ministers in the U.K. Parliament as a commentator on extradition matters.
Member of the Criminal Bar Association
Member of the Extradition Lawyers Association
Appeal Against Crown Court Sentence bailii
Appeal Against Crown Court Conviction bailii
Appeal Against Crown Court Conviction bailii
Appeal Against Crown Court Conviction bailii
Successful appeal against a Crown Court sentence where the sentence of 16 months’ immediate custody was quashed and replaced with a Suspended Sentence securing the defendants’ immediate release.
Appeal against Crown Court Sentence where the structure of the Extended Sentence was reduced on appeal.
Appeal against a Crown Court sentence.
Successful appeal against Crown Court Sentence.
Appeal against Crown Court Conviction and Sentence. George was described by Leveson LJ as ‘a powerful advocate’. Bailii
Successful appeal against Crown Court Sentence.
Successful appeal against Crown Court Sentence.
Successful appeal against Crown Court Conviction and Sentence.
Times April 22, 2011 – Successful appeal against Crown Court Conviction. This case involved serious sexual offences and the defendant’s convictions and sentence were all quashed and the defendant was unanimously acquitted by the jury at his retrial.
Successful appeal against Crown Court Sentence. This case involved over 70 TIC’s for Burglary.
Successful appeal against Crown Court Sentence.
Successful prosecution appeal against Crown Court Sentence.
Appeal against Crown Court Sentence.
Successful appeal against Crown Court Sentence.
This was one of the first major cases involving the Extradition Act 2003. This case served to limit the scope of ‘no-evidence’ extraditions involving category 1 territories.
George acted for the Crown in this case which is now the leading authority on stranger kidnapping sentences.
This case involved the concept of the mercy where a terminally ill man was given a sentence that would involve his inevitable death in custody. The appeal was successful.
This case involved the successful appeal of a sentence of 9 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine. Following extensive courtroom exchanges with Mr Justice Calvert-Smith (former DPP) the sentence was reduced from 9 to 7 years.
Successful appeal of Crown Court sentence.
The Halloween Nunchaku murder involved the murder of a 15 year old boy at a Halloween party. George was led by David Fisher QC in this notorious murder trial. BBC
Murder case involving a dealer murdering his best-friend in a frenzied knife attack. George was led by Sascha Wass QC in this trial. BBC
‘Caterham Bus Bomber’: this was an allegation of a ‘home-grown’ terrorist who was found to have a cache of chemical weapons at his home. George successfully defended this man and he was acquitted of all charges. BBC
Successful prosecution of multi-defendant football hooligan case involving widespread public disorder. BBC
Successful prosecution of a serious stranger kidnapping case involving an armed stranger kidnap of young children. George was subsequently instructed by the Crown to appear in the Court of Appeal and this case is now a leading authority of Sentences for Kidnapping. BBC
This case involved an Albanian/Chechen criminal gang selling highly sophisticated cash-point scamming kits to other criminal gangs in Wales. It attracted nationwide publicity including the front page of the Times. BBC
George was initially instructed in this extradition of this notorious Holocaust denier. The extradition was successfully opposed. BBC
George was instructed in this case involving the ‘Gatwick shooter’ who was apprehended and Tasered by police as he wandered around Gatwick Airport brandishing a firearm. BBC
George was instructed to defend a member of this notorious tie-up robbery gang that committed more than 12 robberies involving serious violence. BBC
Serious historical sexual assaults in children’s home. Defendant received 20 years’ custody. BBC
Successful Extradition Appeal (A8) bailii
Very High Profile First Instance Extradition Decision bailii
Extradition case involving Judicial Review of the Home Secretary bailii
Successful Extradition Appeal (s.2) bailii
High Court appeal involving s.2 and Article 8.
High Court appeal involving Article 8.
High Court appeal involving kidnapping allegation.
High Court appeal involving multi-million VAT fraud.
High Court appeal involving multi-million fraud allegation.
High Court appeal involving human trafficking.
Part 2 case involving Murder conviction and Articles 2, 3, & 6.
Complex Part 2 case involving Articles 3, 6, & 8.
High Court appeal involving multi-£ fraud accusation.
High Court appeal involving murder conviction.
High Court appeal involving attempted murder.
High Court appeal involving Article 8.
High Court appeal involving Articles 3, 6, & 8.
High Court appeal involving Article 3.
High Court appeal involving ss. 2, 14, 20 & Article 8.
High Court appeal involving s.2 & Articles 3, 6 & 8.
High Court appeal involving s.14 & Articles 3 & 8.
High Court appeal involving Articles 3 & 8.
High Court appeal involving Article 8.
High Court appeal involving double jeopardy & A8.
High Court appeal involving s.14 & Article 8.
High Court appeal involving s.2 & Article 8.
High Court appeal involving Article 8.
High Court appeal involving ss.2, 14 & Article 8.
High Court appeal involving right to re-trial s.20
High Court appeal involving Articles 6 & 8.
Extradition case involving Judicial Review of the Home Secretary.