Ellie Watson joined Lincoln House Chambers in 2024 after progressing through the early stages of her career, under the supervision of Emma Kehoe, at the CPS. She has experience of a wide-ranging practice across the Magistrates’ Court and Crown Court. She is used to dealing with high volume, fast paced work in the criminal courts where her attention to detail and thorough preparation enabled her to digest and analyse cases quickly yet effectively.

Ellie has experience of trials in the magistrates’ court, including violent offences, where there are vulnerable individuals. She communicates effectively with others and her empathetic and supportive approach allows her to quickly build a rapport as a dedicated advocate.

Her previous secondment to the Attorney General’s Office involved the drafting of submissions on cases that had been referred as being unduly lenient. She has transferred the skills of analysing case law and sentencing guidelines into her advocacy.

Prior to her career at the bar, Ellie worked as a Legal Advisor; advising on the College of Policing’s national guidance policies. She was awarded the Leolin Price QC Scholarship from the Honorable Society of the Middle Temple, and the BPP Career Commitment Scholarship, to study the Bar Course and was graded Outstanding. She completed her LLM alongside the Bar Course and received a Distinction.

NOTABLE CASES

R v B  – acted as a Noting Junior for the Crown in the prosecution of four defendants jointly charged with murder and another charged with assisting an offender at Preston Crown Court. Assisted with editing interviews and drafting agreed facts.

R v H – prosecuted an all-day domestic trial where the defendant was charged with strangulation and assault by beating. Secured a partial conviction despite quite significant undermining disclosure.

R v M  – prosecuted a res gestae domestic trial where the defendant was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and the complainant had retracted. I accepted a plea to an assault by beating on full facts.

R v B – successfully prosecuted a Section 4A Public Order offence trial with a vulnerable, elderly, complainant where the other witness failed to attend and there was no other corroborative evidence. First trial of second six.

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

Criminal Casework Secondee, Attorney General’s Office, 2023

• Analysed cases that have been referred as being unduly lenient. Considered the legal and factual complexities that exist within the case and whether the threshold of being unduly lenient had been met.
• Drafting advisory briefs to the Attorney General and Solicitor General.

I advised on a case involving a youth defendant convicted of rape of a child under 13 and other sexual offences where several sentencing guidelines were considered.

Legal Advisor, College of Policing, 2019-2021

• Responsible for the Uniformed Policing Faculty, providing legal advice to police. Strong collaboration within the faculty to produce national guidance.
• Part of the team at the College of Policing that worked on the Police Perpetrated Domestic Abuse Report on the Centre for Women’s Justice Super Complaint, researching legal guidance, and discussing how the guidance could be updated and improved to better tackle police perpetrated domestic abuse.

INTERESTS

Having obtained a sports scholarship to attend school, Ellie played competitive sport for many years and continue to play hockey and netball socially.

I enjoy finding new ways to fundraise regularly for various charities, having previously worked in the charity sector and as an advocate for The Trussell Trust and for Brake.