Rebecca Young
Call: 1993
Rebecca Young
Qualifications & Memberships : LLB(Hons) 2:1 Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, Criminal Bar Association.
Prosecution Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) Panel.
Contact
T: 01274 722 560 or 0113 246 2600
“Our client described your conduct as impeccable, kind and considerate and wishes to say that he will never forget what you did for him. May I add that you are an extraordinary advocate who has a natural gift when dealing with complex issues and an ability to make both instructed solicitors and the client feel at ease. Something that is often very difficult to achieve!” (Solicitor & Client Feedback)
Rebecca prosecutes and defends in all aspects of serious crime: drugs, people trafficking, fatal and non-fatal violence and has a particular specialism in sexual cases both recent and historic. She is often involved in cases involving complex expert evidence; medical forensic and cell site. She has recently been involved in a number of arson cases involving fire investigation experts and also non-accidental head injury cases (“baby shaking cases”) involving extremely technical and specialist medical evidence.
She has experience of cases involving multiple defendants and/or multiple complainants.
She is well known for being extremely thorough, paying attention to detail and being down to earth and patient especially when dealing with difficult or sensitive cases.
She is currently instructed to defend in an operation involving child exploitation and grooming in Leeds.
Reputation
Rebecca has been involved in training programs within Chambers. Sessions include RASSO training for the CPS as well Section 28 training for defence solicitors.
Solicitor and client review: "Our client described your conduct as impeccable, kind and considerate and wishes to say that he will never forget what you did for him. May I add that you are an extraordinary advocate who has a natural gift when dealing with complex issues and an ability to make both instructed solicitors and the client feel at ease. Something that is often very difficult to achieve!”
Expertise
Crime
Rebecca is often instructed in cases involving rape and serious sexual offences. She is also known for her expertise when dealing with cases involving child witnesses or defendants or those with vulnerabilities such as severe mental health problems or learning difficulties or other communication problems. In one extreme case the complainant could only answer questions by drawing her answer. Her client was one of 2 brothers charged with sexually abusing their sister; and hers was acquitted.
More often than not her cases involve expert evidence from psychiatrists, psychologists, registered intermediaries and other specialist medical practitioners. She conducted one of the first pre-recorded cross examination of vulnerable witnesses under the Section 28 Pilot scheme which involved a child of 4 years of age. Since then she has conducted many such cases as the procedure developed.
Notable Cases
R-v-H: there was video evidence said to show the defendant raping his partner whilst she appeared to be asleep. He was acquitted.
R-v-H: baby shaking case mother charged with manslaughter led by Jamie Hill QC. She was acquitted after expert evidence so specialists’ experts from out of the jurisdiction were called.
R-v- B: sexual assault of a child by a defendant with previous convictions for the same and witnessed by a group of other children despite which he was acquitted.
R-v R: historic sexual abuse by a university lab worker of multiple work experience students over his entire career and also of his own daughter.
R-v- C: Case involving a mother causing her child to poison her own father which was stayed after technical legal arguments. Controlling coercive behaviour unusually by the mother.
R-v- U: case involving modern slavery offences; facilitating the travel of another for exploitation and forced labour. It involved a Vietnamese teenager trafficked multiple times to work in cannabis factories.
R-v- M: dangerous dog case involving complex legal arguments about the possible lacuna/inconsistency in the various statutes dealing with guard dogs and dangerous dogs.
R-v-P: rape of stepson(s) over many years complicated background where 1 complainant went back to live with the defendant with his daughters.
Clerks
