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OVERVIEW

Ruth is a criminal advocate specialising in serious fraud, regulatory work (including trading standards, health and safety and DWP fraud cases), serious sexual cases (including rape and cases involving children), offences of violence (including murder and robberies) and firearm offences.

Ruth prosecutes for CPS and DWP in all manner of cases and of the most seriousness. She has defended cases of the utmost gravity including offences of murder, rape and robbery, grave sexual offences involving children, the full range of drug offences and various types of fraud and dishonesty, including POCA cases.

Ruth’s notable cases include representing a Defendant who used the internet to try and incite riots in Cardiff during the time that riots were prevalent across the country (R-v- Jamie Counsell). Ruth is frequently requested as a Junior, recently in a multi handed murder of a “crack” dealer. There were two trials, the latter resulting in a partial acquittal and “hung” jury in relation to the Murder.

Ruth is a specialist in cases involving vulnerable persons, both child (recently as young as 4 years of age) and adult and is well known for her skill in dealing with such witnesses. She made the national news with her success at the Court of Appeal recently, when she obtained the release of a mother who had been imprisoned for “smacking” a young child. This case sparked media debate in relation to parental chastisement.

Ruth has appeared on behalf of the Criminal Case Review Commission in R-v-Oliver, at the Court of Appeal, a case involving substantial mental health issues, where a sentence of life imprisonment was quashed and a hospital order substituted and represented the defendant in R v Rowe in relation to a case of possession of an Uzi sub machine gun and managed to obtain an 18 month sentence rather than the mandatory 5 year sentence. 

Ruth Smith

Ruth Smith

PRACTICE AREAS

General crime (in particular serious sexual offences)
White-collar fraud
Regulatory law

APPOINTMENTS & MEMBERSHIPS

Grays Inn
Qualified Advocacy Trainer and has taught Advanced Crime and Advocacy Skills on the Bar Vocational Course at Cardiff University
Grade 4 Prosecutor
Member of the Rape panel
Member of the Criminal Bar Association
APEX Chambers’ Criminal Bar Association representative

For any enquiries, please contact the clerking team:

Email: clerks@apexchambers.net

Phone: 02920 23 2032

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