Mark Pritchard

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Called to the Bar in 2017 Mark Pritchard

Mark Pritchard joins Central Chambers after completing his pupillage at Garden Court North Chambers in Manchester. Mark’s pupillage focused primarily on criminal defence and civil liberties work.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Mark has worked as an associate lecturer-in-law at Manchester Metropolitan University and has also spent many years in various roles within the NHS and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service.

Criminal Defence

Mark has experience of conducting hearings within both the Crown Court and Magistrates’ Court. Following his work in the NHS, Mark has developed a particular passion for representing clients who suffer from mental health and substance misuse issues.

He enjoys a varied criminal practice and has experience in dealing with a wide range of road traffic matters.

Mark Pritchard has significant experience in defending clients exercising their freedom of speech and protest rights. Mark has demonstrated the ability to successfully deploy novel legal arguments in such cases and is one of very few counsel in the North of England to regularly accept instruction in such cases.

Due to his experience working within mental health services, Mark is able to accept instructions in the Mental Health Review Tribunal and in prison law matters.

Other areas

Mark Pritchard is a member of Inquest and is willing to take instructions for cases in the Coroner’s Court.

He has undertaken work in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber and has had particular success in complex immigration bail applications. During pupillage, Mark conducted several pro-bono hearings for the charity Bail for Immigration Detainees.

He also accepts instructions in family proceedings and has particular knowledge of cases involving the deprivation of liberty of adults deemed to lack capacity.

Mark Pritchard has acted as a mediator in employment matters and accepts instructions within the Employment Appeals Tribunal.

Affiliations/Personal

Education

Manchester Metropolitan University – LL.B (Hons.), BPTC & CMC Accredited Mediator

Called to the bar by Middle Temple (Harmsworth Scholar)

What His Clients Say:

Protester Client

Protester Client

I was impressed by the technical expertise of the team of barristers who represented the nine of us ... following the ... protest, and it was certainly a relief when the judge found No Case To Answer. Mark was also both caring and conscientious, and returned solid arguments in the face of, what appeared to me, a belligerent approach from the judge... I appreciate his hard work. Additionally, his colleague, Tony [Williams], who stepped in at the last minute to deal with the judgement on Friday, was thorough and professional.