Helen Longworth

Helen Longworth has had a thriving Crown Court practice including complex crime, serious fraud, money laundering, serious sexual offences and gang related drug trafficking, since joining Chambers in 2017.

Helen’s practice is one with a good mixture of prosecution and defence work, both as the sole instructed advocate and as a led junior in several long running serious criminal cases including conspiracies to rob, to transfer firearms, to supply drugs and money laundering offences.

Helen came to the Bar after 12 years as a policy advisor in the UK charity sector, working on anti-poverty, education and other social welfare issues.  From this she has brought extremely high levels of communication and interpersonal skills, a notable work ethic and a fearlessness when advancing her cases.   She is extremely competent, analytical and articulate, as well as showing her wisdom and compassion to a degree that allows her to deal properly, lawfully and confidently with some of the most vulnerable people in the criminal justice system. She has a particular interest in youth justice and has conducted a number of legal arguments for serious offences heard in the youth court.

Helen is a CPS Panel Advocate (general crime - level 3),  a specialist fraud prosecutor (level 3), a specialist POCA prosecutor (level 2) and a specialist serious crime prosecutor (level 2).  

Helen is a Specialist Regulatory Advocate. She has appeared in cases involving environmental protection, health and safety and food hygiene matters.  She has been instructed to represent the police at an inquests. She has responded to an application to vary a Forced Marriage Order, and advised children’s services on the matters that cross the criminal and family courts.

Helen also teaches conference and advocacy skills at the MMU Bar Training Course.   She is a member of the Northern Circuit and Criminal Bar Association.

Helen is described as a rising star in the Legal 500.

“Helen shows empathy to each client and handles even the most demanding of clients with care. She is approachable, helpful and will take up the good fight for the client and will not put on any pressure to plead in the face of overwhelming evidence, ensuring that all necessary avenues of enquiry are considered in preparing for trial. She is realistic and truthful with the clients and always makes the client feel listened to.’”

Prescribed Information

Helen Longworth is a practising barrister, regulated by the Bar Standards Board. Details of information held by the BSB about Helen can be found here. 

Helen’s clerks will provide no obligation quotations for all legal services that she offers.  Helen accepts instructions on legal aid rates where those are available, details of which can be found here.  For other work, Helen usually charges a brief fee plus refresher fees for court hearings, with advisory, conference and other preparation work charged at an hourly rate. Helen aims to return paperwork within 10 working days, however her professional commitments, complexity and volume of documentation can affect these approximate timescales.