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Thorough and analytical. Christopher has a forensic approach and leaves no stone unturned.
Legal 500 2023
Crime & Criminal Fraud
Christopher is a very experienced criminal silk who prosecutes and defends cases of the utmost gravity, including homicide and serious sexual allegations. He prosecuted of the first slavery and servitude trial brought in England and Wales. All five defendants were convicted after a three-month trial. Very substantial confiscation orders we made in consequence. He prosecuted a high-profile murder which received daily national newspaper coverage and went viral worldwide.
Together with his ongoing homicide practice, some recent examples of his cases are set out below.
All of this complements his substantial and established sports law practice.
Notable Cases:
- In the summer of 2024, Christopher to conviction two men charged with the murder and robbery of a suspected drug dealer in his own home. The case was especially difficult given the only other persons present in the house at the material time were an associate of the defendants and the other with his own motives to serve. Both defendants were convicted of murder and robbery.
- Christopher represented a seventeen-year-old boy charged with double murder in the notorious trial arising out of the unlawful killing of children Max Dixon and Mason Rist in Bristol in 2024. The trial in Bristol received national publicity.
- Christopher prosecuted three young boys charged with murder arising out the unlawful killing of a child at a sixteenth birthday party in Bath. One boy was convicted of murder and the other two are to be retried in the autumn 2025.
- Christopher prosecuted a four-week murder trial in Winchester, arising out of a dispute on the Isle of Wight. The two defendants were alleged to have murdered an armed man who attacked them in their own home. A tough case, given the deceased attacked them twice, armed and at night.
- Christopher prosecuted to conviction this tricky murder case. The defendant was a victim of domestic violence who killed her partner. There were no eyewitnesses, she had injuries and neighbours overheard her screaming just before she stabbed him to death. Notwithstanding those and other challenges, the defendant was convicted of murder largely because of cross-examination.
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Notable Cases
R v AA (Bristol CC)
Christopher prosecuted grime artist known as Solo45, (part of the Boy Better Known collective) who was convicted of imprisoning, raping and sexually assaulting four women over a period of two years.
R v IP, EA & JC (Bristol CC)
Christopher prosecuted defendants who murdered a man in the nightclub a targeted revenge attack which had its origins in a gang feud.
R v SB & Or (Cardff CC)
Christopher represented one of two bothers, alleged to have murdered another in a drug feud.
R v JV & EA (Cardiff CC)
Christopher prosecuted a homicide case in which the defendants were, uncommonly, charged separately, one with murder and the other manslaughter in respect of the same victim.
R v NT (Truro CC)
Christopher represented an engineer charged with gross negligence manslaughter who was alleged to have designed and supervised the building of a barn extension which he knew to be lethally dangerous.
R v LP & MH (Merthyr Tydfil, CC)
Christopher prosecuted a mother and son who murdered their husband/step-father.
If you would like to instruct Christopher Quinlan KC or would like help or advice in doing so, please call and talk to our excellent clerking team, led by Chief Executive/Director of Clerking, Paul Cray. Our phone number is +44 (0)20 7583 9241. Alternatively, please email us at chambers@farrarsbuilding.co.uk
For more information about our clerking team, please click here for the clerks page.
Appointments & Memberships
- Recorder of the Crown Court
- Bencher, Inner Temple
- Judicial Panel Chair, World Rugby (2017 – present)
- Judicial Panel Chair, Football Association (2019 – July 2025)
- Chair, English Football league Club Financial Review Panel
- World Athletics, Disciplinary Tribunal member
- Legal Member, National Anti-Doping Panel
- Legal Member, National Safeguarding Panel
- Sport Resolutions Panel of Arbitrators
Memberships
British Association for Sport and Law
Bristol Medico-Legal Society
Criminal Bar Association
Western Circuit
Wales & Chester Circuit
Education & Qualifications
LLB Hons
Awards
Shortlisted Legal 500 Sports Silk of the Year 2024 & 2025
Testimonials
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said:
“We are at an important time as we seek to grow the audience share for our sport by making it more accessible and relevant, particularly to young people.
“For many areas that means making our regulations and processes simpler to understand and more streamlined. The disciplinary process is central to that mission and Christopher is the perfect person to lead the review as someone who is greatly respected in the game and has a collaborative, results-oriented management style.”
Quinlan Review
BHA chief executive Nick Rust said, “The changes we’re making mean that everyone connected with our sport will be able to have the utmost confidence in the impartiality and fairness of the BHA’s disciplinary panels. As well as providing his own expert, independent view, Christopher Quinlan’s report has given us the opportunity to address the concerns of our sport’s participants and stakeholders and to improve their confidence in what we do and how we do it.”
Welcoming the changes, Paul Struthers, chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association, said: “We would like to thank Christopher Quinlan for producing such a detailed and thorough report…We therefore very much welcome the recommendations contained within it, designed as they are to address those and other concerns.”
World Rugby
In welcoming his appointment World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said:
“Christopher is greatly respected within the rugby and sports environments and brings to the position a great wealth of relevant experience at the highest level. These qualities, combined with his extensive rugby knowledge and empathy for the on-field environment, mean that Christopher is perfectly skilled to drive even greater consistency and rugby playing empathy within our disciplinary processes.”
Directory Quotes
Legal 500 2025, Sport:
“Christopher is an extremely experienced and excellent advocate”
Legal 500 2025, Crime:
“Christopher is an outstanding silk with careful attention to detail. He has strong advocate, makes compelling opening speeches and is a strong cross-examiner”
Chambers & Partners:
Sport: “An absolutely outstanding advocate. His many years of criminal advocacy in the Crown Court have given him skills which are perfect for appearing in disciplinary, safeguarding and doping cases. ”
Chambers & Partners:
“He is extremely charming, incredibly persuasive and immaculately prepared.”
Chambers & Partners:
Sport: “An absolutely outstanding advocate. His many years of criminal advocacy in the Crown Court have given him skills which are perfect for appearing in disciplinary, safeguarding and doping cases. ”
Chambers & Partners:
“He is extremely charming, incredibly persuasive and immaculately prepared.”
Publications
Sport: Law & Practice – Bloomsbury, March 2021
- Christopher Quinlan KC co-authored the chapter: Disciplinary & other Internal Proceedings