Nick Staite
Nick read Jurisprudence at the University of Oxford and trained as a
Solicitor, in London. After practising
for a few years in medical negligence and personal injury law, he moved to a
firm in rural Oxfordshire and dealt with all types of litigation, developing an
interest in advocacy and a lawful inclination towards crime.
He soon began a dedicated career in public prosecution (joining the Crown
Prosecution Service at its inception, in October 1986), leaving it almost 30
years later. After performing the role
of Branch Crown Prosecutor (lawyer/manager) for 12 years, he qualified as
Solicitor-Advocate (Higher Courts - Criminal) and resumed as a full-time
lawyer, leading a Special Casework Unit before taking a post in the Complex
Casework Unit for CPS East of England.
He has a wealth of experience in advising the police before and after
charge in large-scale investigations, then managing the prosecution of them in
the Crown Court. He handled serious
homicides, drug trafficking, frauds, money laundering, conspiracies and people
smuggling. Many of his cases involved,
at home and abroad, urgent restraint of assets, pre-charge; and confiscation of
assets after conviction.
As a CPS trainer, he delivered vocational and practical training to
colleagues and police on Homicide, Fraud, Hi-Tech Crime, Mutual Legal
Assistance and the statutory provisions for the Disclosure of Unused
Material. He also mentored aspiring
Crown Court advocates and provided advice and guidance on covert policing
techniques, the use in evidence of call data from communication service
providers and the management of complex, multi-faceted, multi-jurisdiction
cases.
From January 2015 to July 2020, Nick was engaged as a Technical Adviser
in Malawi’s Ministry of Justice, working closely with the Director of Public
Prosecutions on cases of fraud and serious and organised crime, then in the
Anti-Corruption Bureau. His work
contributed to introduction of the precursor to a formal plea-bargaining
framework and review of a national prosecution policy. He supported development of routine use of
money laundering and asset recovery laws, as well as delivering training in
fraud investigations and prosecutions and mutual legal assistance. In response to significant cases of illegal
wildlife trade, Malawi being a porous-bordered transit state, he also provided
advice in cases of ivory smuggling, with international elements. Foreign exchange crossing Malawi’s borders in
large volumes, Nick was involved in attempts to address the problem, by the
Reserve Bank of Malawi and the Malawi Revenue Authority.
Vita
Nick read Jurisprudence at the University of Oxford and trained as a
Solicitor, in London. After practising
for a few years in medical negligence and personal injury law, he moved to a
firm in rural Oxfordshire and dealt with all types of litigation, developing an
interest in advocacy and a lawful inclination towards crime.
He soon began a dedicated career in public prosecution (joining the Crown
Prosecution Service at its inception, in October 1986), leaving it almost 30
years later. After performing the role
of Branch Crown Prosecutor (lawyer/manager) for 12 years, he qualified as
Solicitor-Advocate (Higher Courts - Criminal) and resumed as a full-time
lawyer, leading a Special Casework Unit before taking a post in the Complex
Casework Unit for CPS East of England.
He has a wealth of experience in advising the police before and after
charge in large-scale investigations, then managing the prosecution of them in
the Crown Court. He handled serious
homicides, drug trafficking, frauds, money laundering, conspiracies and people
smuggling. Many of his cases involved,
at home and abroad, urgent restraint of assets, pre-charge; and confiscation of
assets after conviction.
As a CPS trainer, he delivered vocational and practical training to
colleagues and police on Homicide, Fraud, Hi-Tech Crime, Mutual Legal
Assistance and the statutory provisions for the Disclosure of Unused
Material. He also mentored aspiring
Crown Court advocates and provided advice and guidance on covert policing
techniques, the use in evidence of call data from communication service
providers and the management of complex, multi-faceted, multi-jurisdiction
cases.
From January 2015 to July 2020, Nick was engaged as a Technical Adviser
in Malawi’s Ministry of Justice, working closely with the Director of Public
Prosecutions on cases of fraud and serious and organised crime, then in the
Anti-Corruption Bureau. His work
contributed to introduction of the precursor to a formal plea-bargaining
framework and review of a national prosecution policy. He supported development of routine use of
money laundering and asset recovery laws, as well as delivering training in
fraud investigations and prosecutions and mutual legal assistance. In response to significant cases of illegal
wildlife trade, Malawi being a porous-bordered transit state, he also provided
advice in cases of ivory smuggling, with international elements. Foreign exchange crossing Malawi’s borders in
large volumes, Nick was involved in attempts to address the problem, by the
Reserve Bank of Malawi and the Malawi Revenue Authority.