Max Hardy

Barrister @9br Chambers

In 2018 Max started the year seconded to the Homicide Unit of the CPS in London and acted as the reviewing lawyer in two murder prosecutions. He went on to be led by Jane Bickerstaff QC in a 5 handed murder prosecution at St Albans Crown Court and ended the year successfully defending in a murder at Croydon Crown Court led by Edward Henry QC.In 2014 the course of his term of office as Chairman of the Young Barristers\' Committee Max represented the Young Bar both within and outside the Bar Council. This involved frequent liaison with the senior judiciary including the Lord Chief Justice and the Government including the Lord Chancellor, the Attorney General and Solicitor General. At all times Max sought to impress upon all that the safeguarding of the Rule of Law requires a viable Young Bar. In October 2014 Max hosted the Young Bar Conference in London and in November 2014 hosted the biennial Anglo-Dutch Exchange.For the first half of 2014 Max was seconded to the Enforcement Division of the Financial Conduct Authority working as an investigator on its Foreign Exchange manipulation investigation. By this Max acquired significant experience and understanding of FCA procedures and investigations.Max is appointed at Grade 4 to the CPS\' panel of external advocates and has in depth prosecution experience at all levels encompassing a very wide range of criminal offences. Max is also included on the \'Rape List\' and is instructed to prosecute offences of rape and other serious sexual offences.Max has not neglected his defence practice and his significant exposure to prosecution practice enables Max to understand the approaches adopted by investigators and prosecution agencies. Long experience of looking to build watertight cases enables Max to perceive holes and evidential weaknesses extremely quickly. Max has defended on numerous occasions in the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) and provides written advice pre-charge and post-conviction.