Barrister Kettering Towcester Corby Watford
Barrister Luton Bedford Northampton
Erimus Chambers
Chambers of Ms Karen Boyes LLB (Hons)(Newc) Barrister at Law
Crime, Family, Civil
Call to the Bar Middle Temple 1991
Member of The Criminal Bar Association
Family Law Bar Association
Association of Women Barristers

Erimus Chambers Barristers deal with Criminal Law, Family Law including domestic violence, Civil Law including most County Court matters including personal injury, road traffic, contracts, debt disputes and mortgage repossession cases.

Chambers lawyers cover local Courts including Northampton, Daventry, Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough, Towcester, Market Harborough, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Luton, Watford and Peterborough. Karen can also be based in London for coverage particularly of Croydon and other London Courts she has recently regularly attended include Wood Green Inner London and the Old Bailey.

Karen has extensive experience in general common law practising in London and on circuit over the last 17 years. She practices in criminal, civil, and family law. She has regularly appeared in the Magistrates, Youth, Crown and County Courts literally across the Country, from Cardiff to Suffolk and from Leicester to Hove! She has also acquired a particular expertise in Road Traffic cases, including speed camera and drink driving. This experience transfers across to civil hearings concerning Road traffic accidents in County Court disputes.

Karen has a wide and varied experience of Criminal matters including violence, sexual offences and fraud, including confiscation hearings. Karen has also dealt with hunt saboteur cases. Mental Health issues have been dealt with both before Mental Health tribunals and within Criminal cases. She recently received in house domestic violence training with CPS Dorset and has dealt with a considerable number of such cases over the years. She also has completed the Sexual Offences and Rape courses with the Bar Council over the last two years. She is a grade two Prosecutor for CPS and again has many years experience working for the CPS around the country in Crown and Magistrates Courts.

In the Family Courts she again has dealt with children cases, contact and residence, child abduction and care. Her criminal experience of Domestic violence also enhances her experience with injunctive relief. She has had conduct of a care case with a QC leader at the High Court which included murder and extreme sexual abuse.

Karen conducts and has many years experience of ancillary relief cases including complex self employed and business cases.

As Legal Services are continually restricted financially, Karen is keen to provide quality and value to her clients and aims to return promptly case reports and fee notes, as she fully appreciates the importance of financial administration to instructing solicitors and the need for clients to be fully informed about finances.

Karen spent 11 years prior to call to the Bar as a Magistrates Legal Advisor which gave daily experience of family, road traffic and crime. Her duties included being the Clerk to the Youth Court and training of Justices. She also supervised trainee Court Clerks. She completed the advocacy training course with Middle Temple to become an Advocacy trainer. She has also lectured Criminal Practice for the Institute of legal Executives. Over the years Karen has also assisted with mini pupils and with pupils of Chambers to assist their development and experience. She is a member of the Criminal Bar Association, Family Law Association and the Women Barristers Association.

Geographically Karen has built up contact with many Courts across the Country and is still happy to travel across both the South Eastern and Western Circuits of which she is a member and across The Midlands where she is based.

On a personal note, Karen has been active throughout her working life in the voluntary sector, particularly in respect of children and whilst serving on various school and childcare committees is particularly proud of being a founder member and registered provider of an after school club. This required she be trained in Child Protection issues and child development. As a working mother she achieved a work life balance when her children were growing up and fully understands the challenges of the modern mother. She also has assisted with her daughter’s show jumping career, with mucking out and lorry driving. She is passionate about her free range chickens, and country life in general.

 
 News from Chambers
 
04 January 2010
Happy New Year more...
 
14 September 2009
Increase in CPS prosecution instructions more...
 
23 July 2009
Setting the Standards more...
 
16 July 2009
Prosecution Advocacy on the Western Circuit more...
 
05 June 2009
Court prepared to back restraining order with custody more...
 
14 May 2009
Attending the Bar Council Annual Remuneration Conference more...
 
30 March 2009
Legal Services Commission consultaion more...
 
24 March 2009
Rules about charging suspects should not be changed says DPP more...
 
18 March 2009
CPS updates its rape and domestic violence policies more...
 
Useful Links Database Developers Suttonswrap
Bar Council Criminal Bar Association Citizens Advice Bureau Information Commissioner's Office
Law Society Family Law Bar Association Child Support Agency Insolvency Service
CPS Middle Temple Victim Support Law Commission
DPP HMCS (court service) National Debtline Ministry of Justice
Women Barristers CourtServe (court listings) Legal Services Commission Infolaw