Matthew Scott

All areas of criminal law, particularly as a defence and appellate advocate.

Matthew welcomes instructions by direct access, including appeals and applications to vary or remove restrictive orders such as Sexual Offence Prevention Orders, ASBOs, Risk of Sexual Harm Orders etc.

He also has experience in professional disciplinary work, including medical and veterinary fitness to practise tribunals.

In his advisory work he is sometimes instructed to advise Police forces and Local Authorities, as well as individuals seeking to set aside wrongful convictions.

Selected Cases

R v. A [2020] EWCA Crim 849

Conviction for penetrative sexual abuse of child quashed after court received fresh expert evidence.

R v MA [2019] EWCA Crim 178

Court of Appeal quashed conviction over judge’s summing up of bad character evidence in alleged case of marital rape. Matthew represented the appellant who was formally acquitted after the CPS eventually offered no evidence at the retrial.

R v. MM & SJ [2019] EWCA Crim 1570

Historic allegations of child rape and cruelty. Court of Appeal gave leave to appeal and ruled that “expert” counselling evidence on the effects of child abuse was wrongly admitted as a result of errors by the original trial counsel, but nevertheless upheld conviction.

Attorney General's Reference (R v. L.) [2018] 1 Cr. App. R. (S.) 2

Court of Appeal refused Attorney-General’s attempt to increase sentence in S.18 stabbing case.

R v Gough [2015] EWCA Crim 1079

Right to appear naked in court “The Naked Rambler.” The first and so far only time an appellant has appeared naked in the Court of Appeal, albeit by video link. Unfortunately the right to appear naked in the Crown Court was not established, although the case was decided on the narrow basis that in Mr Gough’s particular case appearing naked would have breached the terms of his ASBO.

R v Xiong Xu [2007] EWCA Crim 3129

Leading case on sentences for cannabis cultivation.

R v Corcoran [2003] EWCA Crim 43

Murder of Horndean schoolgirl Helen Gorrie. Conviction quashed on appeal. Case remains unsolved.

R v. Patrick Ryan [2021] EWCA Crim 262

2013 conviction for sexual allegations dating from the 1970s were quashed by Court of Appeal in 2021. Mr Ryan’s case was taken up by the miscarriage of justice charity APPEAL. The Court of Appeal ordered a retrial, but in 2023 the prosecution offered no evidence and not guilty verdicts were recorded on every count.