Peter Asteris

Call: 1996

"Peter is a charismatic, highly skilled jury advocate. He has natural flair and inspires confidence in both instructing solicitors and lay clients." Ranked: Tier 1

Legal 500 2023

"An excellent advocate able to present his case to the jury in a manner they understand."

Legal 500 2021

"Instructed in a wide range of cases including fraud and sexual offences."

Legal 500 2020

"Prosecutes and defends in multi-defendant conspiracy cases."

Legal 500 2019

Peter Asteris specialises in criminal and regulatory law, but also undertakes work in employment Law. He regularly presents seminars on his areas of specialism and is also qualified to undertake direct access work.

Peter is ranked as a Leading Junior for crime in Legal 500 2026.

Expertise

Criminal

Peter has defended in numerous cases of rape, child sexual abuse, complex frauds, armed robbery and drugs conspiracies. He is regularly instructed for the defence in difficult sexual cases, including inter-familial rape and indecent assault. He has extensive experience of multi-handed trials including “cut throat defences” and complex frauds. He has regularly appeared in the Court of Appeal in relation to appeals against both conviction and sentence.

Peter is also a grade 3 prosecutor with extensive experience of both leading and junior work.

Examples of leading work include multi-handed prosecutions of complex fraud, drug production, Proceeds of Crime Act Applications, and drug supply conspiracies. He is experienced in Criminal Cases Review Commission Appeals before the Court of Appeal. He also undertakes work for the Complex Case Unit, which notably includes a three months trial prosecuting a conspiracy to steal and launder money.

Cases

The acquittal of his client in relation to a case involving multi-complainant allegations of a serious sexual nature.

Secured acquittals for a client facing extremely serious allegations of violence against three separate complainants.

Led prosecutions concerning the production of Cannabis in relation to numerous factories and the laundering of the proceeds.

Led a prosecution for an extensive drug conspiracy involving the supply of drugs on a national basis.

Regulatory & Disciplinary

Has undertaken a wide range of regulatory work over a number of years.

Recent instructions include:

Road Traffic Commissioner Enquiries.
Operator ‘O’ licence appeals and Enquires/applications.
Wide rang of offences under the Road Traffic Legislation, involving commercial and non-commercial vehicles.
Environmental cases including defending in environment Agency Prosecutions such as Escapes from land of restricted materials and pollutants.
Waste Transfer Licences and appeals against challenges to these licences.
Waste Transfer Station Licences.
Defended Prosecutions arising from breaches of Waste Transfer Licences.
Significant prosecution where the owners of a commercial yard were before the courts in relation to a significant injury to one of their workers.
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

Employment & Discrimination

In Employment law he acts on behalf of both employers and employees dealing with matters of unfair dismissal, discrimination and TUPE both in the Employment Tribunal and at the EAT.

Transport Law

Peter has undertaken a wide range of transport work over a number of years.

Peter has appeared before Traffic Commissioners and represented hauliers where road-worthiness or issues of conduct and usage have been considered. He has represented operators applying for operator licences. He has represented those facing the loss of a vocational licence.

Peter has been instructed by accredited driving instructors in appeals against decisions made by the Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors.

Peter has represented companies in their applications for Waste Transfer Licences and appeals against challenges to these licences.

Peter has represented hackney carriage licence holders appealing decisions before the Magistrates’ Court.

Peter has defended and prosecuted a wide range of road traffic offences including death by dangerous driving and less serious prosecutions.

Cases

Peter represented a security company who had subcontracted security to another company and both were fined after a security guard from carbon monoxide poisoning while working on a construction site. The security guard died after lighting some barbecue coals in a wheelbarrow in an attempt to keep warm while on duty after the site’s generator failed in sub-zero temperatures.

The sub-contracted security firm pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £8,000 with £4,854 costs. That firm was sub-contracted by another firm who also pleaded guilty to breaching the Act and received an £8,000 fine with £6,220 costs.