Natasha Draycott

Overview

Natasha is one of the most highly regarded and sought-after juniors at the UK Bar.   Her practice is focused on Extradition and International Crime and Public Law. She is recognised as a leader in her field by the Legal 500, Tier 1, and Chambers and Partners. She was appointed to the prestigious Attorney General Panel in 2021.

Natasha Draycott was been nominated as Crime and Extradition junior of the year (2022), at the Legal 500, UK Bar Awards.

Natasha’s position at the cutting edge of extradition cases is confirmed by what others say about her (quotes taken from Chambers and Partners Guide to the UK Bar and the Legal 500):

Natasha’s case load consists entirely of multijurisdictional work and predominantly “Part 2” cases. Natasha acts in complex and serious matters such as murder, terrorism, financial crime and serious sexual offences. Her cases often involve politically and financially sensitive issues. She has a busy appellate practice and has appeared in over 250 cases in the Administrative and Divisional Courts. She represents high net worth individuals and is counsel of choice for a number of leading national and international law firms.

Natasha advises on issues in relation to challenging and removing INTERPOL Red Notices, sanctions and requests for mutual legal assistance. Natasha’s commitment to prompt and efficient pre-litigation advice and strategy yields excellent results for her clients. She is also experienced in related applications for injunctions, Judicial Review, habeas corpus and applications for interim relief from the European Court of Human Rights pursuant to Rule 39.  

Her expertise is recognised by instructions in recent and high-profile cases involving: the USA, the Russian Federation, India, Brazil, Australia, UAE, Switzerland, Albania, Turkey, Thailand.

Current and recent instructions include:  

• USA v K- Acting for a US citizen charged with conspiracy to commit a multimillion-dollar wire fraud. Raising forum and complex jurisdictional arguments.
• USA v S- Acting for a US citizen and working with International law firm Dechert Law on issues relating to human trafficking.
• USA v K- Acting for US Citizen in a $80 m cyber fraud.
• Romania v A - Acting for a Romanian Billionaire opposing his extradition on grounds of political bias.
• India v S - Acting for a defendant alleged to be the ‘mastermind’ of one of the largest drug trafficking rings from India to the UK. The case involves highly complex prima facie case evidence.
• Brazil v B- Acting for a gay Brazilian defendant charged with murder related to a drug trafficking war. Issues include discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and degrading treatment/torture in Brazilian prisons. 
• Australia v H- Acting for a 94-year-old male charged with multiple counts of indecent assault on his granddaughter who was under 13.
• Switzerland v M- Acting for a defendant who is the victim of human trafficking and modern slavery. 
• Bermuda v Z- Acting for a defendant charged with child sex offences
• Turkey v K-Acting for a defendant charged with offences of wounding with intent who was sought for political reasons. Issues raised in relation to torture in Turkish prisons.
• India v K- Acting for a defendant charged with offences of child abduction.
• Albania v G- Acting for a defendant charged with terrorism offences and a triple murder. He was recently discharged following a double jeopardy argument.
• UAE v A- Acting for a defendant in a request from the UAE for cheque fraud allegations.

Media Work:

Natasha’s reputation as a leading junior in her fields, has led to requests for her appearance as an expert in the media for a number of providers; the BBC, ITV, Sky News and Channel 4 News. Natasha welcomes further enquiries from media outlets. Natasha frequently presents lectures on issues relating to extradition and she has recently co-authored the Chambers & Partners Extradition Overview.

Other Appointments:

• Attorney General's Panel of Counsel (Civil C).
• Specialist Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Specialist advocate: Extradition: Level 2.