Bill Waddington

CONSULTANT SOLICITOR

QUALIFICATIONS:
GUILFORD LAW SCHOOL

ACCREDITATIONS:
HIGHER COURTS RIGHTS – CRIMINAL ACCREDITED
LAW SOCIETY CRIMINAL LITIGATION PANEL
LEGAL AID LAWYER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNER 2015

Bill has over 30 years experience in dealing with all nature of cases within the criminal justice system.

Bill is A Consultant Solicitor in the Williamsons Defence Advocacy department specialising in crime. Over the years he has dealt with hundreds of such cases in many courts around the country.

In addition to his specialism in crime, Bill is frequently instructed in road traffic matters and regulatory work. This involves defending individuals, businesses and companies in investigations and prosecutions brought against them by a whole host of government agencies such as HMRC, HSE, DEFRA, Environment Agency and Local Authorities.

He is a duty solicitor (court and police station) and a Higher Rights Advocate. He is immediate past Chair of the Criminal Law Solicitors Association ( 2012-2015 ). Bill has been one of the key figures in the fight to save legal aid in the UK. He remains an active member of the Committee.

In 2015 Bill was awarded the Legal Aid Lawyer of the year. In the same year he was shortlisted for the Law Society Excellence awards for Legal Personality of the Year. Since that time, he has been elected as a member of the Law Society’s Council and he also sits on the Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee and Access to Justice Committee. Bill is also an appointed Commissioner on the Bach Commission looking into Access to Justice.

Bill and the Defence Advocacy team work around the clock. By far the largest in the region, the department has six experienced solicitors and four accredited police station representatives together with support staff.

Bill has a keen interest in a range of outdoor activities whenever work permits.