Ayesha Smart | Barrister

Ayesha Smart

Year of Call: 2014

Ayesha enjoys a mixed practice of Crime, Civil, Commercial Litigation and Regulatory. She has a breadth of experience in defending in criminal cases. She also accepts instructions across a broad range of civil and commercial litigation including contract disputes, bankruptcy proceedings and intellectual property disputes. With her medico-legal background, Ayesha has particular strength in cases involving forensic, healthcare or regulatory issues.

Crime

Ayesha has extensive experience of a range of hearings in the criminal courts and is equally comfortable prosecuting and defending in both the Magistrates and Crown Courts. Ayesha conducts trials, sentences, ‘Proceeds of Crime Act’ (POCA) hearings, appeals to the Crown Court and appeals to the Court of Appeal, in addition to the usual run of the mill hearings i.e. applications, case management hearings and mentions. Ayesha has experience of handling vulnerable witnesses, conducting youth trials and navigating cases where interpreters are requires. She is known for her ‘to the point’ style of advocacy and is at ease dealing with serious criminal offences or those which are sensitive such as domestic or sexual offences.

Civil

Ayesha is experienced in acting on behalf of Claimants and Defendants and accepts instructions from both. Ayesha regularly advises clients throughout the various stages of proceedings and is adept at drafting all statements of case and schedules. Ayesha undertakes Small Claims, Fast Track and Multi-Track personal-injury cases involving road traffic accidents, accidents at work, highway accidents, and industrial-disease cases. He is experienced in advising at all stages of proceedings on liability, causation, evidence and quantum, as well as drafting statements of case.

Ayesha also deals with cases involving civil fraud which include exaggerated personal injury and damage claims, low-velocity impacts (LVIs), fabricated, staged and/or induced accidents, bogus passengers and phantom witnesses. She has also dealt with cases where a finding of Fundamental Dishonesty has been sought.

Ayesha has built up a successful practice in residential and commercial property disputes. She has experience acting on behalf of public landlords, private landlords, freeholders and tenants. In court, Ayesha regularly appears in interlocutory applications, final disposal hearings and case management hearings. Her practice consists of possession claims, unlawful evictions, dilapidation claims, easements, boundary disputes, nuisance and breaches of covenant. She often deals with claims under the Occupiers Liability Acts, the Defective Premises Act and the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act and regularly settles pleadings or advises in respect of such matters.