He previously worked for a respected London criminal firm where he completed his training contract and the Police Station Accreditation Scheme.
Michael is a qualified solicitor-advocate specialising in criminal law. He represents clients throughout each stage of the criminal justice system, from clients under arrest in police stations, through to the Magistrates’ Court, Crown Court, High Court, and the Court of Appeal. He also regularly represents prisoners before the Parole Commissioners of Northern Ireland.
Michael has a large extradition practice, representing clients being sought for extradition to other countries and jurisdictions.
Michael has long acted for clients making applications to the Criminal Cases Review Commission which was established to review cases that may be miscarriages of justice and referring them to the Court of Appeal.
Michael also acts as a solicitor-advocate for clients detained under the Mental Health Order before the Mental Health Review Tribunal.
He has a special interest in Human Rights Law.
Michael has attended the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in New York as part of a human rights campaign team concerning the independence of lawyers, highlighting the murder of Pat Finucane in particular.
Michael has appeared in amnesty proceedings before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) in Colombia representing the “Colombia 3”.
Michael represents dozens of former sub-postmasters who were caught up in the Post Office Horizon Scandal. As well as securing the quashing of convictions via the Court of Appeal, he also assisted with the campaign to introduce new legislation which overturned the convictions of wrongfully convicted sub-postmasters. Michael has helped to obtain multi-million redress payments for his clients via the various schemes available. Michael attended the Post Office IT Inquiry in Belfast and London.
In 2025, Michael took Judicial Review proceedings in the High Court in Belfast on behalf of a member of Cairde Palestine to challenge Invest NI funding of F-35 fighter jets that are linked to dropping bombs in Gaza.
Notable cases:
• R v Daithi McKay and others
Represented former Stormont MLA, Daithi McKay, who was found not guilty of misconduct in public office following the “NAMA” Belfast Crown Court trial in 2025.
• R v Lee Williamson
Unique hybrid Post Office / Horizon scandal case resulting in convictions being overturned in 2024 by the Court of Appeal and the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024.
• R v TB [2024] NICA
Successful appeal against sentence in the Court of Appeal that reduced the sentence in a serious assault case.
• R v Alan McLaughlin [2022] NICA 64
First Post Office / Horizon scandal case in Northern Ireland to have convictions overturned by the Court of Appeal in 2022.
• R v James Alexander Smith
First referral in NI from the CCRC to the Court of Appeal regarding joint enterprise for murder cases in 2022.
• DPP Ref (Number 5 of 2019) Harrington Legen Jack
PPS appeal of a sentence for being unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal did not interfere with the non-custodial sentence and provided guidelines for sentencing for fraud and theft where the offender is in a position of trust. The court also provided guidelines for the appropriate remedy where there has been a breach of the right to have a criminal hearing within a reasonable time.
• Inga Maria Hauser murder
Represented a man arrested for murder who received a “no prosecution” decision from the PPS in 2020.
• R v BM
Represented a man in Belfast Crown Court who avoided a custodial sentence in 2016 for offences concerning bomb hoaxes and threats made to various individuals and airports in the USA and other countries.
• EM (Extradition)
Successful Court of Appeal case overturning an extradition order to Germany in 2015.
• PPS v TH
Represented a man acquitted in 2014 of possessing a large amount of semtex in the New Lodge, Belfast.
• R v Gerard Connors [2011] NICC 35
Successful Court of Appeal case that reduced the tariff length of a life sentence for murder.