Principal Solicitor
Principal SolicitorJoan was admitted as a solicitor in 1995.
She has extensive knowledge of the criminal justice system and advises on all areas of criminal law ranging from road traffic matters to theft, fraud, sexual offences, serious assault, and murder.
Joan has represented clients in high profile cases. In 2004 she defended one of the largest confiscation proceedings brought by the DWP – £36 million.
Since 2006 Joan has practised almost exclusively in the crown court. She obtained her Higher Rights of Audience in 2006. In 2016 she was called to the bar by The Inner Temple. Joan has appeared as both sole advocate and led junior in serious drugs, firearms and murder trials.
In 2015 Joan defended one of the first British women to be arrested for preparing for acts of terrorism under the 2006 Terrorism Act. The client was later de-arrested for that offence and was charged with using a false identity document to travel to Syria. She was given a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty.
In November 2016 Joan appeared as sole advocate in the first case brought by Lewisham Metropolitan Police under the recently enacted controlling and coercive behaviour in an intimate or familial relationship. She successfully defended the case earning a commendation from the trial Judge who remarked that Ms Mitchell’s cross-examination of the prosecution’s main witness was “fair and effective.”
Joan previously worked for leading civil rights firm Fisher Meredith who were at that time one of the largest criminal legal aid practices in England. She rose to the role of Partner before moving on to become a consultant solicitor in 2005.
Terrorism experience
In 2001 Joan represented a client arrested for alleged involvement in the planning of the 9/11 terrorism attack on the US Pentagon. Joan’s client was interviewed over several days in police custody. Joan represented her client at court hearings where the prosecution sought to extend his detention to interview him further. Joan’s client was eventually released without charge. Today, the case still attracts much media attention due to the high-profile nature of the case and its link to one of the world’s worst terrorism atrocities. The case remains very much in the public eye as there is now a trillion-dollar lawsuit being brought in the US by victims’ families and survivors for failings in the way the case was investigated and the lack of evidence sharing between the FBI and the British police.
In 2015 Joan represented a client who was arrested at the Turkish/Syrian border with alleged links to Isis. After extensive hours of interview and detention in police custody, Joan’s client was de-arrested for terrorism offences. Her client was charged with passport and immigration offences. Joan’s client was sentenced to a suspended term of imprisonment allowing her to be released from custody immediately.
In 2023 Joan represented a client who was initially suspected of committing terrorism offences when he drove his car into the gates of Downing Street. The case attracted much media attention at the time given the close proximity to the seat of power in the UK, namely the prime minister’s official residence. Joan’s client spent 6 months in custody before receiving a suspended term of imprisonment for non-terrorism offences arising out of the same incident allowing him to be released from custody immediately.
Joan currently represents a client arrested for alleged involvement in a terrorist attack on the Israeli embassy in April 2025. The case is ongoing.
Joan currently represents a client arrested for allegedly assisting a foreign intelligence service in acts against the UK contrary to section 3(2) of the National Security Act 2023.
The case is ongoing.
Joan is passionate about her work and works tirelessly to obtain the best outcome for her clients.
Joan is a court and police station duty solicitor.
