James Manning has been included in the 2025 Pro Bono Recognition List of England and Wales

We are delighted that James Manning has been included in the 2025 Pro Bono Recognition List of England and Wales, primarily for his work in the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) case R v Glenn Mulcaire [2024] EWCA Crim 1338.

Mr Manning represented the applicant Glenn Mulcaire, a former private investigator employed by News Group Newspapers. Mr Mulcaire had been active in hacking the voicemail messages of celebrities and others. In March 2013 Mr Mulcaire pleaded guilty to offences of conspiracy to unlawfully intercept communications (including voicemail messages of persons associated with Rt. Hon Charles Clarke). In July 2013 Mr. Mulcaire then pleaded guilty to the unlawful interception of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s voicemail messages, contrary to section 1(1) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The Court comprised Lord Justice Holroyde, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), Mr Justice Swift and Mr Justice Johnson. Holroyde LJ gave the judgment and thanked Mr Manning and his junior for their submissions, and for the fact that they had acted pro bono in this matter.

The prestigious Pro Bono Recognition List of England & Wales is published annually to recognise lawyers who have given 25 or more hours pro bono legal assistance in the previous calendar year.

The Pro Bono Recognition List was set up under the aegis of the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Committee, with support from the Access to Justice Foundation, Advocate, Advocates for International Development, International Lawyers Project, the Law Officers, the Bar Council, CILEX, the Clinical Legal Education Organisation, the In-House Pro Bono Group, the Law Society, LawWorks, the National Pro Bono Centre and TrustLaw.

The Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, the Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, is the patron of the Pro Bono Recognition List.