Omar Sabbagh
CPS Panel Level 1
- The Honourable Society of Inner Temple
- Criminal Bar Association
- Bar Professional Training Court with LLM, University of Law
- LLM Specialising in Public Law, UCL
- BA Law, University of Cambridge
Scholarships and Awards
- Top Score in BPTC Drafting Paper, University of Law
- Winner, UCL Law for All Moot
- Leonard Sainer Foundation BPTC Scholarship, UCL
- Exhibition & Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Awards, Inner Temple
Instructing Omar Sabbagh
To instruct Omar or for any further information please contact our clerks.
Omar regularly accepts instructions to prosecute and defend in the Crown, Magistrates’ and Youth Courts. His practice covers a wide range of criminal matters including serious violence, domestic violence, drug offences, public order offences, sexual offences, protest cases, and road traffic proceedings.
Before coming to the Bar, Omar volunteered for several organisations providing free legal advice and representation. He successfully represented clients before the First-Tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber) with Zacchaeus 2000 Trust. As an initial adviser with Citizens Advice Bureau, he provided free advice to members of the public. He also represented immigration detainees as part of the University of Law Legal Advice Centre’s Immigration Clinic.
Omar is a co-creator of Liberty Lines Project, a not-for-profit organisation looking to tackle modern slavery. He assisted in fundraising £12,000 to cover creation of comic book intended to educate children about the dangers of county lines exploitation.
Practice Areas
Omar regularly defends in the Crown, Magistrates’ and Youth Courts. His practice covers a wide range of criminal matters including serious violence, domestic violence, drug offences, public order offences, sexual offences, protest cases, and road traffic proceedings.
Notable criminal defence cases
R v AG
Secured acquittal of defendant charged with assaulting an emergency worker in prison. Established a failure by the prison officers to switch on their body-worn video footage, and serious inconsistencies between their accounts.
R v HM
Represented defendant in relation to three assaults against three separate complainants. Defendant acquitted of all charges, despite it being his word against that of the three complainants.
R v MC
Represented a highly vulnerable defendant in a rapidly evolving set of nine interlinked matters. Acted in multiple case management hearings and ultimately at the trial on the two remaining charges, after the majority of charges were discontinued. Secured the acquittal of defendant in relation to one of the charges, after complex and technical submissions regarding the interplay between intoxication and basic/specific intent. Obtained a fine deemed served in relation to the other charge.
R v LL
Represented defendant in a trial for assault, criminal damage and several public order offences. Established that the three witnesses were inconsistent amongst each other; defendant was acquitted.
R v QI
Represented defendant at sentence for charges of assault by beating, criminal damage, and two instances of failing to surrender. Persuaded the court to impose a sentence which would be deemed served by virtue of time already spent in custody.
R v GN
Represented defendant who had pleaded guilty to serious sexual offences. Persuaded the court to suspend the sentence in view of the defendant’s good prospect of rehabilitation and his personal mitigation.
Omar regularly prosecutes on behalf of the CPS and the Probation Service. He accepts instruction to prosecute in the Crown, Magistrates’ and Youth Courts.
Notable road traffic cases
R v CD
Persuaded the court to exercise its discretion not to disqualify defendant from driving, on the basis that disqualification would cause exceptional hardship to the defendant’s family.
R v SW
Represented defendant who had pleaded guilty to driving with no insurance. Successfully argued that the court should not impose penalty points on the defendant, given the presence of special reasons; namely, that she had taken all appropriate steps to ensure that she was covered by an appropriate policy.
