Craig MacKenzie is recognised as one of the UK’s leading criminal defence solicitors.
Craig MacKenzie, Solicitor-Advocate
High Profile Cases
Olften instructed in ‘High Profile Cases’ attracting media attention Craig is reassuringly calm and discreet. He has successfully defended a broad spectrum of clients, including celebrities and business owners. He defends,
- Doctors
- Dentists
- Solicitors
- Teachers
- Senior Police Officers
- Premier League Footballers
Case Study
Protecting a Public Figure Facing a Historic Allegation
When a prominent public figure was contacted by police in relation to a historic sexual allegation, the implications extended far beyond the criminal law.
This was not simply a police investigation. It was an issue with the potential to affect reputation, family life, public standing and professional future from the moment contact was made.
Recognising the sensitivity of the situation, the client’s professional advisers immediately contacted Craig MacKenzie, Partner and Head of Forbes Solicitors’ High-Profile and Private Crime Division, to take control of the matter at the earliest possible stage.
Immediate strategic control
The client had been asked to attend a voluntary interview under caution in relation to an allegation said to date back many years. Very little information had initially been provided. The allegation was serious. The detail was limited. The reputational risk was obvious.
From the outset, Craig MacKenzie’s role was to bring structure, control and discretion to a situation which could easily have been mishandled.
That involved:
- immediate contact with the investigating officer;
- ensuring that all police communication was directed through the legal team;
- obtaining advance disclosure before any interview took place;
- pressing the police on the sensitive nature of the matter and the need for careful handling;
- controlling the timing and logistics of attendance so as to minimise unnecessary exposure.
For high-profile clients, early decisions are often the most important. An ill-judged voluntary interview, informal engagement with police, or poor management of the process can cause lasting damage long before any formal decision is made.
Reputation protection as part of the legal strategy
For public figures, reputational protection is not separate from the legal strategy. It is part of it.
In this case, particular care was taken to ensure that the matter was dealt with discreetly and that the client’s name, position and privacy were protected as far as possible throughout the process.
That included:
- keeping knowledge of the investigation to a strictly limited circle;
- obtaining confirmation from police that there was no intention at that stage to place information into the public domain;
- advising on the risk of leaks, press interest and wider reputational fallout;
- arranging private appointments and managing attendance at interview in a controlled and low-profile way.
When a client is in the public eye, the damage done by an allegation can arise not only from the evidence itself, but from the way the process is handled. Our role was to prevent that from happening.
Dealing with the realities of a historic allegation
Historic allegations require a very different approach from recent complaints.
The passage of time creates obvious difficulties. Dates are often vague. Locations are imperfectly remembered. Witnesses may have only partial recollection. At the same time, there is a real risk that a client, trying to be cooperative, begins to reconstruct events rather than recall them.
That is one of the most common and most dangerous pitfalls in historic cases.
In this matter, careful work was undertaken to distinguish between:
- genuine memory;
- assumption or reconstruction;
- and the client’s clear position as to what had not happened.
That process was essential. The objective was not to produce the longest possible account, but the safest and most accurate one.
Interview strategy and execution
A voluntary interview can often be the point at which a manageable case becomes significantly worse.
The strategy in this matter was therefore tightly controlled.
Craig MacKenzie prepared the client in detail, tested the police account against the available evidence, identified weaknesses and inconsistencies, and refined the client’s position into a short and disciplined prepared statement. The objective was to avoid unnecessary concessions, prevent the police from filling evidential gaps through interview, and ensure that the client did not fall into the usual traps that arise in historic allegations.
The interview was approached as part of a wider case strategy, not as an isolated event.
Outcome
The matter was dealt with swiftly and effectively.
Within a week of the police interview, a decision was made not to prosecute.
The client was not charged. His reputation, professional standing and privacy remained intact. The matter was resolved without the wider damage that often accompanies allegations of this kind.
That outcome was the result of early intervention, strategic preparation, careful police engagement and a clear understanding of what was at stake.
Specialist representation for high-profile clients
Craig MacKenzie regularly advises:
- public figures;
- politicians;
- senior professionals;
- business leaders;
- and other reputation-sensitive clients
facing criminal allegations, police investigations and voluntary interviews.
Our work in such cases often includes:
- urgent strategic advice at the first point of police contact;
- discreet consultations outside standard arrangements where necessary;
- management of police communication and disclosure;
- careful handling of historic allegations;
- interview preparation and attendance;
- advice on confidentiality, family disclosure and media risk.
When reputation, position and future are all at stake, early strategic intervention matters.
