Theemis Consulting

Margaret is a former partner in a leading criminal defence practice, where she specialised in serious crime, including murder, manslaughter and terrorism offences. She is also the author of two textbooks on prison law. In 2014, she left private practice to become an independent legal consultant.

In February 2023, Margaret was appointed as the first Commissioner for Service Police Complaints. In this role, she provides independent oversight of the Service Police (Navy, Army, and Air Force) complaints system, makes recommendations to improve policing practice and independently investigates the most serious and sensitive cases which may include deaths in custody.

Margaret’s other work includes:

• Advising international legal teams defending allegations of war crimes in the International Criminal Court and disputes between states in the International Court of Justice.
• Advising and chairing various statutory bodies as an independent Legal Assessor or Legally Qualified Chair.
• Trustee/Director of Appeal, a charity and law practice dedicated to fighting miscarriages of justice and advocating for reform of the criminal justice system.
• Chairing safeguarding panels on behalf of the cricket regulator.

Margaret was appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2018 and an Acting Judge of the Supreme Court of the British Indian Ocean Territory in 2023.