Madeleine de Ferrer is a dedicated criminal barrister at Cobden House Chambers with an established and growing Crown Court practice.
Since accepting tenancy following the successful completion of her pupillage in 2025, she is regularly instructed by both prosecution and defence in a wide range of criminal matters. Madeleine is committed to a high standard of client care, frequently working with vulnerable lay clients in difficult situations, she ensures that clients feel supported, listened to and that advice is delivered in a clear and sensitive manner.
Madeleine is a category 2 CPS prosecutor and regularly receives instructions in cases involving the supply of drugs, violence, dishonesty and sexual offences.
Prior to commencing pupillage, Madeleine worked for British Cycling as Regulatory and Compliance Manager, where she acted on behalf of the Governing Body in disciplinary disputes, worked alongside UK Anti-Doping and sat on the Integrity Committee. Disciplinary cases often spanned into criminal law, and so she worked closely with statutory agencies. While at British Cycling, she also held the role of deputy safeguarding lead.
In 2021 Madeleine completed an MA at the University of Groningen, which focused on the growth of right-wing extremism in the UK.
Defence
R v AR (2026) – defended a client initially charged with s.18, the matter was resolved to a plea to the alternative. On the basis of difficult personal mitigation, a suspended sentence order was imposed.
R v NR (2026) – granted leave to appeal sentence to the Court of Appeal, on the basis of mitigation not wholly considered by the sentencing judge.
R v JS (2026) – defended a sentence for a client who had been convicted of multiple breaches of his sexual harm prevention order. Successfully argued for a concurrent sentence, which resulted in a significant reduction of time in custody.
Ann Goddard Scholarship
LLM in Legal Practice at the Bar (distinction) – Manchester Metropolitan University (2024)
MA in Religion, Conflict and Globalisation (cum laude honours) – University of Groningen, Netherlands (2021)
LLB in Law (2:1) – University of East Anglia (2020)
The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn
Outside of her professional life, Madeleine enjoys socialising with her friends and family, travelling, and training for whichever sporting event she’s entered next. She also spends as much time as possible, with her parent’s two dogs.
This site uses cookies that enable us to make improvements, provide relevant content, and for analytics purposes. For more details, see our Cookie Policy. By clicking Accept, you consent to our use of cookies.
