Solicitor
Diarmaid Kelly is from Belfast and graduated with and LLB (Hons) in law from the University of Ulster in 2002. He attended the School of Law in Chester and completed his LPC training contract with distinction England & Wales including a period in a high calibre criminal defence firm where he gained specific experience in complex fraud cases. He qualified as a solicitor in Northern Ireland in 2010 shortly after joining the Harte Coyle Collins Criminal Law Department. His track record and results demonstrate his dogged determination and expertise in successfully challenging serious criminal allegations across all courts and diligently representing clients.
Diarmaid is part of the criminal defence team which received recent recognition in the top 40 Law Firms in Northern Ireland in 2022 (Belfast Telegraph/Statista Survey). He acts on behalf of clients in the following courts and areas of law;
- Arrests under the Police & Criminal Evidence (NI) Order 1989 and Terrorism legislation,
- Magistrates Court, including cases where the evidence is contested,
- Crown Court (jury and judge only trials) including seeking full disclosure of all relevant prosecution and third party evidence before trial and sourcing and briefing defence experts for trial.
- Court of Appeal cases to the Northern Ireland Court of Criminal Appeal including appeals against both conviction and sentence on points of law from jury and judge only Crown Court cases, Diarmaid is expert in reviewing Crown Court convictions and sentences for the purposes of appeal on a point of law to the Court of Criminal Appeal in Northern Ireland,
- Extradition proceedings involving defending requests from European countries to extradite clients from Northern Ireland for questioning and trial,
- Proceeds of Crime & Confiscation Order proceedings including challenging Restraint & Confiscation Orders freezing and confiscating property and money. Diarmaid has specific expertise in this niche area of law. In 2015 he successfully challenged the confiscation of property belonging to a client which resulted in the guideline Court of Appeal judgment of R v Gabriel Mackle [2015] NICA 5.
- Applications for Press Reporting Restrictions on jury trials, applications to the Court for Orders compelling third parties (such as media outlets) to provide information to the defence,
Diarmaid is a keen sportsman and has played Gaelic football at all Club levels in Belfast. He is a fluent Irish speaker and is available to clients seeking potential representation in Irish.