Mahdev Sachdev - KBW Barristers Chambers

Mahdev Singh Sachdev

Year of call: 2021 (Malaysia; 2022)

Mahdev has a growing multi-disciplinary practice. He has appeared before a range of tribunals acting on instructions in criminal prosecution and defence, civil claims involving public bodies, inquests, proceeds of crime, and regulatory matters.

Prior to joining the English Bar, Mahdev interned at the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights. He produced internal research on regulating police misconduct in Malaysia and led public education initiatives on legal aid in Malaysia and the rights of persons with disabilities. Later, Mahdev worked at the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (“IBAHRI”). He carried out legal research and drafted private intervention letters for IBAHRI, addressed to the heads of states, highlighting human rights abuses.

As a caseworker with Leeds Free Legal Representation, Mahdev provided free legal advice and representation to employees bringing discrimination claims against their employers, including public bodies, before the Employment Tribunal.

In August 2022, Mahdev qualified as an Advocate & Solicitor of the Malaysian Bar. He has assisted various Senior Counsel with legal research and drafting in commercial and public law matters heard in the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Federal Court of Malaysia. He co- authored two chapters which feature in ‘Law and Practice in Civil Litigation in Malaysia’ (Sweet & Maxwell, 2023).

Mahdev previously worked on the production of ‘Advocates the Podcast’, showcasing interviews about the lives and tradecraft of Silks, Senior Counsel and retired Judges from across the world.

Crime

Practice Summary

Mahdev’s first priority is putting a client at ease. He is available to provide early written advice and to appear at all stages of proceedings in both the Magistrates’ Court and Crown Court. He is well placed to advise clients on the implications of criminal charges on family proceedings and vice versa having previously accepted instructions in public and private children matters. Mahdev’s civil work on cases engaging police powers further allows him to identify procedural irregularities in a criminal investigation at an early stage.

Mahdev has been appointed a Grade 2 Prosecutor on the General Crime and Fraud Panels by the Crown Prosecution Service. He has separately been instructed by the Complex Case Unit, Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute defendants, including a local parish councillor, for offences involving malicious communications directed toward Members of Parliament.

His recent work includes:

Court of Appeal

R v Tracey Cromwell [2025] EWCA Crim 1315 - The case was urgently referred to a full hearing before the Court of Appeal to determine if Mrs Cromwell’s sentence should be suspended following her conviction for two offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The panel granted leave to appeal after considering Mahdev’s oral and written submissions. The Court of Appeal, despite not suspending Mrs Cromwell’s sentence, recognised Mahdev’s “impressive submissions”.

Crown Court

R v OA [2026] (Sheffield Crown Court) – successfully opposed the prosecution’s application to admit the complainant’s body worn accounts via the Res Gestae common law exception resulting in the prosecution offering no evidence. Mahdev raised, in his written submissions, that the Court could not disregard the possibility of concoction or distortion by the complainant based on the evidence served.
R v MA [2026] (Preston Crown Court) – prosecuted a defendant convicted of section 18, Grievous Bodily Harm, after pouring boiling water on their ex-partner due to allegations of infidelity. The case engaged principles of jury irregularity.
R v DMN [2025] (Sheffield Crown Court) – the prosecution offered no evidence on charges of intentional strangulation and assault by beating against DMN after a section 8, Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 application was drafted by Mahdev for further disclosure which later revealed text messages of the complainant attempting to exaggerate/falsify allegations against DMN.
R v JP & Ors [2025] (Derby Crown Court) – defended a young person charged with four counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and acquiring criminal property in a case involving six defendants. The prosecution accepted pleas to two offences on a limited basis which Mahdev drafted after reviewing text message and cell site evidence.
R v SE [2024] (Sheffield Crown Court) – the Court dismissed a charge of fraud by false representation against SE after considering Mahdev’s skeleton argument which set out why the evidence against his client was insufficient to properly convict them.
R v LW & LWH [2024] (Teesside Crown Court) – prosecuted a closed conspiracy drugs trial which involved navigating around the Court’s decision to not admit one defendant’s guilty plea against the co-defendant who elected trial. The trial judge later commented that Mahdev’s closing speech was one of the best they had heard in a long time.

Mahdev has a particular interest in protest cases and financial crimes.

Public & Regulatory

Practice Summary

Mahdev is regularly instructed to advise and draft pleadings in claims involving public bodies.

More recently he has acted in the following matters:

SK v Ministry of Justice (Ongoing) – Mahdev is representing a prisoner in a claim alleging trespass to person following an incident involving prison officers restraining the prisoner. He has advised on the merits and drafted the Particulars of Claim.
AG v Ministry of Justice (2024) – Mahdev drafted the Particulars of Claim alleging breaches under the Data Protection Act 2018 and negligence after the Probation Service wrongly recalled the Claimant who shared the same name with the intended person. The defendant agreed to settle the claim following the service of the Particulars of Claim. Mahdev later advised on settlement figures.

Whilst qualifying as an Advocate & Solicitor at the Malaysian Bar, Mahdev worked on the following matters:

TMC v NPL & THL [2021] (Federal Court of Malaysia) – Mahdev drafted written submissions on the applicability of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities when interpreting section 52(1) of the Mental Health Act 2001, in an appeal about the appropriate test for when a Court may direct an inquiry into a person’s mental state.

Heidy Quah v Government of Malaysia [2021] (High Court of Malaya) – assisted with drafting written submissions on behalf of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, appearing as amicus curiae, in seeking leave to the Federal Court to clarify whether the words “offensive” and/or “annoy” prescribed in section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 infringed the right to equality (Article 8) and the freedom of speech (Article 10) of the Federal Constitution.

Members of a Political Party v Minister of Home Affairs & Registrar of Societies [2021] (High Court of Malaya) – assisted with drafting written submissions on behalf of the applicants judicially reviewing the Minister’s failure to provide reasons when they appealed the Registrar of Societies’ decision not to register their political party.

Mahdev welcomes instructions to advise and appear in matters with human rights claims and judicial reviews.

Attorney General's "Junior Junior" Scheme

As counsel on the scheme, Mahdev has undertaken the following work:

Drafted written submissions on the issue of costs for the defendant in the judicial review of H v Secretary of State for the Home Department (2023) heard in the High Court (King’s Bench Division).
Redacted materials to be disclosed as part of civil claims brought against the Ministry of Justice.

Applications under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002

Mahdev has acted for both public bodies and individuals in applications under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. He is available to provide early advice and represent parties at both case management and final hearings.

His work includes:

Chief Constable of Derbyshire Police v OE [Ongoing] (Derby Crown Court) – instructed to respond to an appeal against the making of a Forfeiture Order for monies held in bank accounts involving a sum of around £22,000 on the basis that the appellant was operating an unregistered Money Service Business, engaging in estate agent activities without registration, and/or money laundering.
Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police v KB [2025] (Sheffield Magistrates Court) – defended a Forfeiture Application for a listed asset.
HM Revenue and Customs v JI [2025] (Birmingham Magistrates Court) – successfully secured a Forfeiture Order for cash of around £24,000 seized from the Respondent whilst travelling through Birmingham International Airport on the basis that the cash was obtained through money laundering and/or the under declaration of income from the sale and purchase of gold.
Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police v DB & ors [2025] (Mansfield Magistrates Court) – successfully secured a Forfeiture Order of listed assets and cash from Respondents on the basis that they were involved in drug trafficking.

Business & Property

Practice Summary

Mahdev welcomes instructions relating to breaches of contract, shareholder disputes and civil fraud. His interest in civil fraud is underscored by his work before the criminal courts defending individuals accused of offences under the Fraud Act 2006 as well as in applying for/defending against civil applications under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Whilst qualifying as an Advocate & Solicitor at the Malaysian Bar, Mahdev assisted Senior Counsel on the following matters:

Serba Dinamik Holdings Berhad v Ernst & Young Consulting Sdn Bhd [2021] (High Court of Malaya – Commercial Division) – drafted written submissions, on behalf of the defendant, in opposing an application to join Securities Commission Malaysia and Bursa Securities Malaysia as parties to assist in determining whether the defendant fell within the meaning of “auditor” under the Main Market Listing Requirments.
Successful defence against a claim alleging that a Share Sale Agreement was void due to unconscionable acts following a 7-day trial in the High Court of Malaya.
Successful defence against a claim alleging a fraudulent and dishonest transfer of monies by a deceased company director resulting in an unjust enrichment of over RM 10.6 million, following a 3-day trial in the High Court of Malaya.
Secured an urgent freezing injunction against former employees of a multinational company to prevent the dissipation of appropriated monies and the destruction of documents that would evidence the torts of deceit and fraudulent misrepresentation.

Police

Practice Summary

In addition to representing parties in civil applications under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, Mahdev is also instructed on a Conditional Fee Agreement basis or on legal aid to represent parties in civil claims involving police forces. He has experience providing pre-action advice and drafting pleadings which raise breaches to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and Human Rights Act 1998.

Recent work includes:

MR v A Police Force (Ongoing) – currently representing a claimant at trial in a claim alleging assault and battery as well as breaches to Article 3, Human Rights Act 1998.
JL v A Police Force (2025) – advised on the merits of a claim involving unlawful arrest, false imprisonment, and trespass to person. The defendant settled the claim following service of the Particulars of Claim drafted by Mahdev.
CA v A Police Force (2024) – represented a claimant at trial in a case involving unlawful arrest, false imprisonment, and trespass to person.
A Chief Constable v Local Authority & Ors (2024) – appeared on behalf of the Chief Constable in a Public Interest Immunity Application before the Family Court to withhold disclosure of material from a live criminal investigation, following the death of a baby, into care proceedings. The Court granted the application and allowed disclosure to be withheld for a month.
JH v Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police (2024) [Northampton County Court] – Mahdev, appearing on behalf of the Chief Constable, persuaded the Court to dismiss the claimant’s application for a return of electronic devices pursuant to section 1 Police (Property) Act 1897 on the grounds that the County Court did not have jurisdiction to hear the matter, and that the claimant was estopped by the doctrine of res judicata.

Additionally, Mahdev is engaged to advise, draft skeleton arguments, and appear in longer running civil applications such as Violent Offender Orders, Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, Sexual Risk Orders, and Stalking Protection Orders. He has been instructed as independent counsel to advise on whether evidence in police possession attracts Legal Professional Privilege.

Employment & Equality

Practice Summary

Mahdev is available to provide pre-action advice, represent parties during settlement negotiations, draft pleadings, and appear before the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal.

Mahdev’s work at Leeds Free Legal Representation included:

Appeared in a Final Hearing on behalf of an employee bringing claims of direct and indirect discrimination and of harassment experienced during their pregnancy and whilst on maternity leave, against their employer, a travel company.
Negotiated a settlement of £27,000 for a vulnerable claimant with learning difficulties after they experienced discrimination arising from disability, victimisation and a failure to receive reasonable adjustments from a large company.
Negotiated a settlement of £18,000 for an elderly employee who faced victimisation and failed to receive reasonable adjustments when working for a public body. Mahdev worked on the case for over a year and provided regular written advice on evolving issues.

More recently, he has also acted for public bodies in preliminary hearings. Mahdev has been instructed to draft written submissions to oppose applications to amend statements of case.

Inquests & Public Inquiries

Practice Summary

Inquests and Inquiries

Mahdev welcomes instructions to act on behalf of families in inquests. He has attended training provided by the Legal Action Group.

His work includes:

Inquest into the death of Philip Burton (Hull Coroner’s Court) – represented the family of the bereaved on a pro bono basis in this inquest which heard evidence from medical professionals including a consultant psychiatrist after Mr Burton took his own life during his involvement with mental health services.
Inquest into the death of Charnjeet Bains (Derby Coroner’s Court) – represented the family of the bereaved on a pro bono basis in this inquest which heard evidence from medical and mental health professionals after Mr Bains took his own life whilst still engaging in community mental health treatment services.

In 2024, Mahdev was led by Olivia Checa-Dover, acting for South Yorkshire Police, in a 3-week inquest into the death of Matthew Terrill in police custody. The Court was persuaded to remove Unlawful Killing and Neglect from the conclusions open to the jury. The jury was directed that the actions of the police were neither probably nor possibly caused or contributed to Mr. Terrill’s death.

Background

Appointments

Crown Prosecution Service General Crime Panel – Grade 2.
Crown Prosecution Service Fraud Panel – Grade 2.
Attorney General’s “Junior Junior” Scheme.

Education and Awards

2019, Taylor’s University, Malaysia/University of Leeds – LL.B, First Class (Honours)
2020, University of Law, Leeds – BPTC, Very Competent
2020, International Bar Association, Education Trust Award
2020, Winner and Best Advocate, Parklane Plowden Family Law Moot
2019, University of Law, Advocacy Scholarship
2019, Winner, Malaysia’s Next Advocate
2018, Top 5 Best Speaker in Asia, United Asians Debating Championship

Publications