Masters of the Bench

Anthony Peto KC was educated at Bishop Wordsworth’s School, Salisbury and then at Brasenose College Oxford, where he took a BA and BCL in Jurisprudence. He was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in 1985 and has been in full time practice as a barrister in Blackstone Chambers (formerly 2 hare Court) since 1986. He was appointed Counsel to the Crown on the Attorney-General’s A Panel in 2008 and took silk in 2009. He was elected co-Head of Blackstone Chambers with Monica Carss-Frisk QC on three consecutive occasions and occupied that position 2012-2022.  The bulk of his practice is in Commercial Litigation, but with an emphasis on International Civil Fraud and Conflict of Laws, specialising particularly in cross-border pre-emptive remedies and enforcement.  He also practices in the fields of Public Law and Human Rights, recently acting pro bono in a Supreme Court case on voting rights. He has advised Parliamentarians on wide-ranging legal issues, including advice on the drafting of amendments to Bills and Parliamentary procedure.  In 2013 he and Andrew Tyrie MP (as he then was) co-authored a publication with the Centre for Policy Studies entitled  “Neither Just nor Secure”, a critique of what became the Justice and Security Act 2013.

“Neither Just nor Secure” won the 2013 Prospect Magazine “Think Tank of the Year” award.