5 Essex Court > London, England > Set Profile
5 Essex Court Offices

5 Essex Court
TEMPLE
LONDON
EC4Y 9AH
England
5 Essex Court > The Legal 500 Rankings
London Bar > Inquests and inquiries Tier 1
5 Essex Court‘s ‘very effective‘ inquest team houses a sizeable number of inquest and coronial law specialists at all levels, including a senior coroner; and it routinely acts for clients from sectors such as the emergency services, healthcare, government, local authorities, prisons, security firms and the military. Jason Beer KC‘s experience includes a significant number of public inquiries, and is currently instructed in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry (for the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government), the Covid Inquiry (for the NHS), and the Salisbury Poisonings Inquiry (for Counter Terrorism Policing South East); and the track record of widely respected police law specialist Fiona Barton KC includes representing the Commissioner of City of London Police in the inquest into the fatal shooting of Hassan Yahya, who was shot dead by police in 2020 after reportedly brandishing knives in Westminster. At non-silk level, senior junior Bilal Rawat‘s recent workload includes acting for Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service Inquest into the 2021 death of Sudesh Amman, a released convicted terrorist who was found to be lawfully killed by undercover police officers after he stabbed two members of the public.Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘5 Essex Court is a very effective set, with some strong juniors coming through as well as some leaders in their fields. They also offer regular free online training on the latest issues, as well as a free advice service, both of which greatly help clients – highly rated.‘
‘5 Essex Court is without a doubt the best police law set. Its quality of counsel is, in my opinion, far above any other chambers – recommended every time.‘
‘Strong chambers with vast experience and depth at inquests and inquiries.‘
‘The quality of counsel at all levels is exceptional, and this Chambers is always willing to assist wherever and whenever it can.‘
‘Excellent set for police law. Very knowledgeable and it covers all aspects, with all different levels of call.‘
Clerking
‘The clerks are always polite and helpful.‘
London Bar > Police law (forces and constables) Tier 1
5 Essex Court ‘is a leading set in defendant police law‘ and is involved in cases at each level and in each area of police law, from judicial reviews to public enquiries. Jason Beer KC acted in Prior & Fielding and 395 Others v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, representing 400 Royalty and Specialist Protection Command Officers for payments and allowances relating to their duties as members of the. Alan Payne KC provides ‘robust and consistent‘ advice and has particular expertise in judicial review proceedings, inquiries and in defending civil actions against the police. Andrew Waters has acted in notable cases such as the Bichard Inquiry into child protection issues, and has recently been involved a high profile case resulting from a collapsed gangland murder trial.Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘5 Essex Court has an excellent reputation for police work.’
‘They are the go-to set for claims against the police.’
‘The set is a very strong set in all areas of police law with an ever growing expansion into niche areas of police law.’
Clerking
‘Excellent. Mark Waller is excellent. James Cole is a very good junior clerk. All the staff are helpful and communicative.’
‘The clerks are friendly, approachable and always keen to assist.’
‘Always extremely helpful and quick to respond.’
Work highlights
London Bar > Immigration (including business immigration)
Leading Silks
London Bar > Administrative law and human rights
London Bar > Employment
Leading Juniors
5 Essex Court > Set Profile
The set: 5 Essex Court is a top tier set of chambers recognised for exemplary client service, depth and breadth of experience in its specialist areas and outstanding quality of counsel. Chambers has a formidable reputation in its core areas of practice – police law, public/administrative law, public inquiries, inquests, professional disciplinary/regulatory, information law, employment law and human rights. Members, many of whom are recognised as leaders in their field, have appeared in some of the UK’s most significant civil law cases, inquests and inquiries over the last decade. Chambers represents a broad range of clients in both the public and private sectors and across the United Kingdom. The public accountability of many of the set’s clients is always a key consideration and members deploy measured, forensic advocacy coupled with an accessible, efficient and practical approach.
Areas of expertise
Police law: Pre-eminent in this field, chambers is consistently recommended as the leading set for police law. The strength in depth of the police law team is highlighted by the large number of members ranked at all levels of call in this area of expertise. 5 Essex Court’s highly regarded specialists are instructed by every police force in England and Wales and by Police Scotland on all aspects of police law. They have a formidable and unrivalled record of appearances in almost every case, inquest or inquiry of substance concerning police law to Supreme Court level.
Public / administrative law: Legal challenges to public bodies have been at the core of 5 Essex Court’s work for more than half a century. Our barristers are often involved in public law cases that break new legal ground. Our public and administrative law team has considerable experience in acting in cases involving government departments. Numerous members have been appointed to all levels of the Attorney General’s Panel of Civil Counsel. Members of the Public and Administrative Law team are particularly known for their work in cases that have a civil liberties, human rights or criminal justice dimension. These include high profile challenges to the government, police, the Crown Prosecution Service and prison Governors. They arise in many contexts including Coroners’ inquests and regulatory or disciplinary proceedings.
Public Inquiries: 5 Essex Court continues to lead in this area with members instructed in most major inquiries including the Covid Inquiry, the Post Office Inquiry, the Brook House Inquiry, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Renewable Heat Inquiry, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and the Undercover Policing Inquiry. The public inquiries team represents a broad range of clients and members are also regularly instructed as counsel to the inquiry. Public inquiries are inherently high profile and members are consistently praised for their effective handling of the sensitivities and challenges facing clients who are often in the spotlight for an extended period.
Inquests: Recognised as a leading set in this area, 5 Essex Court offers a comprehensive service covering all stages of an inquest. The team comprises a large number of recommended specialists including a senior coroner. In addition to their renowned expertise involving the police, members have extensive experience of representing clients from a range of sectors including other emergency services, healthcare providers, government departments, local authorities, prison services, security firms, publicly listed and private companies. Members of the inquest team have appeared in the most high-profile inquests of recent years, both as counsel to interested persons and as counsel to the inquest, including: Deepcut, London Bridge Attack, Westminster Terror Attack, Birmingham Pub Bombings, Perepilichnyy, Poppi Worthington and Maughan.
Data protection and information law: From national security to cyber security, 5 Essex Court’s team regularly provides advice and advocacy in matters relating to information and data protection law, with extensive experience acting for government, police forces, businesses and regulators.
Members of our team appear in UK courts and tribunals from the Supreme Court down in some of the highest-profile cases involving information law. Significant matters include R (Bridges) v Chief Constable of South Wales Police in the first ever legal challenge against the use of automatic facial recognition technology. Sir Cliff Richard v BBC, R (Miranda) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, R (Catt & T) v Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis, HM v Secretary of Department (data protection challenge to seizure of mobile phones from small boat migrants) and in proceedings brought by the press challenging the failure of the Conservative party to disclose information relating to the party election process.
The information law team provides practical advice and excellent advocacy at all stages, from time-sensitive crisis management through to complex and high-value litigation.
Employment law: Chambers has a team of talented and experienced employment law specialists recognised for providing practical advice and representation across the full spectrum of employment law issues.
5 Essex Court’s barristers are renowned for representing Chief Constables, NHS trusts and public bodies as well as companies of all sizes including national retailers and blue-chip financial institutions.
Our employment law specialists represent and advise both employers and employees and apply their vast experience to some of the most contentious and complex employment cases when appearing in the Employment Tribunals and the higher courts up to Supreme Court level.
The team is recognised for giving sound and pragmatic advice with a number of our barristers having pursued other careers in industry before joining the Bar.
Human rights: 5 Essex Court is instructed in many of the leading Human Rights challenges in England and Wales, up to and including in the Supreme Court. Members have worked on cases concerning the use of facial recognition, police shootings, prison conditions, stop and search, and freedom of expression. The team is skilled, robust and creative in dealing with claims which push the boundaries of human rights jurisprudence. The experience of members of the team includes international law and Commonwealth human rights litigation.
Disciplinary/regulatory: Building on its widely recognised expertise in police misconduct, 5 Essex Court has a strong presence in the wider regulatory context. Members of the team represent regulators, companies and individuals across a range of sectors, including healthcare, energy and professional services, and in all manner of proceedings concerning regulatory law issues. These include professional discipline, civil claims, public inquiries and inquests.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Senior Clerk | Mark Waller | clerks@5essexcourt.co.uk | 020 7410 2000 |
Member of Chambers | BEER KC, Jason (1992) | ||
Member of Chambers | BARTON KC, Fiona (1986) | ||
Member of Chambers | STUDD KC, Anne (1988) | ||
Member of Chambers | LEEK KC, Samantha (1993) | ||
Member of Chambers | PAYNE KC, Alan (1996) | ||
Member of Chambers | APTHORP, Charles (1983) | ||
Member of Chambers | HEWITT, Alison (1984) | ||
Member of Chambers | WALSH, Simon (1987) | ||
Member of Chambers | WATERS, Andrew (1987) | ||
Member of Chambers | OULTON, Richard (1995) | ||
Member of Chambers | WAITE, John-Paul (1995) | ||
Member of Chambers | RAWAT, Bilal (1995) | ||
Member of Chambers | HARRIS, Melvyn (1997) | ||
Member of Chambers | HODGE, Alastair (1997) | ||
Member of Chambers | VON WACHTER, Victoria (1997) | ||
Member of Chambers | HOBBS, Daniel (1998) | ||
Member of Chambers | BRANSTON, Barnabas (1999) | ||
Member of Chambers | FORTT, Russell (1999) | ||
Member of Chambers | VENTHAM, Charlotte (2001) | ||
Member of Chambers | CORNELL, Kate (2003) | ||
Member of Chambers | PALMER, Claire (2003) | ||
Member of Chambers | WHITELAW, Francesca (2003) | ||
Member of Chambers | COLLIER, Beatrice (2004) | ||
Member of Chambers | LANDAU, Jonathan (2004) | ||
Member of Chambers | THOMAS, Mark (2006) | ||
Member of Chambers | WOLFE, Georgina (2006) | ||
Member of Chambers | HARLAND, Robert (2006) | ||
Member of Chambers | DIXEY, Jonathan (2007) | ||
Member of Chambers | TAHERI, Peter (2007) | ||
Member of Chambers | PRICE, Emma (2007) | ||
Door Tenant | CHECA DOVER, Olivia (2007) | ||
Member of Chambers | HAYWARD, Cicely (2008) | ||
Member of Chambers | IDELBI, Saara (2008) | ||
Member of Chambers | COHEN, Robert (2009) | ||
Member of Chambers | CLARKE, Amy (2010) | ||
Member of Chambers | TALALAY, Robert (2010) | ||
Member of Chambers | USTYCH, Alex (2010) | ||
Member of Chambers | HODGE, Catriona (2012) | ||
Member of Chambers | MEREDITH, Alice (2013) | ||
Member of Chambers | MOSS, Aaron (2013) | ||
Member of Chambers | TAYLOR, Sarah (2014) | ||
Member of Chambers | GOSS, John (2015) | ||
Member of Chambers | LAVERACK, Peter (2015) | ||
Member of Chambers | JOYCE, Molly (2016) | ||
Member of Chambers | MESSLING, David (2017) | ||
Member of Chambers | GOSS, Zander (2017) | ||
Member of Chambers | WRIGHT, Jennifer (2018) | ||
Member of Chambers | MONIGHAN, Conor (2019) | ||
Member of Chambers | GARNETT, Edmund (2021) |
Barrister Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Charles Apthorp | Charles’ areas of expertise include police law, employment law, commercial litigation and… | View Profile |
![]() | Fiona Barton | Fiona is recognised as a leading silk specialising in all aspects of… | View Profile |
![]() | Jason Beer | Jason is recognised as a leading silk, and specialises in public inquiries,… | View Profile |
![]() | Barnabas Branston | Barney acts for a range of clients including police forces across England… | View Profile |
![]() | Amy Clarke | She is regularly instructed in complex and high profile cases such as… | View Profile |
![]() | Robert Cohen | Robert practises in police, public law, data protection and information law, inquests… | View Profile |
![]() | Beatrice Collier | Beatrice’s practice is a mixture of civil actions, judicial reviews, inquests and… | View Profile |
![]() | Kate Cornell | Kate practices in police law dealing with civil claims, policy advice and… | View Profile |
![]() | Jonathan Dixey | Jonathan is recognised as a leading junior specialising in police law, inquests,… | View Profile |
![]() | Russell Fortt | Recent work includes a scoping exercise for the IPCC into the policing… | View Profile |
![]() | John Goss | John practises in public/administrative matters including judicial review, police law, inquests and… | View Profile |
![]() | Robert Harland | Robert is a member of the Attorney General’s B panel and is very… | View Profile |
![]() | Melvyn Harris | He advises and represents both Claimants and Respondents in the private and… | View Profile |
![]() | Cicely Hayward | Cicely’s practice encompasses police law, inquests and inquiries, public law, human rights… | View Profile |
![]() | Alison Hewitt | Alison specialises in inquests and is very experienced in all aspects of… | View Profile |
![]() | Daniel Hobbs | Dan practices in Employment Law and Professional Discipline. He is involved in… | View Profile |
![]() | Alastair Hodge | Alastair has successfully acted for both teachers and head teachers in misconduct… | View Profile |
![]() | Catriona Hodge | Catriona specialises in police and public law, inquests and inquiries, human rights… | View Profile |
![]() | Saara Idelbi | She regularly appears and advises on matters in the Tribunals, Coroners’ Court,… | View Profile |
![]() | Molly Joyce | Molly regularly acts for police forces before the Crown and Magistrates’ Court… | View Profile |
![]() | Jonathan Landau | Jonathan specialises in inquests, public law (with particular expertise in representing coroners),… | View Profile |
![]() | Peter Laverack | He frequently acts in the High Court, Crown Court, County Court and… | View Profile |
![]() | Samantha Leek | Sam specialises in inquests and public inquiries, and practises in all areas… | View Profile |
![]() | Samantha Leek | Sam specialises in inquests and public inquiries, and practises in all areas… | View Profile |
![]() | Alice Meredith | She has particular experience in civil claims including discrimination and ECHR claims,… | View Profile |
![]() | David Messling | David joined 5 Essex Court as a tenant in September 2019 after… | View Profile |
![]() | Aaron Moss | Aaron practices in police and public law (with particular expertise in matters… | View Profile |
![]() | Richard Oulton | Richard is a specialist employment lawyer, covering a wide range of employment… | View Profile |
![]() | Claire Palmer | Claire practises in public law, inquests, inquiries, civil claims, and employment law.… | View Profile |
![]() | Emma Price | Emma specialises in inquests and inquiries, public law, human rights and civil… | View Profile |
![]() | Bilal Rawat | Bilal’s practice encompasses public law, prison law, inquests and inquiries, national security,… | View Profile |
![]() | Anne Studd | Anne undertakes judicial reviews, civil claims, inquests and inquiries for police forces… | View Profile |
![]() | Anne Studd | Anne undertakes judicial reviews, civil claims, inquests and inquiries for police forces… | View Profile |
![]() | Peter Taheri | Peter’s practice is mainly focused on Inquests and on work across the… | View Profile |
![]() | Robert Talalay | Robert (Bobby) practices in police and public law (with particular expertise in… | View Profile |
![]() | Mark Thomas | Mark specialises in police law, inquests, public/administrative law and employment law. His… | View Profile |
![]() | Alex Ustych | Alex specialises in police law, inquests/inquiries, data protection/information law, employment law, public… | View Profile |
![]() | Charlotte Ventham | Charlotte’s practice embraces all areas of civil and public law relevant to… | View Profile |
![]() | John-Paul Waite | John-Paul practices in the areas of police and public law, employment law,… | View Profile |
![]() | Simon Walsh | Simon now focuses his practice on police discipline and regulatory work after many… | View Profile |
![]() | Andrew Waters | Andrew practices in police and public law and has a considerable depth… | View Profile |
![]() | Francesca Whitelaw | Francesca is a leading specialist in government and police law. She represents… | View Profile |
![]() | Georgina Wolfe | Georgina specialises in inquests, public inquiries, police law public law, human rights,… | View Profile |
![]() | Victoria von Wachter | Victoria practices in police disciplinary matters (with particular expertise in matters concerning… | View Profile |
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Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
At 5 Essex Court, equality, diversity and inclusion are integral to our ethos. We are committed to providing a fair, inclusive and supportive working environment that promotes wellbeing and equal access to opportunities and enables the continuous professional and personal development of our barristers, pupils and staff. We believe that a fair and inclusive workplace drives success and that all individuals coming into contact with Chambers should feel valued, included and able to be themselves. We believe that everybody should be treated with dignity and respect.
We have a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination on the grounds of a protected characteristic, and to bullying, harassment and victimisation.
We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation. We will not tolerate racism in any form and have clear processes for dealing with any instances of racial discrimination, harassment or victimisation arising in Chambers. We recognise, however, that being truly anti-racist goes beyond not tolerating racism. It requires us to acknowledge the effects of existing and systemic racism in all its forms and to take proactive steps to address race inequality in our profession and in the wider community.
We are committed to achieving the Bar Council’s stated vision of “a profession representative of all and for all” by identifying and seeking to address barriers and assumptions that inhibit the progression of those with a protected characteristic or those from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds into and within the profession.
We are committed to making reasonable adjustments in order to remove (or reduce as far as we can) substantial disadvantage for disabled people working within Chambers or using our services.
Chambers is a frontrunner in providing support to those taking parental or carer leave. This support includes a rent-free period following return to work, a parental and carer leave mentoring scheme and provision for flexible working for members of staff, members of Chambers and pupils with caring commitments.
We attach great importance to mental health and wellbeing. Chambers aspires both to be a good employer and to create a safe environment for work and practice. We aim to encourage and facilitate working practices and services that support the health and well-being of all staff, pupils and barristers.
We recognise that some people are transgender and that not everyone feels that their gender can be defined within the margins of gender binary. We have an inclusive approach to engaging with people and recognise that we are all different. We treat everybody with dignity and respect.
We are proud of the fact that 5 Essex Court is number one in the ‘Most Female QCs’ category of the Legal Cheek’s ‘Chambers Most Lists 2022’, with 60% of our QCs being female. We are joint eighth in the ‘Most Female Juniors’ category, with 40% of our juniors being female.
Client Testimonials
CLIENT: Hannah Walsh, Partner
COMPANY/FIRM: Weightmans LLP
TESTIMONIAL: Weightmans and 5 Essex Court have worked together for our police clients for the last 20 years. It’s a great partnership. I really value the trust and friendships we’ve developed over the years with many of the incredibly experienced barristers and of course the great clerking chambers provide. The teamworking ethos is a real plus.
CLIENT: Andrew Steel, FSM Partner, National Head of Public Sector Services
COMPANY/FIRM: Plexus Law
TESTIMONIAL: 5 Essex Court are the ‘go-to set for Police Law. They have been for some time and remain so for myself and my team. They provide an unrivalled level of experience across the board and are rightly recognised as being the leaders in the field. This is backed up by the clerking team, headed up by Mark Waller. They are responsive, helpful and always willing to try and find a solution.
- Inquests and inquiries
- Police law (forces and constables)