Set Profile > Chambers of Jason Beer QC > London, England

Chambers of Jason Beer QC > Firm Profile

Overview

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. A number of members accept direct public access work.

Work Undertaken.

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. Members are often involved in public law cases that break new legal ground. They regularly advise and act in a wide range of public law cases for individuals, ministers and government departments, local authorities, regulatory authorities and other public bodies. The team includes members of each of the Attorney General’s panels of counsel. Members are particularly known for their work in cases that have a civil liberties, human rights or criminal justice dimension.

Public Inquiries
5 Essex Court continues to lead in this area with members instructed in most major inquiries including 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, 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 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 in this area include R (Bridges) v Chief Constable of South Wales Police (SWP) 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 and R (Catt & T) v Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis.

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 employment law specialists recognised for their experience and practical advice and representation across the full scope of employment law issues.

5 Essex Court’s barristers are renowned for their expertise representing government departments, public bodies and Chief Constables in employment law, as well as mainstream private industry companies of all sizes.  They apply their vast experience in some of the most contentious and complex employment cases relating to public bodies as well as all industry sectors, from national retailers and service providers to blue-chip financial institutions.

Our employment law specialists represent and advise both employers and employees from the public and private sectors and regularly appear in Employment Tribunals as well as senior courts up to Supreme Court level. The team is recognised for giving sound practical and pragmatic advice. A number of our barristers pursued other careers such as Industrial relations, in industry before joining the Bar, so we have first-hand knowledge of the commercial issues facing clients.

Human rights
5 Essex Court barristers appear in some of the most ground-breaking human rights challenges in the courts today. Chambers’ caseload includes challenges to the actions of the police, government departments, prisons and other public bodies in the full range of courts from county level up to the Supreme Court. 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.

Personal Injury
5 Essex Court’s personal injury team acts for a broad range of private and public sector clients including insurers, corporates, the police, prisons, government departments, and local authorities, as well as direct access clients. Members’ expertise covers the full spectrum of personal injury cases, from the most serious and complex multi-track claims to the simplest small track claims. Clients benefit from the team’s ability to draw on their expertise in other overlapping core areas of practice including employment, regulatory and human rights law.

Lawyer Profiles

Photo	Name	Position	Profile
	Charles Apthorp	Charles’ areas of expertise include police law, employment law, commercial litigation and…	View Profile
	Fiona Barton QC	Examples of her work include: The London Bridge Terrorist Attack Inquests [2019]…	View Profile
	Jason Beer QC	Jason often leads teams of counsel in complex, high-profile and sensitive…	View Profile
	Barnabas Branston	Barney acts for a range of clients including police forces across England…	View Profile
	Amy Clarke	Amy acts on behalf of constabularies across the country in cases involving…	View Profile
	Robert Cohen	Notable cases: R(Hambleton) v HM Coroner for the Birmingham (1974) Inquests (appeal…	View Profile
	Beatrice Collier	Notable recent work includes: Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse, R. (on…	View Profile
	Kate Cornell	Notable civil cases include: defending a claim for alleged breach of Article…	View Profile
	Jonathan Dixey	Jonathan’s clients include police forces, public bodies and coroners. Recent high profile cases…	View Profile
	Russell Fortt	Recent work includes a scoping exercise for the IPCC into the policing…	View Profile
	John Goss	John acts in civil claims, police discipline cases, judicial reviews and has…	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	Ciicely specialises in the areas of Police law, Inquests, Employment law, Public Law and…	View Profile
	Alison Hewitt	Alison  specialises in inquests and is very experienced in all aspects of…	View Profile
	Daniel Hobbs	Dan has been conducting employment cases ever since he qualified in 1998.…	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, employment, human rights and…	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
	Peter Laverack	He frequently acts in the High Court, Crown Court, County Court and…	View Profile
	Samantha Leek QC	Particular expertise in inquests and civil claims arising out of: deaths in…	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	From 2017 to 2019, Aaron was instructed as junior counsel (CTI) to…	View Profile
	Richard Oulton	Richard specialises in employment, police misconduct, commercial and personal injury law. He…	View Profile
	Claire Palmer	She is regularly instructed by a number of government departments as well…	View Profile
	Alan Payne QC	Alan, who is develop vetted, acts for variety of clients including police…	View Profile
	Emma Price	Emma’s inquest practice focusses on article 2 inquests into deaths in detention…	View Profile
	Bilal Rawat	Significant cases include:   Grenfell Tower Inquiry (as counsel to the Inquiry);…	View Profile
	Remi Reichhold	Remi is currently junior counsel for the Government of Mauritius in relation…	View Profile
	Anne Studd QC	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 has considerable trial experience as well as particular expertise and interest…	View Profile
	Mark Thomas	Having acted as junior counsel for the Metropolitan Police in the landmark…	View Profile
	Alex Ustych	Alex specialises in police law, inquests/inquiries, data protection/information law, employment law, public…	View Profile
	Charlotte Ventham	Notable cases: Rees & others v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis…	View Profile
	John-Paul Waite	In addition to the above areas, John-Paul has a particular specialism in…	View Profile
	Simon Walsh	Simon now focuses his practice on police discipline and regulatory work after many…	View Profile
	Andrew Waters	Representing and advising police forces in England and Wales across the whole…	View Profile
	Francesca Whitelaw	Francesca is appointed to the Attorney-General’s B Panel of Junior Counsel to…	View Profile
	Georgina Wolfe	Georgina appears regularly as sole counsel and junior counsel before a range…	View Profile
	Victoria von Wachter	Victoria advises a wide range of private and public sector clients on…	View Profile