John Goss

John accepts instructions in all of Chambers’ main practice areas with particular interest in police law, public/administrative matters, inquests and information law.

John practises in public/administrative matters including judicial review, police law, inquests and inquiries, and data protection/information law.

He is a member of the Attorney General’s C Panel (appointed 2019). He is qualified to accept Direct Access instructions.

John’s recent cases have included a high-value false imprisonment trial in the High Court (Fittschen v Chief Constable of Dorset [2022] EWHC 399 (QB)), high-profile police disciplinary proceedings, and judicial reviews on behalf of police forces and other public bodies, including R (Chief Constable of Avon & Somerset Constabulary) v Crown Court at Bristol [2022] EWHC 1770 (Admin) and R (City of Wolverhampton Council & ors) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2022] EWHC 1721 (Admin).

His data protection/information law work includes advising and representing individuals, companies, charities, regulators and other public bodies, both in damages claims and in proceedings in the FTT or ICO investigations. He acted in the High Court and Court of Appeal in the lead case on the confidentiality of information provided by asylum seekers, Re H [2020] EWCA Civ 1001.

He is instructed in the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry and on the inquest into the 2020 Reading stabbings, and is regularly instructed in substantial inquests.

John is an editor of 5 Essex Chambers' monthly Data Protection and Information Law Bulletin, The Data Brief. He also regularly contributes to chambers’ Police Law Update and Inquests & Inquiries newsletter.