No5 Barristers' Chambers

Employment/Police/Regulatory Law

Barrister

For over twenty years, he has been instructed by the Police Federation of England & Wales to represent officers from all ranks at gross misconduct hearings, gross incompetent meetings, the Police Appeals Tribunal and the High Court. He has vast experience dealing with complex and lengthy cases and regularly represents officers at subsequent Inquests. Most Inquests that he conducts are before a jury and engage Article 2. These often involve complex issues and significant press attention and, therefore, require sensitive handling.

He was the only Barrister instructed to provide advice at the national level for the PFEW consultation into the current regime brought in by the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020, Police (Performance) Regulations 2020 and the associated HOG. He has also been instructed to provide advice at national level for PFEW in relation to the 2024 Amendment Regulations, Regulations 12 and 13 of the Police Regulations 2003, the Confidentiality for Police Federation Representatives, the Code of Practice, the Code of Ethics Framework, and the ‘Duty of Candour’.

Colin’s involvement in recent High Court cases includes R (on the application of Weed) v Metropolitan Police Commissioner [2020] EWHC 287 (Admin), R (on the app. of Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis) v PAT & Gutty [2022] EWHC 1951 (Admin), R (on the app. of Humpherson) v PAT & CC of West Midlands Police[2022] EWHC 2424 (Admin) and R (on the app. of Nicholas Barnes) v CC of Thames Valley Police [2023] EWHC 2737 (Admin).

He has an extensive knowledge of the ill-health retirement provisions and has represented numerous officers before the Police Medical Appeals Board and the High Court (e.g. R (on the app. of CC of Avon & Somerset) v PMAB & Middleton [2019] EWHC 557 (Admin)).

Colin’s other field of expertise is employment law, particularly in relation to claims by police officers and others for discrimination and whistleblowing. He regularly appears before Employment Tribunals and in the Employment Appeal Tribunal, for example, CC of Gwent Police v Parsons & Roberts, UKEAT/0143/18/DA and Patel v The Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis, UKEAT/0301/19/BA.

For example, Colin has recently secured compensation of over £1.1m at an Employment Tribunal, in what is thought to be one of the biggest awards ordered against a force following a claim brought by  a police officer (Hibbert v CC of Thames Valley Police, 3310944/2020).

Colin conducts training for members of the Police Federation, PSD, HR and solicitors in all matters relating to police law and employment law.

Colin regularly appears before other regulatory bodies (legal, medical and Courts Martial) and works in the financial services field. He has also appeared before the High Court against the Solicitors Regulation Authority on appeal from the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, for example successfully challenging the outcome in Lawson v Solicitors Regulation Authority [2015] EWHC 1237 (Admin).

Colin retains a private criminal practice, with a particular emphasis on quasi-civil disputes and road traffic matters.

Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers

Employment Law Bar Association

LLB (Hons) (Notts).