Called to the Bar in 1992 and is called to the Bar of Northern Ireland. Member of the
Contact Email: ng@5pb.co.uk
Specialist Areas
· Public inquiries
· Public law litigation
· Serious crime
His practice is in complex and high-profile litigation and public inquiries. He brings to bear extensive experience in the conduct of large-scale proceedings, often involving material of a highly sensitive nature. He was involved in the
He acts on behalf of both the defence and the prosecution in major criminal proceedings. He is a Level 4 Advocate on the Crown Prosecution Service London list, which is the highest level for junior counsel.
What the directories say
Nicholas is ranked in Chambers and Partners (2012) for his work in Administrative & Public Law / public inquiries and in The Legal 500 (2011) as a leading junior in the field of civil liberties and human rights. Previous comments about him have included:
· “For ten years or so now he has been in some of the major matters of the day...” (C&P 2009)
· he is a “noted practitioner” in the field of public inquiries (C&P 2010)
· “Always cool-headed, he’s excellent at managing small teams and taking responsibility’” (C&P 2011)
Public Inquiries
He provides expert advice and advocacy in respect of statutory and non-statutory inquiries of all types. His experience encompasses most aspects of work in the field: from pre-inquiry advice relating to matters such as disclosure, to witness protection issues (making applications for anonymity and witness screening as necessary) to the implementation of recommendations made by the inquiry.
He appeared in The Rosemary Nelson Inquiry representing a serving chief constable and a large number of police officers involved in the investigation of the murder of a Catholic solicitor in 1999, by loyalist terrorists. The Inquiry was launched following allegations of state collusion in her death. Amongst the important issues at this inquiry were whether the policemen had conducted one of Northern Ireland’s largest terrorist murder investigations to a standard of due diligence. He also appeared in The Bloody Sunday Inquiry representing a large number of soldiers of all ranks, several of whom were alleged unlawfully to have killed demonstrators at a civil rights march in 1972. This was the longest public inquiry in
Public Law Litigation
He appeared in the Guantánamo Bay litigation (Al Rawi & Others v The Security Service, The Secret Intelligence Service, The Attorney General, The Foreign & Commonwealth Office, The Home Office), “one of the largest cases the Treasury Solicitors have had to face by a substantial margin” according to the judge. He represented the government departments and agencies. Very serious allegations were made against numerous Crown officers of collusion in torture on numerous occasions and in relation to numerous detainees. His responsibilities included oversight of the government disclosure exercise, which was unprecedented in its combination of scale, sensitivity and complexity. He directed the team of over 25 junior barristers reviewing that material.
Crime
Nicholas acts for both the prosecution and the defence in cases concerning serious crime. He has a detailed knowledge of the investigatory process and has worked at close quarters with the police and other agencies in relation to lengthy and high profile investigations. He is security to a high level and has considerable experience of dealing with sensitive material in the context of criminal investigations and trial. He has an interest in covert policing, its statutory and regulatory framework and the practical application of these rules. He is able to deploy the latest technology in the conduct of large and complex cases and in the presentation of such cases at trial.
Nicholas is aware of the wider issues that may arise from police activity, criminal investigations and trials. He has provided advice and representation in relation to a range of connected matters, such as habeas corpus and judicial review applications, deaths in police custody and allegedly inappropriate media reporting of an ongoing police investigation.
Professional
Member of:
· The Bar Council Law Reform Committee
· The Administrative Bar Association
· The Criminal Bar Association
· The International Bar Association
· The Bar Council’s Public Access List
Security clearance: developed vetted
Nicholas provides CPD lectures to solicitors and others on all aspects of his practice.
Other
He is an Assistant Commissioner for the Boundary Commission for