image of chambers

BARRISTERS

CHRISTOPHER JEYES B.SC.(HONS), PG DIP. LAW BARRISTSER

Christopher Jeyes B.Sc.(Hons), PG Dip. Law Barristser

Called to the Bar: 2005 (Gray’s Inn)

Education

  • B.Sc. Politics and Modern History - First Class Honours & University Prize (Brunel University 1997)
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Law - Distinction (Nottingham Trent University 2001 - 2003)
  • Bar Vocational Course – Very Competent (BPP Law School 2003 – 2005)

Awards

  • 1997 - Brunel University Prize
  • 2003 - Lord Justice Holker Award
  • 2005 - Mould Scholarship

Areas of Practice

Chris has appeared in courts throughout England and Wales, including London and the South East, the Midlands and Northern England, in the following (amongst other) areas of work:

  • Crime
    • Youth, Magistrates’ and Crown Courts, both Prosecution (CPS, DWP & NHS) and Defence. Recent cases include R. v. Rowson (£134,000 deception by charity treasurer), R. v. Evans (death by careless driving), R. v. Tomkins (reliability of LTI 20:20 laser speed gun).
    • Extensive previous experience as an accredited police station representative and Senior Crown Court Caseworker at Bhatia Best Solicitors, Nottingham (see below for more details).
  • General common law, including contract & tort
    • Proceedings on all tracks
    • Preliminary & substantive hearings
    • Written advice & drafting
    • Contractual and commercial disputes
    • Tort claims including PI and road traffic accidents and other negligence
    • Human rights
    • Recently involved in several "bank charge" cases in both County and High Courts – see article Highly charged? 157 NLJ 536 (New Law Journal, 20 April 2007)
  • Employment law
    • Employment Tribunal and Court proceedings
    • Ratified FRU representative
    • Advice and representation in all aspects of employment law: unfair & wrongful dismissal, discrimination, TUPE etc
  • Public law, including human rights, local government and education law
    • Advice and representation on all aspects of public law, including judicial review (applicant and respondent), statutory appeals, statutory interpretation, and human rights compatibility (including applications to the European Court of Human Rights)

Previous Work Experience

During a twelve-month pupillage at prestigious Blackstone Chambers, London, Chris undertook a wide variety of work for his pupil supervisors, including:

  • Advising company directors on a claim for non-payment of bonuses worth $2m
  • Resisting a TUPE claim brought by 35 employees
  • Claiming a search order against ex-employees to recover a company's core computer IP which was suspected to have been covertly copied and removed
  • Advising an aerodrome on the powers of the CAA to regulate airport safeguarding
  • Advising the Assets Recovery Agency in a number of claims for civil recovery orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act
  • Advising and drafting grounds for the Secretary of State for Health in a healthcare judicial review claim: R. (Smith) v. NE Derbyshire PCT [2006] EWHC 1338 (Admin), reversed on appeal in [2006] 1 WLR 3315
  • Numerous Court of Appeal cases, particularly Administrative Court, immigration, and human rights appeals, including (for Liberty, child curfew powers) R. (PW) v. MPC & SSHD [2006] EWCA Civ 458, [2006] 3 WLR 1098; and (for the Treasury Solicitors www.tsol.gov.uk, homosexuality, Article 8 and immigration controls) J. v. SSHD [2006] EWCA Civ 1238, [2006] All ER (D) 382 (Jul)
  • Multi-jurisdictional commercial claim in the Chancery Division: Global Multimedia International Ltd v. AMS [2006] All ER (D) 324 (Jul)
  • Drafting an application to the ECtHR for alleged breach of A1P1 and Art.14 in the social security overpayment case (B. v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2005] EWCA Civ 929 refused leave to petition the House of Lords and now being challenged in the European Court of Human Rights – see Child Poverty Action Group for more information)
  • Pre-action protocol letter and grounds of review in the commercial judicial review of a windfarm tendering process: R. (Gamesa Energy UK Ltd) v. National Assembly for Wales [2006] EWHC 2167 (Admin), [2006] All ER (D) 26 (Aug)

    • Prior to pupillage, Chris was for a number of years Senior Crown Court Caseworker at Bhatia Best Solicitors, Nottingham, during which time he conducted a large number of serious cases in the Crown Court, including offences of violence, serious sexual offences, firearms, drugs, and murder. Most recently, Chris had conduct of the defence of a company director who was accused of manslaughter arising out of breaches of the drivers' hours regulations. Whilst at Bhatia Best Chris also worked as an Accredited Police Station Representative, and presented bail applications in the Crown Court before both Crown Court and High Court Judges, on one occasion against Leading Counsel. Chris has drafted skeleton arguments in Youth, Magistrates' and Crown Court cases, and also drafted grounds of appeal against sentence in the Court of Appeal in R. v. Sweeney (John Patrick) [2003] EWCA Crim 687, and R. v. Delroy Carl Melady [2004] EWCA Crim 1015 (which he persuaded the CCRC to refer). Chris was also instrumental in persuading the High Court to reduce the tariff of a “lifer” prisoner currently serving a sentence for murder: R. v. Dean Saunders [2006] EWHC 2861 (QB).

    Between 1997 and 2000 Chris practiced as an Outdoor Clerk and police station representative in London and the South East, including the Central Criminal Court.

    In 1998 Chris was Clerk to His Honour Judge Anthony Diamond, QC, at the Central London Civil Trial Centre. During that time Chris played a central role in the specialist Business/Mercantile List at Central London County Court.

    Other Activities

    In 2005 Chris took part in, and won, the inaugural Gray's Inn Mooting Competition, the final of which was a Hague Convention child abduction case involving human rights arguments, presented before two High Court Judges and Lord Justice Potter, President of the Family Division.

    Following that success, Chris represented Gray's Inn in the Inter-Inn Mooting Competition, and in September 2005 accompanied three other Gray's Inn mooters with Mr Justice Ouseley on a mooting tour of the United States, visiting PACE University (New York), University of Georgia (Athens & Atlanta), Pepperdine (Malibu CA) and Santa Clara (CA). The high point of the tour was presenting an argument on international arbitration law to the present and past Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Georgia (sitting with three other US judges).

    Voluntary work

    Chris is a ratified employment representative at the Free Representation Unit, and has undertaken FRU cases, including successfully claiming for wrongful dismissal, unlawful deduction from wages, and unfair dismissal.

    Chris is also a qualified SENDIST representative for the Independent Panel for Special Education Advice, and has undertaken cases before the SENDIST for IPSEA. This has included successfully challenging the decision of a London Local Education Authority not to undertake a statutory assessment of special educational needs.

    Memberships

Barrister


Website developed by Focus New Media