Barrister Profile

Main Areas of Practice

Administrative Law or Judicial Review
Commercial Law
Human Rights
Personal Injury

Biography

Christopher was Called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2007, but has since joined the Bars of England & Wales (2016) and the Republic of Ireland (2010). He is based primarily at the Bar Library in Northern Ireland, but is also a member of Piccadilly Chambers, London. Christopher frequently practices within all three jurisdictions. As noted above, Christopher’s practice primarily concerns judicial review (particularly concerning human rights and privacy issues) and commercial disputes (such as those arising out of procurement procedures, contractual issues, corporate governance and insurance bonds/contracts).

In addition to his practice at the Bar, in 2008 Christopher was tasked by the Law Society of Northern Ireland and Ulster University to create a new institution in Northern Ireland for the training of Solicitors,which became known as the Graduate School for Professional Legal Education. Whilst maintaining his full-time practice at the Bar, Christopher was a lecturer in legal practice for litigation and advocacy for the Graduate School, until being asked to become
its Director in 2015 to oversee the eventual closure of the course in July 2016.

From July 2017 Christopher has embarked upon the provision of assistance in education/academic appeals, through Alpha Academic Appeals, for students and trainees at various stages of their academic and professional careers. This is built upon his wealth of experience not just at the Bar but within university institutions.

Due to his practical experience at the Bar in conjunction with lecturing and the development of professional legal training courses, from 2015 Christopher has provided regular CPD courses to local members of the profession through MBL (Seminars) Ltd, covering various aspects of civil procedure such as judicial review, procurement law and injunctive law.

Qualifications

May 2017 - present: Public Access Qualified - Bar Council of England & Wales

January 2017 - present; Member of the Public Law Panel - Office of the attorney general for Northern Ireland

July 2016 - present; Called to the Bar of England & Wales - The Honorable Society of the Inner Temple

September 2012 - present; Fellowship - Higher Education Academy

September 2011 - July 2012; Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice - Ulster University

October 2010 - present; Called to the Bar of the Republic of Ireland - The Honourable Society of King’s Inns

September 2007 - present; Called to the Bar of Northern Ireland - The Inn of court of Northern Ireland

September 2005 to December 2006; LLM in Masters in Human Rights Law (Distinction) - Transitional Justice Institute & University of Ulster

September 2002 - July 2005; LLB in Law & Politics (First Class Honours) - University of Ulster

Experience

Christopher’s specialisms lie primarily in the field of public and administrative law; although his practice also encompasses commercial and professional negligence litigation and advices. Christopher’s practice regularly involves complicated matters concerning human rights; the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement; commercial disputes; corporate governance; insurance; land; criminal record disclosure; procurement; data protection; cross-border information sharing; education law; burial rights; immigration; EU law; and discrimination or wrongful acts arising from legislation, Government policies or the criminal justice system. Frequently Christopher is instructed to advise both companies and shareholders on various aspects of corporate governance.

Christopher has appeared as sole Counsel in every tier of Court in Northern Ireland, including the Court of Appeal, and he has acted as Junior Counsel in several matters going before the Supreme Court.

Examples of key cases in which Christopher was instructed as sole Counsel are:

O’Dochartaigh v Secretary of State for the Home Department ­– the lead, and successful, case challenging the introduction of the Private Security legislation to Northern Ireland in light of the rights and obligations within the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement and attendant Acts;

Gallagher v Department of Justice for Northern Ireland ­– challenge to the legislative regime for the disclosure of criminal record information due to its infringement of the Right to Privacy;

Laverty, Paul; in re application for judicial review [2015] NICA 75 - challenge to the use of information unlawfully supplied by the police force of another State in light of the provisions of the Data Protection Act and EU Directives, and the Right to Privacy

KWCL v Gable Insurance & Ors (Nos.1 & 2) – cases arising from third-party fraud and the failure of an Insurer based in an EEA State and its Agents to honour the terms of Performance and Guarantee Bonds for significant construction projects;

Moyola Building Services Ltd v Belfast City Council ­– challenge to procurement procedures for significant renovations works in local hospitals;

Precision Industrial Services Ltd v JTI Gallahers Ltd – commercial dispute arising from the announced closure of various production sites which would result in the early termination of valuable services contracts;

­Balogun, Saheed; in re application for judicial review [2016] NIQB 41– challenge to the lawfulness of the immigration rules and EU legislation due to their failure to provide for EU citizens who have been unable to work since birth due to a permanent incapacitating disability;

Nash, Thomas; in re application for judicial review [2015] NICA 18 – challenge to the failure and refusal by PBNI to conduct risk assessments on prisoners convicted of terrorist offence who have been given public protection sentences;

Moore (Deceased) v WHSCT – medical negligence action arising from failure to diagnose an illness until it had become terminal with the resultant curtailment of life.