Adam Riley

Adam Riley joined 3 Hare Court as a Tenant in October 2021 following the successful completion of his pupillage. He has a civil practice comprising commercial, public, employment, travel and personal injury law. His practice has both a domestic and an international dimension.

He acquired experience across all areas of Chambers’ expertise during pupillage and frequently appears in trials, interim applications and preliminary hearings, in addition to managing a busy paperwork practice.

Adam is building a reputation as a dependable junior. He has been instructed in a number of matters beyond his year of call, including numerous complex constitutional appeals before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Before pupillage Adam gained exposure to a range of practice areas, including receiving a grant to work with attorneys in New Orleans on death row appeals and working on asylum claims in Greece with an international NGO. During his legal studies he worked in the civil liberties team at Hodge, Jones and Allen LLP and volunteered with Liberty. He also regularly appeared, on a pro bono basis, before the First-tier (social security) Tribunal as a representative with the Free Representation Unit, the Zacchaeus 2000 Trust and as a legal advisor with the UCL Centre for Access to Justice.

Expertise

Appeals to the Privy Council

Adam is developing significant expertise in matters originating from the Commonwealth Caribbean and in appellate work before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. His interest and experience in this area of practice encompasses constitutional law, human rights, judicial review, election law, commercial law, general common law and criminal appeals.

Recent notable work includes:

Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago (Appellant) v Akili Charles (Respondent) No 2 (Trinidad and Tobago) [2022] UKPC 31: Led by Peter Carter Q.C. in the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, successfully challenging the constitutionality of the Bail Act which provides for the automatic denial of bail to persons charged with murder.
Suraj and others v Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago [2022] UKPC 26: Led by Peter Knox Q.C. in this appeal concerning the constitutionality of the Coronavirus Regulations 2020 and the scope of the legislative savings provisions contained in the Constitution.
Satyanand Maharaj v Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago [2022] UKPC 26: Led in a constitutional challenge to guidelines issued pursuant to local Covid-19 regulations purporting to institute criminal offences regulating the functioning of religious establishments.

Adam has additionally assisted in government work responding to constitutional challenges in the Commonwealth Caribbean before the Privy Council. Notable highlights include:

Betaudier (Appellant) v Attornery General of Trinidad and Tobago (Respondent) (Trinidad and Tobago) [2021] UKPC 7: assisting Tom Poole Q.C. for the Respondent concerning the lawfulness of the appellant’s arrest and detention (as a pupil).
Duncan and Jokhan (Appellants) v Attorngey General of Trinidad and Tobago (Respondent) (Trinidad and Tobago) [2021] UKPC 17: assisting Tom Poole Q.C. for the Respondent concerning whether there was a violation of the appellants’ rights under section 4(a) of the Constitution not to be deprived of liberty and security of the person except by due process of law (as a pupil).

Adam has a particular interest in legal developments in the Commonwealth Caribbean. As a pupil he co-wrote a speech which was delivered by Malcolm Bishop Q.C. at the 2021 Commonwealth Law Conference in Nassau, in the Bahamas, exploring the relationship between equality rights and rights to religious freedom.

Commercial, Company and Insolvency

Adam is developing a broad practice encompassing all aspects of commercial, company and insolvency litigation and advisory work. He regularly appears in a range of general commercial matters.

Notable cases and highlights include:

Assisted Jeffrey Golden QC (Hon) in drafting an advice on the English law of contract vis. frustration and force majeure in connection with matters arising out of the 2021 Texas power crisis (as a pupil).
Drafted advice on remedies available in breach of confidence matters and unlawful means conspiracy actions, assisting Simon Davenport Q.C. (as a pupil).
Drafted advice on applications for strike-out and summary judgment in unlawful means conspiracy matters, where it is necessarily the case that key points of fact are likely to be concealed, assisting Simon Davenport Q.C. (as a pupil).
Assisted Tom Poole Q.C. in a complex unfair prejudice petition involving allegations of conflicts of interest and breaches of statutory, fiduciary and common law director’s duties (as a pupil).

Public Law and Inquiries

Adam’s expertise in public law matters is informed by his background working in civil liberties, social security and immigration matters across a range of contexts, and his experience working in social policy before coming to the bar. He is a member of the Attorney General’s junior junior panel of counsel.

Adam is currently acting as junior junior counsel to the Undercover Policing Inquiry.

Immigration and Asylum

Adam accepts instructions to act in immigration matters. He has appeared in the First-tier (Immigration & Asylum) Tribunal in applications for EEA Family Permits under the Immigration (EEA) Regulations 2016. He has also advised on the operation of the EUSS scheme and assisted in Article 8 Human Rights Act appeals.

Before coming to the Bar, Adam acquired significant experience in this area of practice through volunteering with an international NGO assisting asylum-seekers in Athens, Greece. He additionally acts on a pro bono basis in immigration bail hearings for Bail for Immigration Detainees.

Travel Law

Adam is frequently instructed in matters involving the Package Travel Regulations (both the 1992 and 2018 iterations) and drafts advices and pleadings in disputes involving the same. During pupillage he assisted members of chambers in preparing advices, drafting statements of case, and skeleton arguments, for use in a range of disputes involving jurisdictional and conflict of laws issues.

He regularly acts for airlines in passenger claims for compensation under EC Regulation 261/2004 and under the Montreal Convention.

Adam publishes articles on the latest developments in travel litigation in Chambers’ Travel and Aviation Quarterly. Recent pieces have explored:

Personal Injury

Adam maintains a busy personal injury practice, encompassing matters arising out of road traffic accidents, employer’s liability, occupier’s liability, highways act and holiday sickness claims. He accepts instructions to advise on matters relating to liability, causation, quantum, evidence, costs and related procedural issues. He is developing particular expertise in defending matters which involve exaggerated, dishonest and fraudulent claims which raise issues of fundamental dishonesty.

Employment

Adam accepts instructions across the full spectrum of employment law matters in both the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal, and County Court.

During pupillage he assisted Tom Poole Q.C. in a complex 10-day Employment Tribunal hearing which involved allegations of sexual harassment, unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, constructive dismissal, discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and issues relating to contributory fault: A v (1) The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2) B Case Number: 2200417/2019. He also assisted Tom Poole Q.C. in an Employment Tribunal hearing involving unlawful deduction from wages.

Memberships

Commonwealth Lawyers Association
COMBAR
ALBA
Young Legal Aid Lawyers
Amicus ALJ

Education

BPTC, University of Law (Very Competent)
GDL, University of Law (Distinction)
MA Medieval History, University of Sheffield (Distinction)
BA History, University of Sheffield (First Class) (Graduated 1/156)

Appointments

Attorney General’s panel of junior junior counsel
Junior junior counsel to the Undercover Policing Inquiry

Awards

Matrix Amicus Bursary
BPTC Civil Advocacy Award, University of Law
Keating Chambers Commercial Moot, 1st place, University of Law
Inner Temple Exhibition Award
Law First Scholarship, University of Law
David Luscombe Prize for Medieval History, University of Sheffield

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Adam Riley joined 3 Hare Court as a Tenant in October 2021 following the successful completion of his pupillage. He has a civil practice comprising commercial, public, employment, travel and personal injury law. His practice has both a domestic and an international dimension.

Expertise

Related news & articles

Landmark Judgment – Attorney General of Trinidad & Tobago v Akili Charles No 2 [2022] UKPC 31

Proportionality & human rights: new judgment of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

Freedom of religion: can protection against persecution justify the infringement of the right to equality?

Related cases

Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago v Charles (No 2) (Trinidad and Tobago) [2022] UKPC 31

Suraj & Ors v Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago (Trinidad and Tobago) [2022] UKPC 26

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