Helen Law

Contact Helen: helenlaw@matrixlaw.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7404 3447

Contact Helen's Practice Team (Team T): TeamT@matrixlaw.co.uk

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Helen is an experienced criminal trial advocate with complementary expertise in advising on and litigating criminal justice and human rights issues in civil and public law proceedings. She has extensive experience of dealing with sensitive cases and vulnerable clients.

Crime and Investigations

Alongside regular trial work, Helen advises at the investigatory stage and has appeared in criminal cases before the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, Privy Council and European Court of Human Rights. Her recent instructions include: Sole counsel for a serving MP, Apsana Begum, charged with housing fraud, acquitted at trial (Snaresbrook Crown Court); Junior counsel for Soldier A, accused of murdering an IRA member in 1972, in the first of a series of historic murder prosecutions relating to the Troubles, prosecution evidence excluded and trial collapsed (Belfast Crown Court); Sole counsel for defendant in +£3m drugs conspiracy (Burnley Crown Court); Junior criminal counsel for the appellant before the Supreme Court concerning the meaning of capacity to consent under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and its interrelation with the same concept under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (A Local Authority v JB); Leading counsel in a £3m boiler room fraud (Southwark Crown Court); Advising foreign individuals and entities on human rights aspects of foreign criminal investigations; Advising a major UK company on an internal investigation concerning domestic and cross-border issues; Advising private clients and major banks on issues arising from several SFO investigations, including FX, LIBOR and Petrofac; Junior counsel for three appellants in their appeals against conviction in a case concerning alleged SOCA corruption and the US NSA PRISM surveillance program (R v Knaggs & Ors [2018] EWCA Crim 1863); Sole counsel for former Afghan government advisor charged with immigration smuggling offence, acquitted at trial (Canterbury Crown Court).

Civil And Public Law

Helen’s civil and public law practice is focused on claims against the state in the context of criminal justice or national security. She is experienced in the operation of Closed Material Proceedings under the Justice and Security Act 2013 and has appeared before both the Investigatory Powers Tribunal and SIAC. Helen is regularly instructed in criminal justice related public law matters, including challenges to decisions not to prosecute and claims concerning the application of human rights law in the criminal context. Her recent instructions include: R (Noorzai) v MOD; R (Saifullah) v MOD – junior counsel for the Claimants in judicial reviews concerning alleged SAS involvement in extra-judicial killings in Afghanistan; R (Belhaj) v DPP [2019] AC 593 – junior counsel for the Claimants in a judicial review of the decision not to prosecute a senior member of MI6 for his alleged involvement in extraordinary rendition, culminating in the leading case on the inapplicability of the Justice and Security Act 2013 closed material procedures to challenges to prosecutorial decisions; Q v MI6 & ors – junior counsel for the Claimant in a civil damages claim for the alleged involvement of an MI6 officer in false imprisonment and mistreatment; Kamoka & Ors v MI5, MI6 & ors – junior counsel for multiple Claimants in civil damages claims for the alleged involvement of UK intelligence services in serious and sustained misconduct in the UK and abroad; Al-Waheed & Alseran v MOD [2019] QC 1251 – junior counsel for the 2 lead Claimants in civil damages claims against the MOD for detention and mistreatment in Iraq

Police Law

Helen has extensive experience of claims against the police and other investigatory or prosecutorial bodies, including SOCA, the CPS and the Armed Forces RMP and RNP. She is regularly instructed in cases concerning serious investigative failings, including those leading to death or serious injury, and has experience of claims under the HRA, the Equality Act, the Data Protection Act, misuse of private information, misfeasance and malicious prosecution. She acts  both for the victims of crime and for those accused of involvement in criminal offences. Helen regularly represents individuals at mediations and in settlement negotiations, as well as at trial, and has extensive experience in advising on strategic litigation in this field. Her recent instructions in this area include: Junior counsel for the ex-wives of the undercover officers in the Undercover Policing Inquiry; Junior counsel for interveners before the Supreme Court in DSD v Commissioner of the Metropolis [2019] AC 196, concerning the nature and scope of the Art 3   investigative duty. Counsel for a young black man subjected to a spit hood at London Bridge station, in successfully challenging his police caution; Acting for multiple individuals and families subjected to or bereaved by domestic or sexual violence in their claims for breaches of the investigative and protective duties.

International Law

In addition to her domestic experience, Helen has litigated before both the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. Her notable cases include: Serbia v Croatia (Genocide Convention) – junior counsel for Croatia, including oral submissions before the ICJ; Al-Saadoon v UK – junior counsel for the applicants in a case concerning Article 1 jurisdiction and the UK’s obligations when handing over detainees to the Iraqi authorities; Al-Jedda v UK (Grand Chamber) – junior counsel for the applicants in the leading case on the application of Article 5 in armed conflict; CN v UK – junior counsel for the applicant in the first case to find a breach of the UK’s duty under Article 4.

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Helen's Privacy Notice

Helen is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to my clients, including advice and representation services, Helen needs to collect and hold personal data. This includes her client’s personal data and the personal data of others who feature in the matter upon which she is instructed. To read Helen’s privacy notice in full, please see here.

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