James Robottom

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

Contact James's Practice Team (Team X): TeamX@matrixlaw.co.uk

Jim is an experienced senior junior with a multi-disciplinary practice which covers public and human rights law, inquests and inquiries, civil litigation, equality law, criminal law, ESG, and environmental law. He is frequently instructed as a sole, led, and leading senior junior on complex and high profile matters in his areas of expertise. He is equally adept cross examining witnesses in a trial or inquest as he is making submissions on novel and complex points of law. He has appeared in a wide range of proceedings at the highest levels in England and Wales, unled at every level to the Court of Appeal, and led in the Supreme Court.

Jim is committed to publicly funded work as part of his practice and to ensuring those who need it most receive specialist legal representation. He has twice been nominated at the bar pro bono awards. In 2025, he received a special mention at the awards for his modern slavery and death penalty work.

Jim is recognised as an expert in modern slavery across public, civil, and criminal law. He has appeared twice in the Supreme Court in modern slavery cases, and on several occasions in the Court of Appeal Criminal Division in criminal appeals. He was counsel for the claimants in both the highest ever Criminal Injuries Compensation award and the highest ever court damages award for slavery victims in England and Wales. He represented the victims of Operation Fort, the UK’s largest modern slavery conspiracy, in their civil claims against their corporate employers. In 2025 Jim completed his PhD in law at King’s College London on the prohibition of slavery within the common law constitution. His article on the common law prohibition on slavery, written during the passing of the Safety of Rwanda Act 2024, was published by both the UK Constitutional Law Association Blog and the UK Human Rights Law blog.

Jim regularly publishes academic and practitioner commentary in relation to his areas of expertise. His recent publications are set out below.

Jim is on the Attorney General’s Panel of Special Advocates.

Human Rights and Public Law

Jim is a human rights and public law specialist. He is recognised as a leading practitioner in civil liberties and human rights by Chambers and Partners and administrative and public law by the Legal 500.

Jim has a broad public and administrative and human rights law practice, and is regularly instructed in judicial review, tribunal and appellate public law proceedings. He works across the field of public and administrative law, particularly covering equality and discrimination, migrant rights and modern slavery, criminal law, environmental law, prison law, police law, inquest and inquiries law, national security and criminal injuries compensation.

Jim’s human rights law expertise includes extensive experience in private law damages claims, including for unlawful detention and across the range of Convention rights. His recent private law work includes a successful Article 4 systems challenge in respect of the Home Secretary’s “transit-visa” scheme for seamen, and successful claims against the police, CPS, Ministry of Justice, and Home Office in respect of failures to protect from Article 2, 3 and 4 ECHR harm, Article 8 breaches and/or discrimination. Jim’s background in tort law and inquests and inquiries mean he is particularly adept at advising on complex and high value human rights damages claims.

Notable cases include:

• Sullivan v Isle of Wight Council [2025] EWCA Civ 379 – Court of Appeal authority which determines the lack of protection for job applicants in whistleblowing legislation is compatible with Article 14 read with Article 10 ECHR.
• XY v Birmingham Crown Court [2025] Crim LR 303 – successfully represented Birmingham Youth Justice Service as an interested party in judicial review of Crown Court decision to lift anonymity of 15 year old convicted of murder.
• MA v HM Area Coroner for Birmingham [2024] – successful judicial review to quash the result of an inquest heard in private under the new power in section 9C(1)(b) Coroner’s and Justice Act 2009 (‘CJA’) where the family were not given adequate notice of the inquest and their participation in the process was not facilitated. The case settled after permission was granted.
• R (ZX) v CICA [2024] EWHC 1703 (Admin) – judicial challenge under Article 14 and A1P1 ECHR and on rationality grounds of exclusion from CICA Scheme of family members who provided gratuitous care to victims who died as a direct result of a violent crime from claiming pecuniary losses
• RN v First Tier Tribunal [2024] 1 WLR 814 – leading Court of Appeal authority which establishes that victims of non-touching sexual abuse (including online) can come within the scope of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme where they fear violence at some time not excluding the immediate future.
• R (Kaur) v Adjudicator’s Office [2023] 1 WLR 3855 (Admin) – junior counsel for the Claimant in one of the first judicial reviews of the Windrush Compensation Scheme.
• R (O3) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – nationality security human rights case on whether Home Secretary has a duty to ensure Special Advocates continue to act for a proposed deportee following the conclusion of SIAC proceedings.
• R (Public and Commercial Services Union) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2022] EWHC 823 (Admin) – represented multiple Claimants in successful judicial review of the lawfulness of the Home Secretary’s plan to conduct pushbacks on small boats in the English Channel.
• Royal Cayman Islands Police Association v Commissioners of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Association [2022] ICR 117 – Privy Council appeal on mandatory retirement on grounds of age and alleged discrimination under Articles 8 and 14 ECHR.
• R (Simpson) v HM Area Coroner for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton [2022] – successful judicial review of Coroner’s decision not to hold an Article 2 ECHR compliant inquest following a murder trial in a domestic homicide case.
• A&B v CICA [2021] UKSC 27 – junior for intervener in Supreme Court appeal regarding modern slavery survivors and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
• Novodomskzi v Lord Chancellor – successful judicial review challenge to the requirement in Lord Chancellor’s Guidance on Civil Legal Aid that a claim be deemed unsuitable for representation on a conditional fee agreement before funding can be granted.
• R (T) v HM Senior Coroner for West Yorkshire [2017] QB 205 – Court of Appeal authority on whether a coroner has to be satisfied on balance of probabilities that death has taken place before opening an investigation, and the granting of anonymity at costs under Articles 3 and 8 ECHR.

Inquests and Inquiries

Jim is well recognised as a leading practitioner in inquests and inquiries. He has long been ranked in both directories. In 2025, his Legal 500 recommendation said “Jim is certainly among the best inquest juniors representing bereaved families at the Bar today. He knows the law inside out and presents arguments beautifully.”

Jim has extensive experience in representing interested persons at high profile and complex inquests, in subsequent civil claims, and in judicial review proceedings. His inquest and inquiry practice covers all forms of state related Article 2 inquests, as well as deaths in mental health and general clinical care, corporate and health and safety deaths, and inquests arising from criminal conduct, including domestic homicides.

Jim is also an experienced senior junior in public inquiry work. Between 2022 and 2025 he has been the senior junior (led by Phillippa Kaufmann KC and then Sonali Naik KC, working with a team of junior counsel) representing the families and survivor at the Cranston Inquiry into England’s biggest small boats disaster in November 2021. Jim has worked on the case from the outset, including on the letter before claim which led to the establishment of the inquiry

Jim’ recent Inquest and Inquiries work includes:

• Representing the families and survivor at the Cranston Inquiry into England’s biggest small boats disaster in November 2021

• MA v HM Area Coroner for Birmingham [2024] – successful judicial review to quash the result of an inquest heard in private under the new power in section 9C(1)(b) Coroner’s and Justice Act 2009 (‘CJA’) where the family were not given adequate notice of the inquest and their participation in the process was not facilitated. The case settled after permission was granted.

• Representing the family of the headteacher Ruth Perry at the high profile inquest into her death.

• R (Simpson) v HM Area Coroner for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton [2022] – successful judicial review of Coroner’s decision not to hold an Article 2 ECHR compliant inquest following a murder trial in a domestic homicide case.

Civil Litigation

Jim’s practice covers a wide range of civil litigation including private law group claims, actions against the police and state, clinical negligence, fatal and abuse claims. He regularly represents claimants and defendants in relation to multi-track proceedings and high value settlements. He has particular expertise in civil proceedings that involve Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010 claims.

Jim is widely regarded as a leading senior junior in modern slavery compensation claims. He is regularly instructed in relation to modern slavery claims against perpetrators, corporate bodies, and the state. He was sole counsel for the claimants in both the highest ever Criminal Injuries Compensation award and the highest ever court damages award for slavery victims in England and Wales. He represented the victims of the Operation Fort, the UK’s largest modern slavery conspiracy, in their civil claims against their corporate employers, as a leading junior.

Notable recent cases include:

• S v CICA – largest ever CICA award to a modern slavery victim by the First Tier Tribunal, at over £360,000.
• Balogh & Others v Hick Lane Bedding [2021] EWHC 1140 (QB) – largest ever quantum awards for modern slavery survivors.
• Komives v Hick Lane Bedding & AM Trust Europe [2020] EWHC 3288 (QB) – authority re whether an insurer can void employers’ liability contract where insured engaged in modern slavery conspiracy (under appeal).
• MW v SS&MS NHS Foundation Trust – represented claimant in successful £1,000,000 Fatal Accidents Act and Human Right Act claim arising from suicide in mental health care.
• DC v ESUH NHS Trust – advised on multi-million pound clinical negligence brain injury claim arising from negligent mental health care.
• Grenfell –  instructed by a group of survivors of the Grenfell disaster in their civil damages claims.
• Operation Fort – represented survivors of the UK’s largest modern slavery conspiracy against UK companies that used trafficked labour.

Equality and Discrimination Law

Jim regularly advises and represents individuals and organisations in equality law cases. He has represented clients in the Supreme Court, Privy Council and Court of Appeal in proceedings concerning Equality Act 2010, EU, and ECHR discrimination law. He has particular expertise in relation to services and public function challenges under Part 3 of the Equality Act, including relating to prisoners and detainees, adoption services, sports and entertainment organisations and the retail sector.

Notable cases include:

• Weller v Harris & Trotter – currently instructed by musician Paul Weller in his Equality Act claim for discrimination on the ground of philosophical belief in the provision of services.
• Sullivan v Isle of Wight Council [2025] EWCA Civ 379 – Court of Appeal authority which determines the lack of protection for job applicants in whistleblowing legislation is compatible with Article 14 read with Article 10 ECHR.
• R (ZX) v CICA [2024] EWHC 1703 (Admin) – judicial challenge under Article 14 and A1P1 ECHR and on rationality grounds of exclusion from CICA Scheme of family members who provided gratuitous care to victims who died as a direct result of a violent crime from claiming pecuniary losses
• Royal Cayman Islands Police Association v Commissioners of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Association [2022] ICR 117 – Privy Council appeal on mandatory retirement on grounds of age and alleged discrimination under Articles 8 and 14 ECHR.
• Mander v Windsor and Maidenhead Royal Borough Council [2019] 12 WLUK 79 – high profile Equality Act 2010 services claim re race discrimination against prospective adopters.
• Counsel for the Equality and Human Rights Commission in its investigations into the provision of reasonable adjustments for disabled defendants in criminal proceedings, and by Premier League football clubs for disabled fans.
• Taiwo v Olaigbe and Onu v Akwiwu [2016] UKSC 31 – Supreme Court appeal on whether mistreatment of domestic workers on grounds of vulnerable immigration status constitutes direct or indirect race discrimination.
• Rowstock v Jessemey [2014] 1 WLR 3615 (CA) – Court of Appeal authority on statutory interpretation and reading post-employment victimisation into the Equality Act 2010.

Criminal Law

Jim specialises in criminal law cases that raise human rights, constitutional and administrative, and international law issues. He is an experienced criminal advocate. He prosecuted and defended on the Midlands Circuit for 10 years prior to joining Matrix and has appeared in a wide range of serious Crown Court cases including murder, rape, and complex drug conspiracies. He has experience of High Court extradition proceedings, and criminal appeals at all levels.

Jim is ranked as a leading junior in crime in the Legal 500, which states he “is always ready to rise to the challenge of complex cases.” Jim is regularly instructed in criminal appeals; judicial reviews involving the criminal justice system, including of police and prosecution decision making, and advisory work. He has represented the Attorney General in contempt of court proceedings and been appointed as an advocate to the Court in the Court of Appeal Criminal Division. Jim has worked on death penalty cases since he was a student, particularly for the Death Penalty Project at Simons Muirhead & Burton, and is currently instructed in a number of cases challenging sentences of death and conditions of detention in international jurisdictions.

Jim is also experienced in white collar crime and investigations work, and has particular expertise in relation to ESG, business and human rights, and modern slavery.

Notable recent cases include:

• XY v Birmingham Crown Court [2025] Crim LR 303 – successfully represented Birmingham Youth Justice Service as an interested party in judicial review of Crown Court decision to lift anonymity of 15 year old convicted of murder.
• R v Campbell [2024] 4 WLR 51 – successful Jamaican Privy Council murder appeal, by, amongst others, the dancehall artist Vybz Kartel, due to serious juror irregularity in one of Jamaica’s longest ever criminal trials.
• R v AH [2023] EWCA Crim 808 – unsuccessful Court of Appeal Criminal Division appeal of firearms conviction by modern slavery victim who was subject to forced criminality in gangs and repeated state failures to protect him throughout his youth.
• R v AJW [2023] EWCA Crim 803 – successful Court of Appeal Criminal Division appeal by modern slavery victim who was tried as an adult when a child.

Appointments

• Attorney General’s Panel of Special Advocates
• Attorney General’s Panel of Civil Counsel (B)

Education & Background

Jim was educated at Hatch End High School, Harrow Tertiary College, and the University of Sheffield. He has an MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice and a PHD in law from King’s College London. He did pupillage and practised as a member for 11 years at 7BR Chambers, where he worked in a wide range of practice areas, prior to joining Matrix in 2021.

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

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