“A brilliant all-rounder with an excellent legal mind. He is a clear and forceful advocate and his written work is second to none. He covers all bases.”
Jesse specialises in judicial review, inquests and inquiries, civil claims against public authorities, human rights, equality and discrimination law, and media and open justice.
His expertise encompasses public and private law claims involving complex points of law, as well as evidence- heavy and contentious inquests, public inquiries and civil trials. He is equally assured advising on significant and novel points of law and making complex legal submissions, as he is questioning witnesses in high profile public inquiries, inquests and civil trials.
Jesse is committed to representing those who have been subject to the abuse of State and corporate power, upholding their rights, and seeking accountability and change on their behalf. He acts for bereaved families, victims of police use of force, dishonesty and other misconduct, vulnerable benefits claimants, prisoners with disabilities, and those subject to immigration detention powers. He has acted in many of the most high-profile cases in recent years, including the Hillsborough Inquests, the Deepcut Inquests, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Manchester Arena Inquiry, the Fishmongers’ Hall Inquests and the Sturgess (Novichok) Inquiry.
Jesse is on the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s approved panel of Counsel.
Jesse has previously been shortlisted as Legal Aid Barrister of the Year by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG) and is consistently recognised in both Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 as a leading practitioner in a range of practice areas, including Administrative and Public Law, Inquests and Public Inquiries, Police Law, and Civil Liberties and Human Rights.
Jesse is a public law specialist, conducting judicial review cases from the High Court to the Supreme Court. His public law practice spans a range of areas and includes cases involving access to justice, police law, inquest and inquiries law, national security and counterterrorism, prisoners’ rights, immigration detention, equality and discrimination, and claims raising open justice and freedom of expression issues.
Jesse has extensive experience representing NGOs, charities and other intervenors in public law proceedings. He is a member of the EHRC’s approved panel of Counsel.
Jesse is a leading inquest and inquiries lawyer. He has appeared in many of the most high-profile inquests and inquiries in recent years involving serious, systemic State and corporate failings, including the Hillsborough Inquests, the Deepcut Inquests, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Manchester Arena Inquiry, the Brook House Inquiry, the Fishmongers’ Hall Inquests and the Sturgess (Novichok) Inquiry.
Jesse is regularly instructed in contentious and complex inquests and inquiries involving mass fatalities, terrorism, the Security Services, Public Interest Immunity, deaths in prison and police custody, deaths in psychiatric and immigration detention, domestic homicide cases, the deaths of military personnel, and cases engaging regulatory deficiencies, public service outsourcing and corporate failings.
Jesse specialises in novel Article 2 inquests expanding the duty on the State to investigate the deaths of vulnerable people in the community. This has included acting for the families of vulnerable benefit claimants who have starved to death and taken their own lives following the termination of their benefits by the DWP, and representing the families of people who have taken their own lives after becoming addicted to gambling.
Jesse has represented numerous bereaved families, assisting them through the inquest and inquiry process with sensitivity, skill and determination. He has been recognised in Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 as being “very collaborative”, “very good with bereaved families”, “good at working with vulnerable clients”, and having “exceptionally good client care skills”. He has also been described as “a clear and forceful advocate” and “an accomplished jury [inquest] advocate who is not afraid to ask the difficult questions.”
As well as acting for bereaved families, Jesse has been instructed as Counsel to the Inquest and Counsel to the Inquiry (CTI). He brings his extensive experience of representing bereaved families to his work as CTI, and assists bereaved families drawing on his experience as CTI.
Jesse is a police law specialist. He represents victims of police restraint, use of force, unlawful arrest and malicious prosecution. He has secured high-value settlements in many such cases. He was previously Chair of the Police Action Lawyers Group and has been consistently recognised as a leading police law practitioner in Chambers and Partners.
His expertise spans the full range of police claims, including claims for personal injury arising from police use of force, false imprisonment, victims of armed policing operations, claims arising from police dishonesty and misfeasance, failure to investigate and failure to protect claims, the unlawful policing of protest, police surveillance, unlawful search warrants, invasion and seizure of property, information and personal data claims, discrimination, misuse of private information, and a variety of claims under the Human Rights Act.
Jesse has particular experience in acting for vulnerable individuals who have been subjected to police misconduct, including bereaved families, children, persons with disabilities, women who have suffered domestic abuse, rape and sexual violence, protesters, and individuals subjected to human trafficking and modern slavery.
Jesse also assists victims in relation to police misconduct and disciplinary proceedings, seeking to ensure victim involvement and accountability, including through judicial review proceedings where necessary.
Jesse has extensive experience in representing claimants in public law and damages claims against the prison authorities, private contractors, the Ministry of Justice, the Parole Board and the Probation Service.
His experience includes acting for clients in claims for assault (by both prison staff and other prisoners), failures to make reasonable adjustments for disabled prisoners, lack of access to offending behaviour courses, challenges to prison conditions, licence conditions, adjudications, and Parole Board decisions, and claims arising from maladministration and delay.
Jesse also acts for prisoners at Parole Board hearings and Close Supervision Centre panels, including complex cases involving national security, counterterrorism and restrictive disclosure issues.
Jesse acts for individuals subject to immigration detention powers in judicial review and civil claims for unlawful detention. He has represented victims of torture, numerous clients subject to Dublin III Regulations ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court in R (Hemmati) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2019] UKSC 56, clients subjected to assaults and discrimination in immigration detention, and a number of individuals suffering from serious mental health issues in detention.
Jesse represents clients in a wide range of other claims against public authorities, including claims against the Ministry of Defence for assault and failure to investigate rape, sexual abuse and serious violence, claims for unlawful disclosure of personal information, actions against the Department of Work and Pensions, claims against local authorities for failing to prevent abuse of children, and deprivation of liberty claims.
Jesse acts for a wide range of print, broadcast and social media organisations in open justice and freedom of expression cases, including challenges to reporting restriction orders, anonymity orders and restrictions on media access to court hearings, privacy, data protection and contempt of court cases, freedom of information claims, and applications for access to court documents. Jesse previously worked in-house at The Times legal department, engaging with and advising journalists and editors on a daily basis. He has also provided pre-publication advice to a number of national newspapers. He is therefore able to offer clear, practical advice to media clients, understanding the pressures they are under and focusing on their core objectives when becoming involved in legal proceedings.
Jesse is an international human rights specialist. He has acted in a number of international human rights claims, including:
Jesse is co-author of Halsbury’s Laws of England: Rights and Freedoms, a contributor to Inquests: A Practitioner’s Guide (LAG), a contributing author to Human Rights Practice (Sweet & Maxwell), and he has contributed to Judicial Review: Law and Practice (Jordans).
Jesse has also been published in a range of legal journals, including Judicial Review, Inquest Law and Legal Action.
Jesse contributes substantial time training others across the range of his areas of practice. This includes training for the Public Law Project, Medical Justice, INQUEST and LAG.
Jesse is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to my clients, including advice and representation services, Jesse 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 Jesse’s privacy notice in full, please see here.
"He is really effective, committed and provides quick turnaround with his work." "He's good at identifying clients' needs and picking out appropriate routes of legal recourse."
"Jesse has a first-rate mind, he is incredibly quick and he is a strategic thinker." "He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the law." "He is a very careful barrister and is thorough in his advice."
"Jesse Nicholls has a first-rate mind, he is incredibly quick and he is a strategic thinker." "He is a meticulous, strategic and uncompromising barrister, and really listens to his clients and solicitors."
"A super knowledgeable barrister with excellent drafting skills and great knowledge of case law."
"Jesse has an authoritative understanding of all aspects of civil liberties law. He is particularly good on cases arising from breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights."
"Outstanding on the law and often used by leaders to draft legal submissions. Very conscientious and hard-working, good on his feet and excellent judgement."
“A complete star”
“A dream of a barrister”
“A brilliant all-rounder with an excellent legal mind. He is a clear and forceful advocate and his written work is second to none. He covers all bases.”
“A joy to work with – a real team player who has phenomenal knowledge of the law. His written work is also outstanding, and he is an accomplished jury advocate who is not afraid to ask the difficult questions. It’s no wonder he’s so in demand – a true star.”
"Extremely intelligent and thorough; he has excellent judgement and his drafting is impeccable. He also has exceptionally good client care skills.”
"Ridiculously bright, works incredibly hard, and always works his way through issues with enthusiasm, bringing to bear his expansive knowledge across multiple areas.”
“An incredibly intelligent barrister, his written work is always phenomenal and he can advocate in tricky circumstances. He’s also good at working with vulnerable clients; he’s engaging and understanding.”
"Absolutely fantastic – extremely bright and very good at working as a team. He’s very collaborative, responsive, extremely hard-working and very good with bereaved families.”
“A brilliant all-rounder with an excellent legal mind. He is a clear and forceful advocate and his written work is second to none. He covers all bases.”
Contact Jesse: jessenicholls@matrixlaw.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7404 3447
Contact Jesse's Practice Team (Team X): TeamX@matrixlaw.co.uk
Jesse specialises in judicial review, inquests and inquiries, civil claims against public authorities, human rights, equality and discrimination law, and media and open justice.
His expertise encompasses public and private law claims involving complex points of law, as well as evidence- heavy and contentious inquests, public inquiries and civil trials. He is equally assured advising on significant and novel points of law and making complex legal submissions, as he is questioning witnesses in high profile public inquiries, inquests and civil trials.
Jesse is committed to representing those who have been subject to the abuse of State and corporate power, upholding their rights, and seeking accountability and change on their behalf. He acts for bereaved families, victims of police use of force, dishonesty and other misconduct, vulnerable benefits claimants, prisoners with disabilities, and those subject to immigration detention powers. He has acted in many of the most high-profile cases in recent years, including the Hillsborough Inquests, the Deepcut Inquests, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Manchester Arena Inquiry, the Fishmongers’ Hall Inquests and the Sturgess (Novichok) Inquiry.
Jesse is on the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s approved panel of Counsel.
Jesse has previously been shortlisted as Legal Aid Barrister of the Year by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG) and is consistently recognised in both Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 as a leading practitioner in a range of practice areas, including Administrative and Public Law, Inquests and Public Inquiries, Police Law, and Civil Liberties and Human Rights.
Jesse is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to my clients, including advice and representation services, Jesse 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 Jesse’s privacy notice in full, please see here.
"He is really effective, committed and provides quick turnaround with his work." "He's good at identifying clients' needs and picking out appropriate routes of legal recourse."
"Jesse has a first-rate mind, he is incredibly quick and he is a strategic thinker." "He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the law." "He is a very careful barrister and is thorough in his advice."
"Jesse Nicholls has a first-rate mind, he is incredibly quick and he is a strategic thinker." "He is a meticulous, strategic and uncompromising barrister, and really listens to his clients and solicitors."
"A super knowledgeable barrister with excellent drafting skills and great knowledge of case law."
"Jesse has an authoritative understanding of all aspects of civil liberties law. He is particularly good on cases arising from breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights."
"Outstanding on the law and often used by leaders to draft legal submissions. Very conscientious and hard-working, good on his feet and excellent judgement."
“A complete star”
“A dream of a barrister”
“A brilliant all-rounder with an excellent legal mind. He is a clear and forceful advocate and his written work is second to none. He covers all bases.”
“A joy to work with – a real team player who has phenomenal knowledge of the law. His written work is also outstanding, and he is an accomplished jury advocate who is not afraid to ask the difficult questions. It’s no wonder he’s so in demand – a true star.”
"Extremely intelligent and thorough; he has excellent judgement and his drafting is impeccable. He also has exceptionally good client care skills.”
"Ridiculously bright, works incredibly hard, and always works his way through issues with enthusiasm, bringing to bear his expansive knowledge across multiple areas.”
“An incredibly intelligent barrister, his written work is always phenomenal and he can advocate in tricky circumstances. He’s also good at working with vulnerable clients; he’s engaging and understanding.”
"Absolutely fantastic – extremely bright and very good at working as a team. He’s very collaborative, responsive, extremely hard-working and very good with bereaved families.”