MEET:
Jessica Sutton
"She is consistently thorough in her preparation, with excellent attention to detail and a strong grasp of the key issues in each case. She is very responsive, highly professional and a genuine pleasure to work with.”
Gemma Crayford, Senior Solicitor, Anchor, 2026
Jessica joined Matrix in 2025 after successful completion of her traineeship. She accepts instructions across Matrix’s practice areas, with a particular focus on public law, human rights, employment law, public international law, and private international law.
Jessica has experience in a range of public law and human rights matters. Recent cases include:
- AYA & Ors v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWHC 1742 (Admin). Acted for one of the Claimants in a judicial review of the Secretary of State’s decision to amend the Modern Slavery Guidance to remove the right to reconsideration of a negative reasonable grounds or conclusive grounds decision. The policy was found to be unlawful.
- Director of Public Prosecutions v Edwards (CASE SKNHCR 2023/0067 & 0071). Acting for the Defendant in challenging the lawfulness of the death penalty in St Kitts and Nevis. The DPP’s application to sentence Mr Edwards to death was dropped following the defence submissions.
- Advising and drafting particulars of claim in an HRA claim alleging violations of Articles 3, 8, and 14 ECHR.
She also gained experience during her traineeship in judicial review claims, public inquiries, and inquests. Notably, she assisted James Robottom acting for the families and sole survivor in the Cranston Inquiry, which concluded that that the deaths of at least 30 people who drowned while attempting to cross the English Channel in November 2021 could have been avoided.
Jessica accepts instructions in all areas of employment law for both Claimants and Respondents/Defendants. She has been instructed in preliminary hearings, final hearings, and matters in the EAT.
Jessica is currently conducting a complex investigation, and is instructed in a 4-week equal pay trial listed for 2027 (both led by Laura Prince KC).
Jessica is currently acting for claimants in the NOx Group Litigation arising out of 16 major car manufacturers’ alleged use of in-car ‘defeat devices’ (led by Tom de la Mare KC, Oliver Campbell KC, Ben Jaffey KC, and Adam Kramer KC).
She gained experience throughout her traineeship in other large private international law group claims.
Jessica is developing expertise in public international law. Recent work includes:
- Acting for the applicant in an application to the European Court of Human Rights raising alleged violations of Articles 2, 3, 8, and 14.
- Advising on issues relating to the international obligations of states on trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation.
- Assisted Anirudh Mathur during her traineeship in written observations for the intervenor in a European Court of Human Rights application raising Article 8 and Article 3 of Protocol 1.
- Assisted Toby Fisher during her traineeship in advising on the criminal or civil liability of financial institutions with respect to the war in Gaza.
MPhil in Law, Jesus College, University of Oxford (2023, Rhodes Scholarship) – No corrections.
Bachelor of Civil Law, Jesus College, University of Oxford (2022, Rhodes Scholarship) – Distinction.
Bachelor of Law (Honours), Victoria University of Wellington (2020) – First Class and recipient of the Victoria University Medal of Academic Excellence (awards included the Chapman Tripp Prize; the Coleman-Brown Memorial Award; the Archibald Francis McCallum Scholarship in Law; and the Quentin Baxter Prize in International Law).
Bachelor of Arts (French), Victoria University of Wellington (2020) – 9.0 GPA on a scale of 9.0.
- Jessica Sutton, ‘Gender-Based Violence and the Arms Trade Treaty: Article 7(4) under Fire’ (2021) 18(1) New Zealand Journal of Public and International Law 49.
- Jessica Sutton, ‘Salvaging the Jury in Sexual Violence Trials: A Requirement for Reasoned Verdicts’ (2021) 4 New Zealand Women’s Law Journal 66.
- Jessica Sutton, ‘Towards an ‘Absolute’ Prohibition on Torture’ (July/August 2018) New Zealand International Review.
Jessica is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to their clients, including advice and representation services, Jessica needs to collect and hold personal data. This includes their client’s personal data and the personal data of others who feature in the matter upon which they are instructed. To read Jessica’s privacy notice in full, please see here.
“Jessica is an exceptional junior, who is an asset to any legal team. Her work demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of cross-border human rights issues and she is absolutely dedicated to the protection of her clients’ rights. She is collaborative in her approach and was very happy to discuss the nuances of a case. I would happily work with Jessica in the future as she is definitely someone to watch in the sphere of public law and civil liberties.”
“Jessica has supported me on many Employment Tribunal matters. She is consistently thorough in her preparation, with excellent attention to detail and a strong grasp of the key issues in each case. She is very responsive, highly professional and a genuine pleasure to work with.”
+44 (0)20 7404 3447
"She is consistently thorough in her preparation, with excellent attention to detail and a strong grasp of the key issues in each case. She is very responsive, highly professional and a genuine pleasure to work with.”
Gemma Crayford, Senior Solicitor, Anchor, 2026
MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE
- Public Law
- Public International Law
- Civil Liberties and Human Rights
- Private International Law
- Employment Law
- International Law
Jessica Sutton
Contact Jessica: JessicaSutton@matrixlaw.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7404 3447
Contact Jessica's Practice Team (Team X): TeamX@matrixlaw.co.uk
Jessica joined Matrix in 2025 after successful completion of her traineeship. She accepts instructions across Matrix’s practice areas, with a particular focus on public law, human rights, employment law, public international law, and private international law.
Public Law and Human Rights
Jessica has experience in a range of public law and human rights matters. Recent cases include:
- AYA & Ors v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWHC 1742 (Admin). Acted for one of the Claimants in a judicial review of the Secretary of State’s decision to amend the Modern Slavery Guidance to remove the right to reconsideration of a negative reasonable grounds or conclusive grounds decision. The policy was found to be unlawful.
- Director of Public Prosecutions v Edwards (CASE SKNHCR 2023/0067 & 0071). Acting for the Defendant in challenging the lawfulness of the death penalty in St Kitts and Nevis. The DPP’s application to sentence Mr Edwards to death was dropped following the defence submissions.
- Advising and drafting particulars of claim in an HRA claim alleging violations of Articles 3, 8, and 14 ECHR.
She also gained experience during her traineeship in judicial review claims, public inquiries, and inquests. Notably, she assisted James Robottom acting for the families and sole survivor in the Cranston Inquiry, which concluded that that the deaths of at least 30 people who drowned while attempting to cross the English Channel in November 2021 could have been avoided.
Employment Law
Jessica accepts instructions in all areas of employment law for both Claimants and Respondents/Defendants. She has been instructed in preliminary hearings, final hearings, and matters in the EAT.
Jessica is currently conducting a complex investigation, and is instructed in a 4-week equal pay trial listed for 2027 (both led by Laura Prince KC).
Private International Law
Jessica is currently acting for claimants in the NOx Group Litigation arising out of 16 major car manufacturers’ alleged use of in-car ‘defeat devices’ (led by Tom de la Mare KC, Oliver Campbell KC, Ben Jaffey KC, and Adam Kramer KC).
She gained experience throughout her traineeship in other large private international law group claims.
Public International Law
Jessica is developing expertise in public international law. Recent work includes:
- Acting for the applicant in an application to the European Court of Human Rights raising alleged violations of Articles 2, 3, 8, and 14.
- Advising on issues relating to the international obligations of states on trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation.
- Assisted Anirudh Mathur during her traineeship in written observations for the intervenor in a European Court of Human Rights application raising Article 8 and Article 3 of Protocol 1.
- Assisted Toby Fisher during her traineeship in advising on the criminal or civil liability of financial institutions with respect to the war in Gaza.
Education
MPhil in Law, Jesus College, University of Oxford (2023, Rhodes Scholarship) – No corrections.
Bachelor of Civil Law, Jesus College, University of Oxford (2022, Rhodes Scholarship) – Distinction.
Bachelor of Law (Honours), Victoria University of Wellington (2020) – First Class and recipient of the Victoria University Medal of Academic Excellence (awards included the Chapman Tripp Prize; the Coleman-Brown Memorial Award; the Archibald Francis McCallum Scholarship in Law; and the Quentin Baxter Prize in International Law).
Bachelor of Arts (French), Victoria University of Wellington (2020) – 9.0 GPA on a scale of 9.0.
Publications
- Jessica Sutton, ‘Gender-Based Violence and the Arms Trade Treaty: Article 7(4) under Fire’ (2021) 18(1) New Zealand Journal of Public and International Law 49.
- Jessica Sutton, ‘Salvaging the Jury in Sexual Violence Trials: A Requirement for Reasoned Verdicts’ (2021) 4 New Zealand Women’s Law Journal 66.
- Jessica Sutton, ‘Towards an ‘Absolute’ Prohibition on Torture’ (July/August 2018) New Zealand International Review.
Jessica's Privacy Notice
Jessica is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to her clients, including advice and representation services, Jessica 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 Jessica’s privacy notice in full, please see here.
“Jessica is an exceptional junior, who is an asset to any legal team. Her work demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of cross-border human rights issues and she is absolutely dedicated to the protection of her clients’ rights. She is collaborative in her approach and was very happy to discuss the nuances of a case. I would happily work with Jessica in the future as she is definitely someone to watch in the sphere of public law and civil liberties.”
“Jessica has supported me on many Employment Tribunal matters. She is consistently thorough in her preparation, with excellent attention to detail and a strong grasp of the key issues in each case. She is very responsive, highly professional and a genuine pleasure to work with.”