Roisin Swords-Kieley

Contact Roisin: RoisinSwords-Kieley@matrixlaw.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7404 3447

Contact Roisin's Practice Team (Team M): TeamM@matrixlaw.co.uk

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Roisin welcomes instructions in all of Matrix’s practice areas; she practises primarily in Employment and Equality Law, Public Law and Human Rights, and Commercial Law. Roisin has appeared (unled) in the High Court, County Court, Crown Court, Employment Tribunal and SEND Tribunal. Roisin is currently instructed as junior counsel in matters before the Court of Appeal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

Employment

Roisin acts in all areas of employment law and has experience across the full spectrum of employment law matters. Roisin regularly acts for both claimants and respondents/defendants. Roisin is currently instructed in three separate matters concerning worker status in the Court of Appeal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Recent highlights in the Employment Tribunal include: Successfully representing a claimant in a five-day indirect sex discrimination claim; the claimant was awarded significant compensation and Roisin successfully obtained a restricted reporting order that prevented the claimant from being named in media coverage of the trial. Successfully representing a claimant in an unfair dismissal claim where there was dispute as to whether the claimant had been dismissed. Roisin secured the claimant’s costs in full. Successfully defending a claim for whistleblowing detriment and automatically unfair dismissal brought by a care home worker in the context of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Successfully defending a claim for direct age discrimination in circumstances where the claimant was dismissed following an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment. Successfully applying to have a claim struck out on the first morning of the trial. Successfully representing multiple higher education institutions and other respondents defending proceedings in the Employment Tribunal (with Claire Darwin). Acting for an NHS Trust defending a group holiday pay claim brought by locum doctors (case ongoing). Acting for a senior employee in a high value financial services claim (case ongoing).

Public Law

Roisin has significant experience in a range of public law and human rights matters. She has worked across all stages of judicial review proceedings, from advising clients at the pre-action stage to preparing for interim proceedings and appeal. Roisin regularly acts for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (and their parents and carers). In particular, Roisin has significant experience of successfully challenging Local Authority failures to comply with s.42 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and s.19 of the Education Act 1996. Recent highlights include: Acting for a leading NGO in proceedings before the Supreme Court (with Richard Drabble QC). Acting for a severely disabled individual who alleges that the social care charging policy to which they are subject is discriminatory. Acting as part of a team of counsel who successfully obtained an interim injunction to prevent a mass deportation charter flight in circumstances where there was a real risk that the individuals deported would be subject to inhuman and degrading treatment on their return. Acting for DHSC in a judicial review challenging the “table meal requirement” during the Covid-19 pandemic (with Sir James Eadie QC and Paul Skinner). Acting for a university in judicial review proceedings seeking to challenge historic exam results. Acting for an individual who sought to challenge the application of a 6 year limitation period to charges pursued by a Local Authority under s.69 of the Care Act 2014 (with Chris Butler QC). Acting for two NGOs in an intervention application in proceedings before the Court of Appeal (with Jessica Jones).

Education Law

Roisin welcomes instructions in all areas of Education Law. She has a particular interest in proceedings before the SEND Tribunal and has significant experience providing advice and assisting parents, carers and young people with their appeals. Roisin often deals with complex national trial appeals and appeals concerning sections B,F and I; she also has experience of review hearings. Recently, Roisin successfully represented a parent who sought to have a local day special school named in section I of their child’s plan, where the position of the Local Authority and the school was that only a residential placement would be suitable. With her substantial discrimination law expertise, Roisin is developing a strong disability discrimination practice in the SEND Tribunal. She recently secured both a detailed apology letter from the Chair of Governors (sent to all staff) and a number of significant changes to the school’s practices and policies. Roisin routinely acts in successful challenges to Local Authority failures to comply with s.42 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and s.19 of the Education Act 1996 by way of judicial review.

Equality Law

In addition to her public law and employment practices, Roisin often appears before the County Court in claims brought under the Equality Act 2010. She has a particular interest in goods and services claims. Recent highlights include: Acting for a defendant (on a strike out application) on the question of whether alleged ‘services’ were provided to the public. Acting for a defendant in successfully defending a claim concerning a Covid facemask policy on jurisdictional grounds. Acting for a national retailer in a number of claims concerning Covid-related restrictions and their application. Investigating sexual harassment allegations within a national political party.

Commercial

Roisin recently appeared in the High Court (unled) successfully obtaining a general civil restraint order: Howell v Evans [2020] EWHC 2729 (QB). Roisin has significant commercial law experience. As the Judicial Assistant to Longmore LJ in the Court of Appeal in 2017-2018 she worked on a number of high-profile commercial cases, for example Property Alliance Group Ltd v Royal Bank of Scotland Plc [2018] EWCA Civ 355.

Media and Information Law

Roisin welcomes instructions in all areas of media and information law and has a particular interest in defamation, privacy, breach of confidence and reporting restrictions. Recent highlights include: Acting for a national political party in an ongoing GDPR claim. Acting for a high-profile influencer in defamation and harassment proceedings (with Ian Helme). Advising on a malicious falsehood/ defamation claim (with Hugh Tomlinson QC).

Other Experiences

Prior to joining Matrix, Roisin was the Judicial Assistant to Lord Justice Longmore in the Court of Appeal and taught Constitutional Law at Keble College, University of Oxford. She has also worked as an Immigration and Asylum paralegal.

Qualifications and Awards

Roisin obtained an Outstanding on the BPTC, scoring the highest mark nationally in the professional ethics paper, for which she received the Buchanan Prize from Lincoln’s Inn. Roisin was awarded the Lord Denning Scholarship and Hardwicke Entrance award from Lincoln’s Inn and an excellence award from BPP University. Prior to studying for the Bar, Roisin was an academic excellence scholar of Keble College, University of Oxford where she completed both her undergraduate and postgraduate studies; she holds BA Jurisprudence and the BCL (with distinction) respectively.

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Roisin's Privacy Notice

Roisin is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to her clients, including advice and representation services, Roisin 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 Roisin’s privacy notice in full, please see here.

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