Tim James-Matthews

Contact Tim: TimJames-Matthews@matrixlaw.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7404 3447

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

Tim practices primarily in criminal law and extradition, sanctions, proceeds of crime and asset forfeiture, public law and human rights, and media and information law (including data protection).

Criminal Law and Extradition

Tim has experience across a range of criminal law matters (including financial crime, terrorism, and protest law).

• R v Hayes & Palombo [2024] EWCA Crim 304: Acting for one of the appellants in an appeal following a CCRC referral regarding convictions for alleged LIBOR / EURIBOR manipulation (led by Tim Owen KC and Katherine Hardcastle).
• R v S: Acting for a high-profile solicitor charged with fraud offences (led by Richard Thomas KC).
• R v Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil: Instructed on behalf of a number of protesters charged with offences arising from the Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil climate change protests (including common law public nuisance, criminal damage, public order offences, and obstruction of the highway).
• Scott v Director of Public Prosecutions [2022] WLR 2231: Acted, at trial and on appeal, for a defendant charged with inchoate offences under Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007. The case is significant for providing clarification of the nature and scope of the relevant offences. (led by Adrian Waterman KC on appeal).
• R v D & ors: Acting for a defendant charged with a conspiracy to supply controlled drugs of Class A, arising from the hacking of the ‘EncroChat’ encrypted messaging system.
• A Prosecution Authority v A Public Official: Assisted in pre-charge advices for a prosecution authority concerning potential charges of misconduct in public office against two public officials (with Clare Montgomery QC).
• Serious Fraud Office v X: Advised a company under investigation by the SFO for allegations of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting (led by Clare Montgomery QC).
• R v B: Acted for a defendant charged with failing to comply with a direction under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
• R v M: Advised a client under investigation for an alleged breach of the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al Qa-ida (Asset Freezing) Regulations 2011. Following representations made on behalf of the client, the investigation was discontinued.

Tim has assisted in both prosecuting and defending extradition matters under Part 1 and Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003. This has included assisting in advising clients in the early stages of extradition proceedings, as well as providing assistance at a number of extradition hearings. The subject matter of these proceedings was varied, including allegations of commercial fraud, the illegal trade of antiquities, sexual offences and murder. By way of example:

• Actil v Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris (France) [2021] EWHC 2985 (Admin): Acted on a successful appeal against an extradition order, raising issues under s 2 of the Extradition Act 2003.
• Russian Federation v X, Y, Z: Assisted in advising a number of clients facing criminal charges in the Russian Federation for fraud arising from their commercial activities (with Aaron Watkins).

United States of America v I: Assisted in prosecuting an extradition case on behalf of the Government of the United States of America involving child sex offences (with Aaron Watkins).

Sanctions

Tim has considerable experience in sanctions matters – both in advising companies and individuals in respect of sanctions compliance issues, and in acting on behalf of designated persons in delisting challenges and licensing issues.

• Khan v Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs [2024] EWHC 361 (Admin): Acting in a delisting challenge on behalf of an individual designated under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (led by Clare Montgomery KC).
• Advising a number of companies regarding compliance with trade sanctions, imposed under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
• M v Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs: Acting in relation to a de-listing request submitted on behalf of an individual alleged to have been involved in carrying on business in the Russian energy sector (led by Hugo Keith KC).
• R v A: Advising in relation to long-running criminal proceedings in the States of Jersey concerning alleged sanctions contravention.
• Advising a company regarding sanctions and terrorism financing implications concerning a proposed charitable donation in connection with the conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (led by Tim Owen KC).
• R (National Crime Agency) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court [2022] EWHC 2631 (Admin): Acting for Interested Parties in proceedings arising from an Account Freezing Order made in connection with a sanctions compliance investigation (led by Adrian Waterman KC).
• R (Youssef) v Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs [2021] EWHC 3188 (Admin): Acting for a designated person in the first judicial review challenge to the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (led by Dan Squires KC).

Proceeds of Crime, Asset Forfeiture

Tim has experience advising and acting in a range of matters concerning the proceeds of crime, restraint, and forfeiture.

• R (National Crime Agency) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court [2022] EWHC 2631 (Admin): Acting for Interested Parties in proceedings arising from an Account Freezing Order made in connection with a sanctions compliance investigation (led by Adrian Waterman KC).
• Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v J: Acting for individual respondents to a cash forfeiture application, concerning cash alleged to have been obtained through informal money exchange services.
• Re F: Advising a professional services company regarding money laundering issues, including seeking a defence against money laundering from the National Crime Agency.
• Re M: Advising the Director of the Revenue Service (Guernsey) regarding an appeal concerning notices issued under the Income Tax (Guernsey) Law 1975 in support of a foreign tax investigation. Tim advised the Director before the Guernsey Court of Appeal, and acted for the Director before the Privy Council (where leave to appeal was refused) (led by Tim Owen KC).
• Re T: Advising a professional trustee company as to whether certain settlements to a trust represent the proceeds of crime (led by Lord MacDonald Kt KC).
• Re SCT: Advising the Guernsey Law Officers’ Department in civil forfeiture proceedings.
• Re A: Advising a company in respect of a Property Freezing Order and disclosure order made in the Isle of Man (led by Katherine Hardcastle).
• Tim has advised various companies regarding Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 issues associated with investment in foreign medical and recreational cannabis production (led by Tim Owen KC).

Public Law and Human Rights

Tim has experience in a range of public law and human rights matters. He has worked across all stages of judicial review proceedings, from advising clients at the pre-action stage, to assisting in preparation for an appeal. Tim has a particular interest in public law cases which involve a significant criminal justice and national security focus, including actions against the police.

• Begum v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2024] EWCA Civ 152: Acting for Ms Shamima Begum in challenges before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, and on appeal, to the deprivation of her citizenship (led by Dan Squires KC, Samantha Knights KC, Ayesha Christie, and Julianne Kerr Morrison).
• Dayal v Jugnauth [2023] UKPC 37: Acted for the Prime Minister of Mauritius in a Privy Council appeal concerning the validity of the 2019 Mauritius National Assembly election (led by Guy Vassall-Adams KC, Louis Eric Wilson Ribot SC, and Ravindra Chetty SC).
• Reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland regarding the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Northern Ireland) Bill [2023] AC 505: Acted for the Intervener (JUSTICE), in a Supreme Court reference concerning the right to protest and proposed abortion safe access zone legislation (led by Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, with Robbie Stern).
• Tim acts in a number of prison law challenges involving terrorist / national security prisoners, including in proceedings before the Parole Board.
• Archer v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2021] EWCA Civ 1662: Instructed for the claimant in civil proceedings alleging that the power for police to detain a juvenile “in his own interests” under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 is incompatible with Article 5, ECHR (led by Richard Hermer QC).
• R (Elgizouli) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2020] EWHC 2516 (Admin): Acted for the Claimant in judicial review proceedings challenging the provision of Mutual Legal Assistance to the United States of America (led by Richard Hermer QC and Julianne Kerr Morrison).
• Rights Watch (UK) v Secretary of State for the Home Department: Instructed by the successful Claimants in the challenge to the appointment of Lord Carlile as the Independent Reviewer of the Prevent Programme (led by Dan Squires QC).
• Bilal Abdul Kareem v Gina Haspel: Instructed on behalf of a number of victims and the families of victims of state-sponsored violence in Northern Ireland as amicus curiae in United States proceedings concerning the United States government ‘kill list’ (led by Hugh Southey QC).
• Advised a political party, and a think-tank, on issues concerning electoral expenditure (including issues raising potential criminal liability) in the course of the 2019 General Election.
• Instructed on behalf of a number of serving prisoners seeking to judicially review the retrospective amendment to release on licence arrangements made by the Terrorist Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) Act 2020 (led by Dan Squires QC).
• Acted for claimants in a range of actions for compensation arising out of breaches of the Human Rights Act 1998 by public authorities, including against the Ministry of Justice, various police services, and the Ministry of Defence.
• Y v Ministry of Justice: Successfully acted for a prisoner subject to an allegedly unlawful strip search in prison in a civil claim.

Tim has particular experience working in quasi-criminal civil orders, including gang injunctions, anti-social behaviour injunctions, and sexual risk orders. By way of example:

• Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v J: Acted for the respondent to a ‘Gang Injunction’ made pursuant to Part 4 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009.
• Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v R: Successfully resisted the making of an Interim Sexual Risk Order and Sexual Risk Order against a 16-year-old child.

Media and Information Law, Data Protection

Tim has a wide-ranging interest in media, privacy, and data protection law. By way of illustration:

• JSC Commercial Bank Privatbank v Kolomoisky [2024] EWHC 1837 (Ch): Acted on an application by a party to Chancery Division proceedings in England and Wales to transmit documents obtained by compulsory asset disclosure to a foreign prosecuting authority, including issues of transfer of personal data under the UK GDPR (led by Clare Montgomery KC).
• Various Claimants v C: Acting for a company in a data protection claim for damages by thousands of customers, following a large-scale data breach (led by Antony White KC).
• BW Legal Services Ltd v Trustpilot A/S [2024] EWHC 1449 (KB): Acted for Trustpilot in a successful summary judgment application in defamation proceedings brought by a debt recovery law form (led by Anthony Hudson KC).
• Hayes v Liberal Democrats [2023] EWHC 3166 (KB): Acted for the Liberal Democrats in resisting an application for Norwich Pharmacal relief.
• Various Claimants v D: Acting for a company in a data protection claim for damages by numerous customers, following a ransomware hack (led by Antony White KC).
• Various Claimants v News Group Newspapers Limited: Drafting defences in the Mobile Telephone Voicemail interception Litigation.
• Advising a television network in connection with proceedings for misuse of private information concerning the production of a reality television programme.
• Advised a company in connection with proceedings for misuse of private information, breach of confidence, and breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 arising from a criminal hack of the company’s user database.
• Advised the distributors of a high-profile contemporary art project regarding potential criminal liability for obscenity and the publication of indecent material, and civil liability for misuse of private information.
• Advised a claimant pre-action in a libel matter arising from the reporting of an investigative journalist (led by Hugh Tomlinson QC).

Inquests and Inquiries

Tim has acted in, and assisted in, a number of inquests and inquiries matters, including:

• Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry: Acting for Fujitsu Services Limited in the public inquiry following the wrongful convictions of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses (led by Richard Whittam KC and Samantha Knights KC, with Rosalind Comyn).
• Inquest into the death of Mark Milsome: Acted for the bereaved family of a camera operator killed in the course of filming a stunt in a Netflix / BBC TV series (led by Adrian Waterman QC).
• MA and BB v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2019] EWHC 1523 (Admin): Assisted in the preparation of the case for the intervener in this case concerning an inquiry into abuse at Brook House IRC (with Dan Squires QC).
• Inquest into a death at HMP Woodhill: Assisted in the conduct of an inquest into a self-inflicted prison death on behalf of the family of the deceased (with Nick Armstrong).

Prior to joining Chambers, Tim was a Legal Officer at the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. In that time, he contributed to public hearings investigating the sexual abuse of children in children’s homes operated by The Salvation Army,  a range of disability service providers, health care institutions and the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, among others.

Education and Background

Tim holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Sydney, and a Master of Law (First Class) from the University of Cambridge.

Prior to commencing his traineeship at Matrix, Tim taught criminal law, evidence and torts at the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales. Tim has also completed an internship at the Office of the Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague, contributing to the Office’s conduct of prosecutions in relation to the terrorist assassination of former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafik Hariri. He has been published the Law Quarterly Review, Criminal Law Journal and the University of New South Wales Law Journal, and has written for AUSPUBLAW, The Conversation, the UKSC Blog and Inforrm.

Tim is admitted as a lawyer of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

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

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