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Find out more about our barristers and business support teams here.
Select an area of expertise to find out more about our experience.
Find out more about our barristers and business support teams here.
Conor’s practice includes public/ human rights, police, information, inquests/ inquiries, firearms and employment law.
Conor Monighan is a diligent barrister who delivers high quality work in complex cases. His clients range from private clients to government bodies. He acts in sensitive and high-value cases before a range of courts and tribunals, including the Court of Appeal and the High Court.
Recent instructions include:
As a junior in demand, Conor often opposes senior members of the Bar. He is known for his personable approach and client care, leading to repeat instructions.
Conor is on the Executive Committee of the Human Rights Lawyers’ Association (“HRLA”) and the UK’s leading human rights blog has published over fifty of his articles.
Conor’s clerks can be contacted on 020 7410 2000.
Conor has a strong, and rapidly expanding, public and administrative law practice.
He has particular strength in sensitive cases and human rights claims. Conor is on the Human Rights Lawyers Association’s (“HRLA”) Executive Committee and the UK’s leading human rights blog has published fifty of his articles.
Conor maintains his knowledge of the field through his long-standing membership of the Administrative Law Bar Association (ALBA), the HRLA and the Young Public Law Group (YPLG).
Conor’s clerks can be contacted on 020 7410 2000.
K
Ongoing challenge to a refusal of a Public Interest Immunity/ Closed Material Proceedings application (led by Charlotte Ventham KC).
B
Ongoing challenge concerning the power of lower courts to suspend protective civil orders pending an appeal.
P
Acting for the Interested Party in a judicial review concerning the limits of the High Court’s power to issue quashing orders.
R (Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis) v Kingston Crown Court [2023] EWHC 1938 (Admin)
Significant judicial review concerning the availability of Closed Material Proceedings (led by Charlotte Ventham KC).
Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v Malik [2023] EWHC 3213 (Admin)
Leading authority on costs awards against public bodies (led by Russell Fortt).
X
Defending a threatened judicial review brought by a group which specialises in representing travellers.
As a police law specialist, Conor has experience of the full range of police law including: civil actions, judicial reviews/ appeals by way of case stated, inquests, high-profile/ complex civil applications made by the police (e.g. SPOs) and firearms cases.
Conor has particular expertise in sensitive cases, including where there are Public Interest Immunity issues and/ or a terrorism element.
Judicial Reviews/ Appeals by way of Case Stated
Conor has been instructed in a number of nationally significant judicial reviews on behalf of Forces, including:
Civil Claims & Operational Policing
Conor regularly represents Forces in civil claims. For example, he recently advised on a novel DSD style case arising from an allegedly deficient investigation into a potentially prolific rapist. Conor has advised on wrongful arrest claims, s.59 CJPA applications, search warrant matters, PII/ CMP applications etc.
Firearms
Conor is a leading firearms barrister – please see the relevant tab for more information.
Civil Applications
Conor has considerable expertise in civil applications made by the police (e.g. SPOs). He is often instructed in high-profile and complex cases, particularly where there is a PII/ CMP element. Recent examples include:
Conor’s clerks can be contacted on 020 7410 2000.
R (Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis) v Kingston Crown Court [2023] EWHC 1938 (Admin)
Important judicial review concerning the availability of Closed Material Proceedings (led by Charlotte Ventham KC).
Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v Malik [2023] EWHC 3213 (Admin)
Leading authority on costs awards against the police, building upon Perinpanathan (led by Russell Fortt).
B
Ongoing appeal by way of case stated concerning the ability of the Magistrates’ Court to suspend protective civil orders pending an appeal to the Crown Court.
POCA case
Acting for the Interested Party in a judicial review concerning the limits of the High Court’s power to issue quashing orders.
X
Defending a threatened judicial review brought by a group which specialises in representing travellers.
Conor regularly advises on data protection/ information law issues throughout his practice. He is well-versed in the realities of data protection litigation and has delivered lectures on the subject.
Although Conor’s information law practice is broad, recent examples of his work includes:
He is a regular contributor to 5 Essex Chambers’ ‘Data Brief’, which sends monthly updates to clients working in this interesting field.
Conor’s clerks can be contacted on 020 7410 2000.
Conor is regularly instructed to represent IPs at inquests. He has experience of coronial proceedings arising from a range of contexts, including police custody, NHS care and prisons.
Cases of note include:
As part of Conor’s inquest practice, he regularly contributes towards 5 Essex Chambers’ ‘Inquest Authorities Index’ – available here.
Conor’s clerks can be contacted on 020 7410 2000.
Conor is an experienced public inquiry junior, having acted in:
Conor has previously drafted inquiry submissions for a major Government Department. He also drafted a Rule 9 response on behalf of a well-known former Secretary of State.
He believes in the importance of properly preparing witnesses and recently assisted a key witness whose evidence was praised by the Chair. He has acted as sole attending counsel and has experience of handling sensitives in this context, not least from the Jermaine Baker Inquiry.
He is currently acting for a private client in the Post Office/ Horizon IT Inquiry.
Conor’s clerks can be contacted on 020 7410 2000.
Conor has a long-standing interest in employment law which, giving him a strong understanding of the field. He has represented a variety of clients, including in redundancy, unfair dismissal and discrimination claims.
Conor provides a high level of care to clients and clear tactical advice from the outset. For example, he was recently instructed to undertake a 10-day reasonable adjustments claim in light of his performance at preliminary hearings.
He has been an active member of ELBA (the Employment Law Bar Association) for many years and received an ‘Outstanding’ for his Masters’ Dissertation on unfair dismissal law.
Conor’s clerks can be contacted on 020 7410 2000.
Conor is a leading firearms and explosives licensing barrister. He is regularly instructed in significant, sensitive and high-profile firearms/ shotgun appeals and frequently opposes KCs.
He is instructed in numerous Public Interest Immunity cases, having been junior counsel in Commissioner v Kingston Upon-Thames Crown Court [2023] – the leading authority on firearms appeals and the availability Closed Material Proceedings.
Conor regularly advises senior officers on gun licensing and has been invited to join the National Firearms Licensing Working Group in reflection of his expertise.
Conor’s clerks can be contacted on 020 7410 2000.
Commissioner v Kingston Upon-Thames Crown Court [2023]
Junior counsel in the most significant firearms case for many years (led by Charlotte Ventham KC).
K
Ongoing judicial review arising from the Crown Court’s refusal to grant Public Interest Immunity in a firearms appeal (led by Charlotte Ventham KC).
H
Firearms appeal brought by an Appellant with extreme-right wing sympathies, necessitating the involvement of Counter-Terrorism Policing.
A
Appeal brought by a domestic abuser (successfully opposed a KC who specialises in the field).
B
Succeeded in an appeal brought by a paedophile, having cross-examined a retired High Court judge who supported the appeal.
X
Instructed in firearms appeals brought by two members of the aristocracy who are household names.
Russell Fortt and Conor Monighan represented the Commissioner.
Discover moreThis week 5 Essex Chambers hosted the first training session on the Absolute Rights in…
Discover moreThe Divisional Court has handed down its judgment in R (Commissioner of…
To listen to Conor talk about this topic on Law Pod UK,…
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