News & Events
News & Events
The final report of the Brook House Inquiry, in which Paul Livingston was Junior Counsel to the Inquiry, was published yesterday, 19th September 2023. The Inquiry, chaired by Kate Eves, was established to investigate the mistreatment of people detained at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre from April to August 2017, following a BBC Panorama investigation which was broadcast in September 2017, showing covert footage recorded over that period. The Inquiry found 19 incidents in which there was credible evidence of acts or omissions that were capable of amounting to mistreatment contrary to Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, including inappropriate use of force, unnecessary infliction of pain, physical violence, threatening and humiliating comments, and inappropriate segregation. Findings…
External Publications 20 Sep, 2023
11 members of the Outer Temple International Team will attend Dubai Arbitration Week, (DAW 22) between 14th & 18th November 2022. Outer Temple’s; David Russell KC, Andrew Spink KC, Philip Punwar, Justina Stewart, David Holloway, Sean Yates, Peter Linstead, Stephen Doherty, Lucian ILIE, Anson Cheung, and Sam Carter will be joining delegates at this year’s Dubai Arbitration Week. Sean Yates will be speaking at a number of events throughout the week hosted by Accuracy, The Firm (Moaza Alkhadar Advocates), Trowers and Hamlins LLP and Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA). Outer Temple is also thrilled to be an event partner for the TL4FIRE Middle East 2022 conference between 13 and 15 November at the Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai. David Russell KC will be on a panel discussing the ‘The Nuances of Litigation in UAE…
News 8 Nov, 2022
The UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry has now officially opened, headed by Baroness Heather Hallett who has appointed 50 junior Counsel to the legal team including OTC’s Paul Livingston and Joshua Cainer. Baroness Hallett launched the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on 21st July 2022 and opened its first investigation into the preparedness of the UK for a pandemic. Baroness Hallett also set out the timetable for the first 12 months of the Inquiry saying, “It’s time for facts, not opinions – and I will be resolute in my quest for the truth. The Inquiry is already gathering evidence and I will be holding public hearings next year.” The next 12 months sees Module 1 looking into the UK’s preparedness for a pandemic.…
Covid-19 29 Jul, 2022
Paul Livingston is Junior Counsel to the Brook House public inquiry, set up to investigate mistreatment of individuals detained at Brook House IRC in 2017, as shown on BBC Panorama’s “Under-Cover: Britain’s Immigration Secrets”. Hearings began earlier today with an opening statement from Brian Altman QC, Leading Counsel to the Inquiry.. Chaired by Kate Eves, The Brook House Inquiry is a public inquiry set up to investigate the decisions, actions and circumstances surrounding the mistreatment of individuals who were detained at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) shown in the BBC Panorama programme “Under-Cover: Britain’s Immigration Secrets”, aired on 4 September 2017. The Inquiry will consider allegations of mistreatment at Brook House relating to the period from April 2017 to…
News 23 Nov, 2021
In a judgment handed down this morning, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected Asda’s appeal and held that the Claimants (35,000 predominantly female retail employees) can use male distribution employees as comparators for the purposes of an equal pay claim. Andrew Short QC, Naomi Cunningham and Paul Livingston were instructed by Leigh Day to appear on behalf of the Claimants. The claims are brought on the basis that retail employees are paid less than distribution employees despite doing work of equal value. Asda had argued that the distribution employees were not valid comparators as they and the retail employees worked at different locations and were not employed on “common terms” within the meaning of the legislation. This argument was previously rejected…
News 26 Mar, 2021
Paul Livingston appears this week in the substantive hearing in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s investigation into Child Sexual Exploitation. The hearing – which is being conducted entirely remotely – examines institutional responses to child sexual exploitation by organised networks in England and Wales. Sexual exploitation of children is a form of child sexual abuse involving exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where a child receives something, as a result of sexual activities. An ‘organised network’ involves two or more individuals who are known or associated with one another, and known to be involved in or facilitate the sexual exploitation of children. The hearing is primarily looking at six areas: Durham, Swansea, Warwickshire, St Helen’s, Tower Hamlets and Bristol.…
News 22 Sep, 2020
We are delighted to announce new appointments to the Attorney General’s A and C panels. Naomi Ling joins the A Panel, Rob Dickason joins the B Panel and four members of Chambers have been added to the C Panel. Naomi Ling joins the Attorney General’s A Panel, recognising her considerable expertise in employment and pension law. The A Panel deals with the most complex government cases in all kinds of courts and tribunals. Members will often appear against QCs. In general, those appointed to the A Panel will have over 10 years’ advocacy experience. Rob Dickason joins the Attorney General’s B Panel and continues to represent a range of Government departments in a variety of healthcare-related public and private law…
News 3 Sep, 2020
Outer Temple’s recent lunch-time briefing update on abuse claims is now available online, presented by James Counsell QC, Patrick Sadd and Paul Livingston. James Counsell QC, Patrick Sadd and Paul Livingston recently hosted a lunch-time briefing update and practice points review on the subject of abuse claims. Topics included: Reviewing two High Court decisions: DSN v Blackpool Football Club and BXB v Watchtower Costs: the impact of the Defendants’ approach before and during trial Limitation climate: is it possible to forecast? Consequence for vicarious liability following Supreme Court decisions in Barclays and Morrisons Watch the full webinar here: The Speakers James specialises in acting for claimants in historical and more recent sex abuse claims against religious organisations, schools, the scouts…
Webinars & Recordings 4 Jun, 2020
Paul Livingston presents an Employment Law webinar on Harassment As part of the 28 barristers in 14 days Employment Law Series, Paul gave a webinar on harassment in the workplace. Paul specialises in Employment and Discrimination and has considerable experience in acting in claims for harassment, as well as advising organisations about their approach to reducing and responding to harassment in the workplace. He advised on the foundation of www.talktospot.com, an AI tool to assist employees with recording and reporting harassment and discrimination and to assist employers in responding to such allegations. Paul’s experience as Counsel to public inquiries also puts him in a perfect position to advise on and carry out internal investigations. Free Representation Unit The webinars raised £15000, which…
Webinars & Recordings 28 May, 2020
Outer Temple Chambers would like to invite you to a lunch-time briefing update on Abuse Claims on Wednesday 27th May 2020. James Counsell QC, Patrick Sadd and Paul Livingston will be conducting a lunch-time briefing update and practice points review on the subject of abuse claims. Topics will include: Reviewing two High Court decisions: DSN v Blackpool Football Club and BXB v Watchtower Costs: the impact of the Defendants’ approach before and during trial Limitation climate: is it possible to forecast? Consequence for vicarious liability following Supreme Court decisions in Barclays and Morrisons The Speakers James specialises in acting for claimants in historical and more recent sex abuse claims against religious organisations, schools, the scouts and against football clubs and…
Events 20 May, 2020
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has published its report into the institutional responses to the sexual abuse of children in the care of Nottinghamshire County and Nottingham City Councils. The report can be found here. The Inquiry found that “The sexual abuse of children in the care of the Nottinghamshire Councils was widespread in both residential and foster care in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s”. Counsel to the Nottingham investigation were all from Outer Temple Chambers: Patrick Sadd, Paul Livingston, Imogen Egan and Olinga Tahzib. The Inquiry received accounts of sexual abuse from around 350 people formerly in the care of the Councils, but noted that the true number of accounts was likely to be higher. The…
News 31 Jul, 2019
In Various Claimants v Barclays Bank PLC, the High Court has ruled that a bank was vicariously liable for sexual assaults committed by a doctor during medical examinations it required as part of a job application process between 1967 and 1984. This case involved 126 claims by former job applicants and existing employees, and the Court applied the two-stage test: (i) Whether the relationship was one of employment or “akin to employment”, and (ii) whether the assaults had a sufficiently close connection to the employment or quasi-employment. This case appears to extend the scope of vicarious liability further than ever before – any employer hiring someone to carry out medical examinations may, on the basis of this decision, risk being…
News 2 Aug, 2017
