Alan Payne KC
About
Provided by Alan Payne KC
Practice Areas
Alan specialises in public inquiries, inquests, police law, public law, and data protection & information law. He represents central government, public authorities, police forces, and corporations in complex, high-profile and sensitive investigations, inquiries, judicial reviews and civil claims. He acts primarily for the police, central government and other public authorities.
Recent cases include: - Young v Chief Constable of Warwickshire [2022] EWHC 447 (misfeasance/malicious prosecution); G (A Child), Re [2021] UKSC 9 (Refugee Convention/Hague Convention; abducted children); YZ v Chief Constable of South Wales [2022] EWHC 1721 (challenge to conviction disclosure policy); R (HM) v SSHD [2022] EWHC 695 (data protection challenge to phone seizure policy); R (SSHD) v First-Tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber) [2021] EWHC 1690 (lead case Covid challenge to financial support destitute/homeless).
Alan was called to the Bar in 1996. Before coming to the Bar Alan worked as in-house EU lawyer for The Kraft Heinz Company and, subsequently, for DLA Piper.
Alan completed a criminal pupillage at 1 Harcourt Buildings (now 5 St Andrews Hill), before developing a civil practice at 199 Strand.
Prior to taking Silk in 2019 Alan was on the Attorney General’s A Panel of Counsel, the panel from which Government departments instruct counsel in civil law matters.
Alan is the chief editor of 5 Essex Court’s monthly Data Protection and Information Law Bulletin, The Data Brief, and the co-author of the Employment Tribunals Handbook (6th edition 2021) published by Bloomsbury Professional.
Please visit the 5 Essex Court website for Alan’s full profile.
Chambers Review
UK Bar
Alan Payne KC
Alan Payne KC of 5 Essex Court is an accomplished barrister who routinely acts for the government in immigration and human rights cases. His broad public law knowledge serves to strengthen his work in the field. He is particularly adept at handling Article 8 cases that concern the interaction between Strasbourg and domestic law.
Alan Payne KC
Alan Payne KC has a strong profile in this field, having represented the Home Office and various police clients in numerous inquests, in addition to high-profile matters such as the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
Alan Payne KC
Alan Payne KC is known for defending police forces against civil claims of false imprisonment, misfeasance and breaches of the Human Rights Act, in addition to public law challenges.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"A truly brilliant advocate. He is methodical, versatile and tenacious, and his arguments are delivered with such sincerity that he never seems to fail in getting judges on his side."
"Alan has a fantastic breadth of knowledge and experience; he never disappoints."
"We use him for our higher-profile cases as his knowledge is so strong and detailed in all aspects of inquests law."
"A truly brilliant advocate. He is methodical, versatile and tenacious, and his arguments are delivered with such sincerity that he never seems to fail in getting judges on his side."
"Alan has a fantastic breadth of knowledge and experience; he never disappoints."
"We use him for our higher-profile cases as his knowledge is so strong and detailed in all aspects of inquests law."