David Hughes

Actions against the Police

David appears for and advises claimants in actions against the Police, and similar public authorities such as prisons and the MoJ. His cases include unlawful detention, use of excessive force (including taserings), the misuse of information by police, challenges to licence recalls, and even a successful claim relating to the unlawful seizure by police of sheep. He also represents victims of crime failed by the police. He is an experienced jury advocate. He is instructed in claims across England and Wales, and is a member of the Police Action Lawyers’ Group.

Defamation

David has an active defamation practice, and is one of the few barristers based outside London to regularly practice in this field. Much of this work involves advising with a view to early settlement, and is necessarily confidential, but his experience includes defamation cases involving social media and in the local government context, and he has advised defendants in a number of cases involving Gibraltar government ministers. He has also advised lawyers defamed on social media, and businesses the subject of unfavourable on-line reviews. David authored the joint response of Public Law Wales and the Wales Commercial Law Association to the Government’s consultation on the draft Defamation Bill (which became the Defamation Act 2013), and has regularly given talks on defamation.

Inquests

David appears in inquests for the families of the deceased. He has experience of Article 2 inquests, and jury inquests.

Memberships

Liberty – member of national policy council 2015-2023, member of executive 2020-21, vice-chair July-December 2021

Member of Inquest

Wales Commercial Law Association (chair)

Public Law Wales (committee member)

Administrative Law Bar Association

Commonwealth Lawyers Association

British-Spanish Law Association

Appointments

Fee-paid Employment Judge 2020

Fee-paid judge of the First-tier Tribunal 2020