Oliver Jackson

Oliver is recognised as a leading junior for Administrative Law and Human Rights in the Legal 500 and for Administrative and Public Law in Chambers & Partners. He has been described as “an excellent barrister to work with”, “incredibly approachable and hard-working” and “very responsive, always on top of his game, incisive and collaborative”.

Oliver has been instructed on public law and human rights cases before the High Court, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. He has also recently drafted chapters for a leading practitioner’s textbook on judicial review and the operation of the Human Rights Act 1998, to be published shortly. Highlights of cases in which he has been involved include:

• R (Evans) v Care Quality Commission [2025] EWHC 2015 (Admin) – challenge to the first registration of a private provider of cross-sex hormones to 16-17 year old children (led by Tom Cross KC).
• R (ALR) v Chancellor of the Exchequer [2025] EWHC 1467 (Admin) – human rights challenge to the Government’s private school fees VAT policy on behalf of parents of special needs children (led by Tom Cross KC).
• R (EBB) v Gorse Academies Trust [2025] EWHC 1983 (Admin) – wide-ranging challenge to use of isolation rooms at a high-performing Academy Trust (led by Jason Coppel KC and Hannah Slarks).
• R (Emeraldshaw Ltd) v Sheffield Magistrates’ Court (Court of Appeal, judgment awaited) – whether a commercial landlord was liable to pay non-domestic business rates despite granting a tenancy to a charity.
• R (Gould) v Devon County Council [2025] EWHC 96 (Admin), on appeal to the Court of Appeal – whether a local authority had had regard to mandatory considerations in a service closure decision (led by Jonathan Auburn KC).
• R (AB) v Bristol City Council [2025] EWHC 893 (Admin) – challenge to a £90 million ‘safety value agreement’ between the Department of Education and a local authority (led by James Goudie KC, leading Rita Dias).
• R (NN) v Michaela Community School [2024] EWHC 843 (Admin) – whether the Michaela School’s ban on prayer rituals was compatible with pupils’ right to freedom of religion (led by Jason Coppel KC and Tom Cross).
• R (Worcestershire County Council) v Secretary of State for Health and Social Care [2023] UKSC 31 – successful Supreme Court appeal on which local authority is required to provide mental health aftercare services where a person moves areas (led by Andrew Sharland KC).
• R (Lister) v Secretary of State for Education AC-2024-LON-001359 – challenge to the Department for Education’s high-profile draft guidance to schools on gender questioning children (led by Jo Clement KC and Tom Cross).
• Crowter v United Kingdom App no. 32192/23 – ECtHR challenge on behalf of disability rights campaigners against section 1(1)(d) of the Abortion Act 1967 (led by Jason Coppel KC).
• R (Fire Brigades Union and British Medical Association) v HM Treasury [2023] EWHC 527 (Admin) – judicial review by trade unions under article 6 ECHR and on domestic public law grounds to the operation of the cost control mechanism in public sector pension schemes (led by Nigel Giffin KC).
• R (Ingold) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2023] EWHC 3207 (Admin) – challenge to the operation of the Child Maintenance Service (led by Sir James Eadie KC, First Treasury Counsel).
• Barking and Dagenham LBC v Persons Unknown [2022] EWCA Civ 13 – whether final injunctions can be granted against gypsies and travellers who are unknown and unidentified at the time of the injunction (assisting Nigel Giffin KC).
• Attorney General for Bermuda v Ferguson [2022] UKPC 5 and Day v Governor of the Cayman Islands [2022] UKPC 6 – whether the constitutions of Bermuda and the Cayman Islands provide a right to same-sex marriage.
• R (Elan-Cane) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] UKSC 56 – judicial review challenge to the lack of a non-binary ‘X’ gender option on UK passports.
• Re McQuillan [2021] UKSC 55 – judicial review challenge to the lack of an article 2 ECHR compliant investigation into deaths and ill-treatment occurring during the Troubles.
• R (Majera) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] UKSC 46 – whether the Home Secretary was permitted to override a defective court order.
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill & European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill [2021] UKSC 42 – devolution references concerning certain provisions of two Scottish Bills are outside the competence of the Scottish Parliament.
• R (AB) v Secretary of State for Justice [2021] UKSC 28 – challenge to the placement of children in solitary confinement at a Young Offenders Institution.
• R (SC) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2021] UKSC 26 – article 14 ECHR challenge to the two-child benefit cap.
• R (Begum) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] UKSC 7 – challenge to the decision to deprive Shamima Begum of her UK citizenship.
• R (Friends of the Earth) v Heathrow Airport Ltd [2020] UKSC 52 – challenge to the third runway at Heathrow Airport.
• Advising an international media organisation on two potential article 10 ECHR claims to the European Court of Human Rights.
• Advising a university professor on whether their research was subject to export controls in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Advising a utilities company on a potential public law claim against the regulator.

Oliver is recognised as a leading junior in employment law by the Legal 500.

He practices in all areas of employment law, with a particular interest in redundancy, dismissal, discrimination and trade union cases. His clients including employees, employers and unions. Highlights of cases in which he has been involved include:

• Muda v Malaysia (ET 2203623/2021), on appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal – whether a claim by a foreign citizens with UK permanent residence against her diplomatic embassy employer was barred by state immunity.
• Mitchell v Novaplex Business Solutions Ltd (ET 6013303/2024) – whether a Chief Operating Officer who had been dismissed for gross misconduct was entitled to notice pay and unpaid employer pension contributions
• Onurcan v Malaysia (ET 2203565/2021) (two judgements) – whether a claim by a senior embassy driver was barred by state immunity; and whether the claimant had agreed to vary his contract to accept a lower wage.
• Tamiru v Tiffany & Co (UK) Holdings Ltd (ET 2302460/2022) – claims against luxury jewellers for unfair dismissal, redundancy pay, notice pay and bonus pay successfully struck out.
• Yentob v Impressco Ltd (ET 2300835/2022) – claim for unpaid holiday pay and petrol expenses, acting pro bono for the claimant, settled the morning of trial with the respondent paying 100% of the sums claimed.
• Diner v Fujifilm Sonosite Ltd (settled) – harassment and unfair dismissal claim arising out of an alleged course of conduct by the claimant’s manager.
• Newton v SJB Medical Ltd and anor (ongoing) – disability discrimination claims arising out of an online automated recruitment test.
• Kostal UK Ltd v Dunkley [2021] UKSC 47 – claim against an employer for bypassing a trade union in its negotiations with employees.
• Asda Stores Ltd v Brierley [2021] UKSC 10 – whether female retail staff are entitled to compare themselves with male employees at distribution depots for the purposes of an equal pay claim.
• Uber BV v Aslam [2021] UKSC 5 – whether Uber drivers are workers.

Oliver has extensive experience in cases involving competition law, EU relations, and retained/assimilated EU law. He acted the landmark ‘Volvo limitation’ appeals concerning the status of CJEU judgments post-Brexit, and is comfortable dealing with intricate regulatory structures. Highlights of cases in which he has been involved include:

• Umbrella Interchange Fees Trial 1 [2025] CAT 37 (six-week trial across February and March 2024) – part of a multi-chambers counsel team jointly instructed in the Competition Appeal Tribunal by firms representing thousands of UK businesses in their competition law claims against Visa and Mastercard. First judicial finding in Europe that the Visa and Mastercard payment card schemes amount to an object infringement of Article 101 TFEU.
• Volvo Limitation [2023] CAT 49 (Competition Appeal Tribunal); [2024] EWCA Civ 1559 (Court of Appeal); refused permission to appeal UKSC/2025/0021 (Supreme Court) – constitutional law arguments on how UK courts should deal with CJEU judgments post-Brexit.
• Acted for one of the six big tech companies designated as a gatekeeper under the EU Digital Markets Act.
• Secretary of State for Health v Servier Laboratories Ltd [2022] UKSC 44 – to what extent findings made by the CJEU in judgments annulling an infringement decision of the EU Commission are binding in domestic private damages actions following on from that decision.
• Ecolab Inc v Competition and Markets Authority [2020] CAT 12 – challenge to a decision of the CMA requiring Ecolab to divest its acquisition of a competitor.
• Daimler AG v Walleniusrederier Aktiebolag [2019] EWHC 3197 (Comm) and [2020] EWHC 525 (Comm) – follow on damages claim arising from the Roll-on/Roll-off international shipping cartel.
• Stellantis NV (formerly Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV) & others v NTN Corporation & others: follow-on damages claim arising from the automotive bearings cartel.

Oliver has a particular interest in the overlap between commercial disputes and public law principles. His commercial clients have included FTSE 100 companies in the retail, gambling, luxury goods, hospitality and tech sectors. He has been instructed on matters ranging from the county court small claims track to heavy and complex commercial court trials. Highlights of cases in which he has been involved include:

• R (Emeraldshaw Ltd) v Sheffield Magistrates’ Court (ongoing, Court of Appeal) – whether a commercial landlord was liable to pay non-domestic business rates despite granting a tenancy to a charity.
• Pakistan International Airlines Corporation v Times Travel (UK) Ltd [2021] UKSC 40 – whether a contract can be avoided for lawful economic act duress. Critiqued academically in [2021] 8 JBL 701.
• Tinkler v Stobart Group [2022] EWHC 1375 (Ch) – successful defence to a claim to set aside a judgment alleged to have been obtained by fraud, upheld on appeal (assisting Richard Leiper KC and Daniel Isenberg).
• Bott & Co Solicitors Ltd v Ryanair DAC [2022] UKSC 8 – claim to recover monies said to be held under a solicitor’s equitable lien.
• FS Cairo (Nile Plaza) LLC v Brownlie [2021] UKSC 45 – claim for tortious damages against a defendant out of the jurisdiction.
• Tinkler v HMRC [2021] UKSC 39 – the leading case on estoppel by convention.
• Enka Insaat Ve Sanayi AS v OOO Insurance Company Chubb [2020] UKSC 38 – dispute over the proper law of an arbitration agreement governing proceedings concerning liability for a fire at a Russian power plant.
• Harcus Sinclair LLP v Your Lawyers Ltd [2021] UKSC 32 – enforceability of a non-compete clause/solicitor’s undertaking agreed between two law firms.
• Secretary of State for Health v Servier Laboratories Ltd [2021] UKSC 24 – the NHS’s claim against a pharmaceutical company for overcharging it for the drug perindopril.
• Manchester Building Society v Grant Thornton UK LLP [2021] UKSC 20 and Meadows v Khan [2021] UKSC 21 – the leading authorities on the scope of the duty of care in negligence.
• T W Logistics Ltd v Essex County Council [2021] UKSC 4 – challenge to the registration of a working commercial port as a town and village green.
• Vodafone v Ofcom [2020] EWCA Civ 183 – restitutionary claim by network operators for monies held by Ofcom after the quashing of earlier regulations.
• Alstom Transport UK Ltd v Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd [2019] EWHC 3585 (TCC) – challenge to the award of a contract for digital train control signalling system on the East Coast Main Line.

Oliver is experienced in a range of international law issues, with a particular expertise in cases concerning foreign acts of state and diplomatic immunity. Highlights of cases in which he has been involved include:

• Muda v Malaysia (ET 2203623/2021), on appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal – whether claims by foreign citizens with UK permanent residence are barred by state immunity.
• Onurcan v Malaysia (ET 2203565/2021) – whether a claim by a senior embassy driver was barred by state immunity.
• R (AG) v Barnet LBC & Secretary of State for the FCDO [2022] EWCA Civ 1505 –whether there is an exception to diplomatic immunity for cases involving torture and/or children (assisting Jo Clement KC).
• Maduro Board of the Central Bank of Venezuela v Guaido Board of the Central Bank of Venezuela [2021] UKSC 57 – dispute over which President of Venezuela controlled gold reserves worth US$2 billion deposited in the Bank of England.
• General Dynamics UK Ltd v Libya [2021] UKSC 22 – challenge to an attempt to enforce an arbitration award against the state of Libya.

Oliver is recognised as a leading junior for data protection in both the Legal 500 and Administrative and Public Law. He has been described in this area as “an extremely good advocate” and “exceptionally user-friendly and very detail-focused”.

Oliver’s experience ranges from advising government departments on narrow points of law to assisting Supreme Court justices decide class action claims. He frequently acts for journalists, members of the public, businesses, public authorities and the Information Commissioner in the First-tier Tribunal and in the Upper Tribunal. Highlights of cases in which he has been instructed include:

• Amin v DEFRA (ongoing) – acting pro bono, freedom of information challenge seeking information from meetings between the DEFRA permanent secretary and the chair of Thames Water shortly before his resignation from Thames Water’s parent company due to a conflict of interest.
• Spiropoulos v Information Commissioner [2025] UKUT 285 (AAC) – a first instance tribunal’s reasons for resolving an evidential dispute can be inferred from the judgment as a whole.
• Garrard v Cabinet Office [2025] UKFTT 00343 (GRC) – acting pro bono, freedom of information challenge seeking briefing notes and readouts from meetings between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Indian industrialist Gautam Adani.
• Monetise Media Ltd v Information Commissioner [2024] UKFTT 00959 (GC) –challenge to ICO decision to impose a £125,000 fine on a company for breach of Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003.
• Burton v Information Commissioner [2024] UKUT 134 (AAC) – what is the extent of the First-tier Tribunal’s jurisdiction to strike out an appeal on the basis that the grounds of appeal do not engaged the Tribunal’s statutory jurisdiction.
• Powell v Information Commissioner [2023] UKUT 221 (AAC) – whether the First-tier Tribunal gave adequate reasons for finding that anonymised information was personal data.
• Spotlight on Corruption v British Business Bank (EA/2022/0014 & 0061) – defending the decision not to disclose the names of UK companies that received government-backed loans during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities v Information Commissioner (EA/2022/0143 & 0144) – defending ICO decisions ordering the disclosure to journalists of information regarding the Government’s Towns Fund on the basis that the information relates to the formulation or development of government policy.
• Lin v Information Commissioner [2023] UKUT 143 (AAC) – Upper Tribunal appeal concerning the jurisdiction of the FtT to strike out vexatious claims.
• MO v Information Commissioner (EA/2022/0071) – challenge to ICO decision withholding the disclosure of information relating to the licensing of sex entertainment venues in Bristol.
• Lloyd v Google LLC [2021] UKSC 50 – class action claim against Google for alleged abuse of personal data.

Oliver is highly experienced in education law disputes and regularly acts for educational institutions, local authorities, students and parents. In 2024 and 2025 he acted in four separate high-profile education law judicial reviews, each of which was widely reported in the press. Highlights of cases in which he has been instructed include:

• R (ALR) v Chancellor of the Exchequer [2025] EWHC 1467 (Admin) – challenge to the Government’s private school fees VAT policy on behalf of parents of special needs children (led by Tom Cross KC).
• R (EBB) v The Gorse Academies Trust [2025] EWHC 1983 (Admin) – wide-ranging challenge to use of isolation rooms at a high-performing Academy Trust (led by Jason Coppel KC and Hannah Slarks).
• R (AB) v Bristol City Council [2025] EWHC 893 (Admin) – challenge to a £90 million ‘safety value agreement’ between the Department of Education and a local authority to cover SEND overspends (led by James Goudie KC, leading Rita Dias).
• R (NN) v Michaela Community School [2024] EWHC 843 (Admin) – whether the Michaela School’s ban on prayer rituals was compatible with pupils’ right to freedom of religion (led by Jason Coppel KC and Tom Cross).

Oliver is recognised as a leading junior in public procurement by the Legal 500.

He acts for both economic operators and contracting authorities, and is regularly instructed in the Technology and Construction Court and the Administrative Court on the largest procurement disputes. Highlights of cases in which he has been instructed include:

• Cubic Transportation Systems Ltd v Transport for London (ongoing) – challenge by incumbent contractor to TfL’s decision to award its contract for all of TfL’s revenue collection services (worth £1.5 billion) to a competitor.
• Lime v Liverpool City Council (ongoing) – challenge to the decision of Liverpool City Council to award a concession contract for e-bikes and e-scooters.
• Learning Curve Group Ltd v Secretary of State for Education (settled before trial) – challenge to decision of the Education and Skills Funding Agency to not award education and training funding to the claimant as part of contracts worth £290 million.
• Medequip Assistive Technology Ltd v Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (settled before trial) – challenge by incumbent contractor to award of pan-London contract for community equipment services (worth £400 million).