Oliver Mills
Oliver accepts instructions across all of Chambers’ core areas of practice, including public law and human rights, employment, procurement, information and data protection matters.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Oliver was the Judicial Assistant to the Senior President of Tribunals in the Court of Appeal and taught law at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He has a first-class degree in Jurisprudence and a Distinction on the BCL from the University of Oxford.
Specialisms
Employment
Oliver accepts instructions across the full range of statutory and commercial employment law disputes. Oliver is regularly instructed to appear in the Employment Tribunal, in cases involving discrimination, unfair dismissal, unlawful deduction of wages and other statutory claims. He acts for both claimants and respondents.
During his pupillage, supervised by Amy Rogers, Oliver gained experience of the full range of commercial employment law litigation, including disputes concerning team moves, breach of confidence and restrictive covenants.
Oliver also has a particular interest in trade union cases. He is currently instructed in R (Unison) v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, R (NASUWT) v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and R (ASLEF and Others) v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, judicial review claims at the intersection of public and employment law.
Public Law and Human Rights
Oliver acts in judicial review and human rights claims. He is currently instructed in R (Unison) v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, R (NASUWT) v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and R (ASLEF and Others) v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, judicial review claims challenging the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business (Amendment) Regulations 2022, which, in effect, make it easier for employers to use temporary agency workers when their workers are engaged in industrial action.
Oliver also has a particular interest in human rights litigation in Southern Africa. He does pro bono work for the Southern African Litigation Centre and is currently involved in an appeal to the Supreme Court of Eswatini concerning the registration of an LGBTI advocacy organisation.
Public Procurement
Oliver accepts instructions from economic operators and authorities. He is currently instructed by a central government department (led by Rupert Paines) to defend a wide-ranging public procurement challenge.
Information and Data Protection
Oliver is regularly instructed in information and data protection matters including advisory work and litigation under the UK GDPR/ Data Protection Act 2018 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Recent experience includes:
- Dunlop v Information Commissioner and Kirklees Metropolitan Council – acted for the successful local authority defending the Information Commissioner’s decision that it had correctly withheld information under the Environment Information Regulations.
- Boiler Cover Breakdown Limited v Information Commissioner (ongoing) – acting for the Information Commissioner in an appeal of a Monetary Penalty Notice, issued for breaches of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations.
- Acting for a number of defendants in proceedings before the civil courts concerning alleged data breaches.
Education
University of Oxford, BCL, Distinction
University of Oxford, BA Jurisprudence, First Class
Awards
Queen Mother Scholarship, Middle Temple
Harmsworth Entrance Exhibition, Middle Temple
Peter Carter Prize: Proxime Accessit, Wadham College Law Society
College prizes for performance in undergraduate and BCL examinations, Wadham College