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James Keeley

Year of Call:

1993

Education:

LLB (Hons) Law

LLM Employment Law and Relations

Career:

Called to the Bar 1993

Judicial Assistant (including trials of Brent Walker with HHJ Geoffrey Rivlin QC and Maxwell with Lord Phillips).

Maxwell with Lord Phillips.  This case has set the standard for fraud trials with its use of technology and the so-called Maxwell hours.

Mr Keeley sat on the bench throughout both trials and helped both Judges prepare their summing-ups.

Serafinowicz - the first ever War Crimes Trial and the appeal of the Bridgewater Four.  In Serafinowicz, Mr Keeley was noting Junior during the trial to both Sir John Nutting QC and the then Solicitor General, Sir Derek Spencer QC.  In Bridgewater, Mr Keeley assisted Alun Jones QC in going through Vincent Hickey's interviews in order to assess whether or not there had been any irregularities.

CPS Level 3 prosecutor

In July 1993, after successfully completing the Inns of Court School of Law Bar course, James Keeley went to work as a clerk to the then, Industrial Tribunal, Woburn Place, London.

Whilst at Woburn Place Mr. Keeley built on the experience he had gained whilst studying Employment Law under Professor Upex, editor of Sweet and Maxwell’s Encyclopaedia of Employment Law. After several months of working with experienced Tribunal Chairmen, such as Barbara Calvert QC and seeing top practitioners such as John Bowers QC Mr. Keeley then went on to work as Judicial Assistant with HHJ Rivlin QC on the Brent Walker case.

After practising at the Criminal Bar in London Mr. Keeley moved to Sovereign Chambers in Leeds. Mr. Keeley was keen to develop his early interest in Employment Law and decided to study for a Masters Degree in Employment Law and Industrial Relations at Leicester University whilst still in full time practice at the Bar.

The Masters Degree involved an in depth analysis of all of the major areas of Employment Law with a final dissertation focused on Whistleblowing.

Mr. Keeley has appeared for respondent and Applicants in Employment Tribunal cases and his experience includes the following areas:

 Pre-dismissal advice for employees and employers.

 Disability Discrimination
Including the recent and well publicised case of a Special Constable with hearing difficulties from Yorkshire who wished to become a full time police officer. This was the first case of its kind and resolved itself in the applicant being accepted as a full time officer.

 Whistleblowers.
Recently advised a police officer.

 Race and Sex Discrimination
Including representing a woman who accused the then Lord Chancellors Department of race discrimination.

 Unfair Dismissal
Represented a postman who was claiming that his dismissal was unfair partly as a result of his privacy being infringed by his employer (Article 8 of the ECHR).

All enquires to be made to Francine Kirk at Sovereign Chambers, 46, Park Place, Leeds: 0113 2202 8605.