Mathew Gullick KC sees new judgment handed down today from the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR

11th June 2024

Today, Tuesday 11th June, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) handed down its judgment in Nealon & Hallam v United Kingdom.

The applicants alleged that refusals of compensation under the statutory compensation scheme for miscarriages of justice in England & Wales involved violations of the presumption of innocence in Article 6(2) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Their arguments were rejected in judicial review proceedings in the High Court in 2015, by the Court of Appeal in 2016 and by a majority of the UK Supreme Court in 2019.

By a majority of 12 votes to 5, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights, which hears cases of the highest importance in relation to the ECHR, held that there had been no violation of Article 6(2) of the ECHR by the United Kingdom. A statement on the judgement and video of its delivery can be read here.

3PB's public law and employment Silk Mathew Gullick KCMathew Gullick KCCall: 2003Silk: 2021, pictured here, appeared (with James Strachan KC of 39 Essex Chambers) as counsel for the UK Government at the hearing of the applications before the Grand Chamber in July 2023, having previously represented the Secretary of State for Justice in the judicial review claims.