Direct Access Barrister
Aaron Moss
Direct Access Barrister
Aaron Moss
Aaron is vetted, and as such often handles issues and documents of the utmost sensitivity.
He was appointed to the Attorney General’s B Panel of Counsel (Civil) in September 2023, having been on the C Panel for four years. Aaron was shortlisted for Public Services and Charities Junior Barrister of the Year 2023 by Legal 500.
This year’s Legal 500 recognises Aaron as a “‘go-to junior for complex and sensitive inquests and inquiries. He is very personable and hard-working, and demonstrates excellent judgement and decision-making.” The latest edition of Chambers UK says “His calm and measured approach, coupled with clear strategic vision, make Aaron an obvious instruction on the most complex and sensitive of cases”.
Area of Law
Freedom of Information and Data Protection
Aaron is ranked as a leading junior by Chambers UK for data protection, which says that “Aaron is incredibly responsive and very practical – he gets his teeth into the wider context”.
Issues of information law and data protection arise throughout Aaron’s practice. Examples of Aaron’s recent work include representing a police force in a civil claim for failure to comply with a Subject Access Request, defending a claim concerning the value to be attributed to data which was lost when a computer was unlawfully destroyed, and drafting a data sharing MOU between public sector organisations. He has a constant caseload acting on behalf of local authorities.
He recently acted for a police force, defending a privacy claim arising out of the alleged sharing of information with a media organisation prior to the execution of a search warrant. A second recent case concerns the release of a witness’s personal details to a suspect.
Aaron has a busy practice acting for Government departments and complainants in proceedings under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. Aaron is vetted, and as such often handles material of the utmost sensitivity.
Information Technology and Telecommunications
Aaron advises telecommunications providers on their obligations under RIPA and IPA, as well as matters concerning data retention and international data transfers.
Inquests and Public Inquiries
Aaron is ranked in both of the directories for his practice in Inquests and Inquiries. Chambers UK says “He has got judgment well beyond his years of call: he is a really impressive performer”.
Aaron has significant experience as Counsel to the Inquest in sensitive cases. He acted as junior CTI in the Inquest into the death of Suddesh Amman in the Streatham Terror Attack, the Fishmongers’ Hall Inquests, the Westminster Bridge and Westminster Palace Inquests, the London Bridge Inquests and the Tunisia Inquests. He is very familiar with issues regarding national security and other sensitive material, and the admission of such material in evidence in Inquests and other proceedings. Aaron also has experience acting for the coroner in judicial review proceedings and civil claims (including in relation to data protection and information law).
Aaron is well versed with inquests which are converted to public inquiries, acting as Counsel to the Inquiry in the Jermaine Baker Inquiry and the Manchester Arena Inquiry and currently being instructed in four other statutory inquiries.
Public and Administrative Law
Aaron is ranked as a leading junior in Chambers UK for his administrative law practice. Aaron has a particular experience and interest in matters concerning National Security, including arising from the use of covert tactics. He has undergone vetting.
He is appointed to the Attorney General’s B Panel of Counsel (Civil) from September 2023, having been on the C Panel for four years.
Aaron is acting for the Defendant in R (Duke of Sussex) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, a claim in respect of the provision of protective security, and for the Claimant in R (Tortoise Media) v Conservative and Unionist Party, a claim concerning the scope of the free-standing right to information under Article 10 ECHR. Aaron acted in a judicial review claim arising from the Undercover Policing Inquiry in R (Da Silva and Others) v Sir John Mitting and Others [2019] EWHC 426 (Admin), for a client whom he continues to represent in the Inquiry.
What sort of work do I do?
Aaron acts for Claimants and Defendants in data protection claims, cases concerning information law, as well as advising on processes and agreements for data sharing and processing. Aaron is an editor of the monthly Data Protection and Information Law Bulletin, The Data Brief (www.DataBrief.co.uk).
Aaron has a busy practice acting for Government departments and complainants in proceedings under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
He is currently instructed in four statutory inquiries, including the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry and the Undercover Policing Inquiry. He recently acted as junior Counsel to the Jermaine Baker Inquiry, the Manchester Arena Inquiry, to the Chief Coroner in the Westminster Bridge and Palace Inquests, the London Bridge Inquest, the Fishmongers’ Hall Inquests, and the to Judge hearing the Inquest into the death of Sudesh Amman in the Streatham Terror Attack.
In his broader practice, Aaron is acting for the claimant in R (Tortoise Media) v Conservative and Unionist Party and the defendant in R (Duke of Sussex) v Secretary of State for the Home Department.
Who do I work for?
Aaron's recent data protection and information law work includes advising a multinational advertiser, a large gig economy client, a high-street fast food restaurant, a pension provider and an energy supplier. Aaron also routinely acts for police forces, local authorities and central Government in such claims.
In Aaron's public law, inquests and inquiries practice Aaron has recently and is currently acting for the former CEO of the the Post Office, Counter-Terrorism Policing, an online media organisation, central Government and many police forces.