Background

Molly Joyce accepts instructions in all of Chambers’ core practice areas, and is part of the Government Legal Department’s ‘Junior Junior’ scheme.

Molly joined 5 Essex Chambers as a tenant in September 2018 after successfully completing her pupillage.

Molly holds a first-class law degree from Trinity College Dublin and a masters from the University of Oxford. She has worked and volunteered in a variety of roles and is a member of Advocate (formerly the Bar Pro Bono Unit).

Expertise

Molly regularly acts for police forces before the Crown and Magistrates’ Court in civil applications relating to domestic violence, sexual offending, closure orders, slavery/trafficking civil orders and various applications under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (including cash forfeiture and account freezing/forfeiture orders). Molly also has experience representing police forces in claims arising under the Police (Property) Act 1897 and in applications for disclosure in the Family Court.

Molly regularly provides advice to police forces on operational queries and, as in-house counsel, has provided assistance to a number of police forces on a range of day-to-day issues as well as more complex or sensitive matters.

Molly has carried out extensive disclosure reviews for the Metropolitan Police Service and has also acted as independent counsel for LPP sifts in a number of ongoing criminal investigations.

Molly has experience advising police forces on false imprisonment, assault/battery and malicious prosecution claims, as well as experience in making applications at the early stages of such litigation including e.g. applications to strike out and/or for summary judgment.

As a member of the Government Legal Department’s ‘Junior Junior’ scheme, Molly has assisted in a number of claims against various different government departments.

She has also appeared in the ET and has experience dealing with various matters including applications for amendment and applications for strike out at the preliminary stages of a claim.

During pupillage, Molly worked on cases before the ET and EAT under the supervision of Jonathan Dixey and Claire Palmer, looking particularly at issues around damages/remoteness.

During pupillage, Molly drafted summary and detailed grounds in defence of judicial review proceedings against public authorities.

In her own practice, she has advised a police force on a potential judicial review application and drafted the letter before claim. She has also advised on a range of public law issues including, for example, regulatory issues arising in the planning/environmental sector.

Molly has a growing practice in public inquiries, instructed by a range of organisations.

She is currently instructed in two public inquiries: the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, where she is working with the Inquiry team; and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), where she is currently acting as junior counsel (led by Samantha Leek QC) for the Metropolitan Police Service in the Lambeth strand of the investigation.

Molly is developing a practice in inquests and has appeared for a range of organisations in a number of PIRs as well as on behalf of the police in a six-day inquest arising out of the deaths of Katherine Kemp and Thomas Kemp in Ipswich.

Molly frequently acts for Transport for London resisting appeals against licensing decisions relating to taxi and private hire licences, appearing in both the Magistrates’ and Crown Court.

She has also been instructed by police forces in firearms licensing appeals to the Crown Court and has appeared for the police in a premises licence review under the Licensing Act 2003.

Molly is interested in developing her practice in education law and SEN Tribunals. Molly gained experience as a student volunteering on the ‘School Exclusion Project’ and representing parents in their appeals against their child’s permanent exclusion from school. This included representing parents in hearings before the school governing body and/or Independent Review Panels.

Molly is interested in developing her Healthcare practice. She has been invovled in a number of inquests since joining 5 Essex Chambers.

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Instructing Molly
Please contact Dan Waple if you have any questions or wish to instruct us.

Call +44 (0)20 7410 2000 or click here to email

Education & Qualifications

  • 2016 – Called to the Bar by Inner Temple
  • 2016 – City University London, BPTC (outstanding)
  • 2012 – St Anne’s College, University of Oxford, BCL (distinction)
  • 2011 – Trinity College Dublin, LLB (first)

Scholarships/Awards

  • Sibil Dedezade Pro Bono Award for exceptional work on pro bono programmes – City University London
  • Exhibition Award & Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Award – Inner Temple
  • Ruth Deech Prize for performance in Final Examinations – St Anne’s College, Oxford
  • Julian Prize for performance in Final Examinations – Trinity College Dublin
  • Scholar – Trinity College Dublin

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