Manchester Arena Inquiry (Ongoing)
Instructed by British Transport Police.
Reka Hollos combines a mixed public and criminal law practice with a particular emphasis on public inquiries, inquests and extradition.
Recognised by Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 for her extensive experience in the field of inquests and public inquiries, Reka is particularly sought after to represent State actors and corporate bodies. In recent years, she has appeared on behalf of British Transport Police in the Manchester Arena Inquiry, the Metropolitan Police Service in the Undercover Policing Inquiry and a residential school in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
In the field of extradition, Reka routinely appears for requesting governments, issuing judicial authorities and requested persons both at first instance and on appeal. She is able to handle difficult issues with sensitivity and keep abreast of developments in this fast changing area of litigation for the benefit of those she represents.
Reka has been involved in most of the major public inquiries since she commenced practice. Current and recent instructions include:
Manchester Arena Bombing Inquiry: Reka is currently instructed as junior counsel led by Patrick Gibbs QC on behalf of British Transport Police in the public inquiry investigating the bombing of the Manchester Arena in May 2017.
Undercover Policing Inquiry: Reka has acted as junior counsel for the Metropolitan Police Service since 2016 in this inquiry into the conduct of undercover officers from the historic Special Demonstration Squad and National Public Order Intelligence Unit. She also appeared on behalf of the MPS and the NPCC in connected litigation before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal in a human rights claim arising out of the conduct of a former undercover officer.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse: Reka appeared as sole junior counsel for a Core Participant as part of the Inquiry’s Residential Schools Investigation and further advised a separate entity in connection with their involvement in the proceedings.
Brook House Inquiry: Reka carries out a disclosure review for the Inquiry Legal Team.
Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Reka carried out a disclosure review instructed by the London Fire Brigade.
Instructed by British Transport Police.
Instructed by the Metropolitan Police Service.
Instructed as sole junior counsel on behalf of a Core Participant in the Residential Schools Inquiry.
Acting on behalf of a school in an inquest into the death of a young boy which raised issues in relation to the extent to which Article 2 conclusions can be left against a non-State party.
Reka’s experience in coronial proceedings encompasses advice and representation of both State actors and individuals, including in Article 2 and jury inquests. She is particularly adept at representing police forces and corporate bodies and is alive to the sensitivities such cases require.
Reka has appeared in numerous inquests acting for Interested Persons with a particular specialism in representing corporate bodies and police forces. She is able to advise clients from an early stage in relation to their involvement in inquest proceedings including in relation to designation as an Interested Person and disclosure.
Recent instructions include advising the provider of counselling services in connection with inquest proceedings into the death of a former patient and the provision of assistance pro bono to the husband of the deceased in the inquest proceedings in the Dubai honeymoon inquest.
Reka acts on behalf of Requested Persons and Judicial Authorities in extradition cases, and is admitted to the CPS Extradition Panel at Grade 2. She provides advice and representation both at first instance and on appeal and is skilled at identifying and addressing challenges to extradition including dealing with expert evidence.
She is able to advise on the mechanisms available under mutual legal assistance to secure cross-border evidence and has successfully secured the release of a client from a request to provide evidence in an overseas investigation following a request for MLA.
Appeal against an extradition order considering the approach to be adopted by the courts to dual criminality when an essential ingredient of the offence under English law was missing from the offence for which extradition was sought.
Junior counsel for the French Judicial Authority led by Ben Watson QC in a high-profile challenge to extradition raising issues of abuse of process and political motivation.
Provided legal advice to an individual who was the subject of a request for MLA in connection with criminal proceedings abroad. Following representations, the individual’s assistance was no longer required.
Reka undertook a secondment to Kingsley Napley LLP as an Associate Barrister presenting fitness to practice cases on behalf of the Health and Care Professions Council. Reka was responsible for the presentation of cases involving a range of allegations from dishonesty, sexual misconduct and fraud to poor record-keeping and previous convictions/cautions.
Reka acts and advises in civil matters, often arising from criminal or coronial proceedings. Her recent and current instructions have included:
Reka also appears in applications for civil preventative orders including Closure Orders, Forced Marriage Protection Orders, Domestic Violence Protection Orders and Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, both in the Magistrates’ Court and on appeal to the Crown Court.
Junior counsel instructed by the Metropolitan Police Service in a claim for damages before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.
Junior counsel instructed by the Metropolitan Police Service in a civil claim for damages arising out of the death of Mark Duggan.
Reka is regularly instructed to carry out disclosure and legal professional privilege reviews. She has been instructed as independent counsel by the Metropolitan Police Service and HMRC.
Reka also provides written advice on other matters within her areas of practice.
Reka is regularly instructed for both the prosecution and defence before the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts.
Reka is experienced at representing defendants with learning difficulties or mental health conditions and is able to advise and examine experts, provide representation in fitness to plead proceedings and deal with intermediaries/appropriate adults. She has completed specialist training on dealing with vulnerable witnesses.
Reka provides advice to individuals in cases arising out of their involvement with the criminal justice system, even where no criminal proceedings have (yet) been brought including applications for details to be removed from the Police National Computer database and letters of representation to prosecuting agencies to dissuade them from continuing proceedings.
Reka is able to advise on appeals against sentence and conviction.
Successfully represented a defendant at a trial of the issues following a finding of unfitness on charges of possession of firearms and ammunition whilst a prohibited person. The proceedings involved expert evidence as to the defence of antique firearms.
Secured a suspended sentence for a defendant charged with making over 50,000 indecent images of children of categories A-C.
Instructed on behalf of a defendant in a multi-handed fraud by false representation and money laundering in a cross-border ‘phishing’ scam.
Represented two defendants in an allegation of sexual assault and ABH which resulted in the CPS offering no evidence after an application to adduce the complainant’s bad character.
“Reka is very thorough and supportive.” Chambers UK 2024: Inquests and Inquiries
“Reka is stellar; she works really hard.” Chambers UK 2024: Inquests and Inquiries
“Reka is incredibly bright, charismatic and hard-working. Her written advocacy is very strong.” Legal 500 2024: International Crime and Extradition
“Reka’s legal analysis is consistently first rate, and her efficiency second to none. A real star in the making.” Legal 500 2023: Inquests and Inquiries
“Reka is brilliant to work with – she has an excellent, reassuring manner with clients, and produces a high standard of written work.” Chambers UK 2023: Inquests and Inquiries
“Reka is excellent. Her work is efficient and detailed and she keeps us up to date.” Chambers UK 2023: Inquests & Inquiries
“Solicitors are staggered when they remember Reka’s call – she is far above her years. Chambers UK 2023: Inquests and Inquiries
Superb organisational skills, lovely written style and excellent judgement.“ Legal 500 2022: Inquests and Inquiries
“I have to constantly check myself to remind myself of her call. She really does become indispensable.” Chambers UK 2022: Inquests and Inquiries
Before coming to the Bar, Reka gained considerable experience in the field of public international law. She has worked as a research assistant advising on such matters as diplomatic immunity, law of the sea and arbitrary detention. Prior to this, she served as a law clerk to Judge van den Wyngaert at the International Criminal Court on the cases of Prosecutor v Germain Katanga and Prosecutor v Laurent Gbagbo working in both English and French.
While undertaking her legal training, Reka volunteered for the Media Legal Defence Initiative assisting in the drafting of a communication to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights concerning the arbitrary detention of journalists imprisoned under Ethiopia’s Anti-Terrorism Proclamation.
Languages:
I, Reka Hollos, am a data controller and can be contacted at 3 Raymond Buildings, Gray’s Inn, London WC1R 5BH or by telephone on 020 7400 6400 or by email at reka.hollos@3rblaw.com. My Data Protection Policy can be found below.
All personal data that I process is for the purposes of providing legal services, conducting conflict-checks, marketing, defending potential complaints, legal proceedings or fee disputes, keeping anti-money laundering records, training other barristers and pupils and when providing work-shadowing opportunities, and/or exercising a right to a lien. The types of data I process vary upon the nature of the legal matter in relation to which I am engaged to advise, but can include names, contact details, biographic details and ‘special category personal data’ (such as details of racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, health, sex life and criminal convictions and proceedings).
Depending upon the circumstances of the case, the legal bases upon which I process personal data are (i) the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract, (ii) the processing is necessary to comply with legal obligations to which I am subject, or (iii) the processing is necessary for the legitimate interests set out above, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subjects which require protection of personal data, in particular where the data subject is a child. When I rely on (iii) legitimate interests, my ‘Legitimate Interests Assessment’ can be found here. When I process data which has not be obtained directly from the data subject (e.g. personal data contained in evidential materials), it will have been supplied to me as part of my instructions in circumstances covered by legal professional privilege.
Depending upon the circumstances of the case, I may share the personal data with:
I retain personal data for no longer than 7 years after the case has come to an end or as otherwise required by law.
I do not intend to transfer data to any country which is not either within the European Union, ‘white listed’ by the EU or otherwise permitted by EU law (e.g. to the USA under the provisions of the ‘Privacy Shield’).
Under the GDPR, data subjects whose personal data I process have the right to request from me access to, and rectification or erasure of, their personal data, the right to the restriction of processing concerning them, the right to object to processing as well as the right to data portability. Data subjects also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk).
In cases where there is a contract between me and the data subject, the provision of personal data is a contractual requirement and the data subject is obliged to provide the personal data in order that I can supply legal services. A failure to provide such data may mean that I will not be able to provide the legal services.
Rev 1.1 – 25.05.2018
Reka Hollos is qualified to accept instructions direct from clients under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme. This means that members of the public who seek specialist advice can come direct to her. In addition, she welcomes instructions from solicitors, in-house law departments, qualified foreign lawyers, and clients licensed by the Bar Council to give instructions direct to barristers under the Bar Council’s Licensed Access Scheme.
For further information please contact our Clerks.
| Address | 3 Raymond Buildings, Gray’s Inn, London WC1R 5BH |
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| DX | 237 LDE |
| Opening hours | 08:30 – 18:30 |
| Telephone | +44 (0)20 7400 6400 |
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| clerks@3rblaw.com | |
| Senior clerk | Reka Hollos |
