Reka Hollos

Call: 2014

“Reka is incredibly bright, charismatic and hard-working. Her written advocacy is very strong.”

Legal 500 2024: International Crime and Extradition

"Reka is brilliant to work with - she has an excellent, reassuring manner with clients.”

Chambers UK 2023: Inquests & Inquiries

“… produces a high standard of written work."

Chambers UK 2023: Inquests & Inquiries

“Reka’s legal analysis is consistently first rate, and her efficiency second to none.”

Legal 500 2023: Inquests and Inquiries

“A real star in the making.”

Legal 500 5023: Inquests and Inquiries

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.

Legal Expertise

Public Inquiries overview

Reka has been involved in most of the major public inquiries since she commenced practice. Current and recent instructions include:

Covid-19 Public Inquiry: Reka is currently instructed as junior counsel led by James Maxwell-Scott KC on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

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.

Manchester Arena Bombing Inquiry: Reka acted as sole junior counsel led by Patrick Gibbs KC on behalf of British Transport Police in the public inquiry investigating the bombing of the Manchester Arena in May 2017.

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.

Reka also carried out a disclosure review in the Brook House Inquiry for the Inquiry Legal Team and in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry for the London Fire Commissioner.

Notable Public Inquiries cases

Manchester Arena Inquiry (Ongoing)

Instructed by British Transport Police.

Public Inquiry into Undercover Policing (Ongoing)

Instructed by the Metropolitan Police Service.

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (2018-2020)

Instructed as sole junior counsel on behalf of a Core Participant in the Residential Schools Inquiry.

Inquest into the death of S (2019)

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.

Inquests overview

Reka regularly appears on behalf of Interested Persons in coronial proceedings, with a particular specialism in representing police forces and corporate bodies. She is able to provide strategic advice for the benefit of her clients, including dealing with expert evidence, advising on the application of the privilege against self-incrimination and associated regulatory proceedings. She is recognised in Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 as a ranked junior in the field of inquests and public inquiries.

Current and recent instructions include:

  • Inquest touching the death of PV [2024]: Represented the Metropolitan Police Service in an inquest which examined the adequacy of the transfer of information regarding the mental health of a detainee between healthcare professionals, police officers and the prison service
  • Inquest touching the death of GS [2023]: Represented two police officers whose failure to follow reasonable lines of enquiry in relation to a bag of weapons was held by the Coroner not to be probably or possibly causative of death.
  • Inquest touching the death of RM [2023]: Represented the Metropolitan Police Service in an inquest into the death of a member of the public who collided with a speeding vehicle that had made off from a police pursuit. The jury did not find the actions of the police causative of death.
  • Inquest touching the death of WT [2023]: Represented the Duty Governor of a prison in the inquest into the death by suicide of a vulnerable prisoner.

Regulatory Law overview

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.

Civil Law

Civil Law overview

Reka acts and advises in civil matters, often arising from criminal or coronial proceedings. Her recent and current instructions have included:

  • A civil claim before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal raising issues of human rights violations arising out of the conduct of an undercover officer. Reka is instructed on behalf of the Metropolitan Police Service and the National Police Chiefs Council as a second junior.
  • A civil claim seeking damages for the alleged unlawful detention of the Claimant by police officers following arrest and charge. Reka was instructed to advise the Respondent Metropolitan Police Service.

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.

Notable Civil Law cases

KW v Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis and another (Ongoing)

Junior counsel instructed by the Metropolitan Police Service in a claim for damages before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

Duggan et al v Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis (2019)

Junior counsel instructed by the Metropolitan Police Service in a civil claim for damages arising out of the death of Mark Duggan.

Advisory Work

Advisory Work overview

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.

Crime overview

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.

Notable Crime cases

R v P (2019)

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.

R v RJ (2018)

Secured a suspended sentence for a defendant charged with making over 50,000 indecent images of children of categories A-C.

R v D (2017)

Instructed on behalf of a defendant in a multi-handed fraud by false representation and money laundering in a cross-border ‘phishing’ scam.

R v A & H (2017)

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

  • Criminal Bar Association
  • Defence Extradition Lawyers Forum
  • Young Fraud Lawyers Association
  • Extradition Lawyers Association (Social Secretary)
  • Bar Professional Training Course (Very Competent)
  • LL.M. in Public International Law, Leiden University (Distinction)
  • LL.B in English Law and French Law, King’s College London (First Class Honours)
  • Maîtrise en droit, Université de Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne
  • Ann Goddard Scholarship (Grays Inn, 2015)
  • Prince of Wales BPTC Scholarship (Grays Inn, 2013)
  • Internship Award for Vocalise (Grays Inn, 2013)
  • The Requirement of Specific Direction in Aiding and Abetting in the Stanišić and Simatović Trial Judgement 9 Bedford Row International Blog
  • The International Criminal Court: Legal Maxims: Summaries And Extracts From Selected Case Law Global Community Yearbook of International Law & Jurisprudence (2012-I) (co-author)
  • CPS Panel (General Crime) Level 2
  • CPS Panel (Extradition) Level 3
  • Security cleared to SC level

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:

  • French
  • Hungarian

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:

  1. my Chambers, which supplies professional and administrative support to my practice;
  2. Courts and other tribunals to whom documents are presented;
  3. my lay and professional clients;
  4. potential witnesses, in particular experts, and friends or family of the data subject;
  5. solicitors, barristers, pupils, mini pupils and other legal representatives;
  6. ombudsmen and regulatory authorities;
  7. current, past or prospective employers;
  8. education and examining bodies;
  9. business associates, professional advisers and trade bodies.

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

Data Protection Policy

Legitimate Interests Assessment

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.

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