Background:

Before practising at the Bar, Peter spent the best part of a year conducting Employment Tribunal advocacy and advisory work at an employment law consultancy.

Peter’s academic background includes reading Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. After converting to law at City University, on the ICSL Bar Vocational Course Peter was graded Outstanding.

Peter speaks fluent Persian and has a good working knowledge of Italian, as well as an A-level in French.

Employment Law:

Peter has extensive experience representing both claimants and respondents, including police forces and public bodies, across a broad range of employment law, including all types of discrimination, harassment, victimisation, unfair and constructive dismissal, redundancy, TUPE, employment status issues, breach of contract, holiday pay and wages claims.

Peter has been invited to present a webinar in August 2013 for Central Law Training on Social Media and Employment Law.

Peter helps update employment lawyers around the country as to new case law by contributing to Daniel Barnett’s Employment Law Bulletin e-mails.

‘Dismissed or not dismissed?’, New Law Journal, 8th February 2013: http://www.newlawjournal.co.uk/nlj/content/dismissed-or-not-dismissed

He is a member of ELA.

Examples of Employment Law cases:

Compass Group UK & Ireland t/a Eurest v Okoro [2009] All ER (D) 91 (Jun), (2009) 153 Sol Jo (no 22) 32 – Represented the successful claimant in the Employment Appeal Tribunal

Flesch v Saunders & Saunders t/a Stotfold Motor Centre, 28^th June 2010, Bedford ET –Represented the successful claimant in an unfair dismissal claim subsequent to Facebook-related allegations of gross misconduct – http://www.5essexcourt.co.uk/news--and--events/chambers-news/peter-taheri-represents-the-claimant-in-successful-facebook-gross-misconduct-unfair-dismissal-claim

Avery v Chief Constable of Avon & Somerset, 28^th February to 1st March 2011, Bristol ET - Represented the successful Respondent in a disability discrimination (failure to make reasonable adjustments) claim brought by a probationer Police Constable whom had been unsuccessful in her probation because of her disability, in which the Claimant relied on Archibald v Fife Council (House of Lords, 2004) - http://www.5essexcourt.co.uk/news--and--events/chambers-news/peter-taheri-successfully-defends-disability-discrimination-claim-by-probationer-police-constable

Police Law:

Peter has experience in both advising and acting on behalf of police forces, in both the County Courts and the High Court, in a wide spectrum of civil actions, including unlawful arrest and unlawful detention, assault, negligence, conversion, misfeasance and malicious prosecution.

Peter acts on behalf of a number of Constabularies, at Magistrates’ Courts and in appeals to the Crown Court and to the High Court on points of law, in a range of civil matters including applications for:
forfeiture of cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
Anti-Social Behaviour Orders
Violent Offender Orders
Sexual Offences Prevention Orders
Risk of Sexual Harm Orders
Football Banning Orders
Anti-Social Behaviour and ‘crack house’ Closure Orders
and in Police Property Act matters.

Having taken part in the delivery of NPIA-approved training to police forces on all aspects of the 2008 Conduct and Performance Regulations, Peter has appeared on behalf of the successful police force in that force’s first case in a Police Appeals Tribunal under the 2008 Regulations. Peter also has experience of drafting charges for police disciplinary hearings.

Peter accepts instructions to appear in Public Inquiries and Inquests.

Examples of Police Law cases:

Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v McKenna, Birch & Bryant – Represented the successful applicant in a complex application for forfeiture under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 of £220,000, where the money seized was found to be the proceeds of a substantial Ponzi fraud.

Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v Ebanks, (2012) 176 JP 751, [2012] All ER (D) 45 (Jul), [2012] EWHC 2368 (Admin) – Represented the claimant in the High Court in the case that provides authority as to the correct standard of proof in applications for Risk of Sexual Harm Orders

Chief Constable of Suffolk v Moroney – Represented the successful applicant in an application in the Magistrates’ Court for forfeiture under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, where the respondent had previously been acquitted by a Crown Court jury of money laundering in relation to the same cash seizure. The forfeiture application took up almost 3 days of Court time and involved several hours of detailed legal argument and pages of written submissions relating to procedural defects and alleged abuse of process.

Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v Simon Moore – Represented the successful applicant in the first application for a 2012 Olympics-related ASBO in London, where it was not in dispute that the respondent, a political protestor, was “an intelligent and sincere individual whose protest actions are calculated and considered” and “non-violent and personally polite and engaging”. http://www.5essexcourt.co.uk/news--and--events/chambers-news/peter-taheri-appears-in-successful-application-for-the-first-olympics-related-asbo-in-london2

Frosdick v (1) NFU Mutual Insurance Society Ltd (2) Chief Constable of Leicestershire – Represented the successful second defendant in a County Court claim of breach of duty / negligence and misfeasance in public office

Public/Administrative Law:

Having had Jeremy Johnson QC as one of his supervisors, and having spent significant time shadowing Alan Payne, during his pupillage, Peter maintains his interest in public law, in particular immigration. Peter is very keen to expand his portfolio in this regard.

Examples of Public/Administrative Law cases:

Justice v (1) IPCC (2) Chief Constable of Kent – Represented the successful second defendant in the claimant’s application for permission to apply for Judicial Review

R (on the application of the Police Federation of England & Wales) v Chief Constable of Cleveland) – Represented the defendant in a Judicial Review costs hearing

Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v Ebanks, (2012) 176 JP 751, [2012] All ER (D) 45 (Jul), [2012] EWHC 2368 (Admin) – Please see above under Police law for details of this appeal to the High Court by way of case stated

Licensing Law:

Peter regularly appears on behalf of police forces and licensing authorities, before licensing sub-committees as well as the Crown Court, in matters concerning firearms, liquor or entertainment licensing. Peter has taken part in the delivery of training on behalf of the Institute of Licensing on the law and practice of licensing hearings.

Peter also frequently appears in Private Hire Vehicle Driver and Operator Licence appeals and accepts instructions in respect of Hackney Carriage matters.

Other Specialisms:

Peter is instructed on behalf of the respondent in Balachandra v Anglian Windows, in which permission to appeal has been granted by the Court of Appeal, in this multi-track commercial case where Peter represented the successful claimant in a three day hearing before a Recorder in the County Court. Peter frequently appears in hearings in County Courts in general civil matters.

Peter also has considerable experience of advising both claimants and defendants (including police forces and public bodies) upon a broad range of personal injury matters, including road traffic accidents, occupiers’ liability, manual handling, workplace and construction regulations, PUWER, Highways Act claims and slipping and tripping.

Publications & Lectures:

‘Dismissed or not dismissed?’, New Law Journal, 8th February 2013: http://www.newlawjournal.co.uk/nlj/content/dismissed-or-not-dismissed

Peter also helps update employment lawyers around the country as to new case law by contributing to Daniel Barnett’s Employment Law Bulletin e-mails.

Peter has been invited to present a webinar in August 2013 for Central Law Training on Social Media and Employment Law.

Peter is happy to provide CPD lectures to solicitors on all aspects of his practice.

Education:

ICSL, 2006-2007

City University, London, 2005-2006

Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, 2002-2005

Westminster School, London, 1996-2001

Università per Stranieri di Perugia, Italy, July – Sep 2002 & May – July 2008

Interests:

Music, Squash, Football (particularly Arsenal FC)