Matthew Evans, LLB, MSc (Southampton), LLM (LSE), PGraduate Dip (LSE), MA (Kings College London) and Solicitor of the Supreme Court

Director of External Relations at the Legal Advice Centre
Email: m.s.evans@qmul.ac.ukTelephone: +44(0)2078823931
Profile
Matthew is Director of External Relations at the Legal Advice Centre based within the Department of Law and a practising Solicitor. Matthew is also Director of The Advice on Individual Rights in Europe (AIRE Centre), a charity whose mission is to raise awareness of, and protect European legal rights. Prior to this he was Managing Solicitor at the Prisoners Advice Service and in private practice at a number of legal aid firms, including TV Edwards Solicitors.
Matthew has worked on social justice cases throughout his career, and has been involved in a number of landmark judgments before the UK and European Courts. Recent domestic cases include a successful challenges to provisions in the UK’s State Immunity Act (Janah), the Dubs child refugee scheme (Help Refugees case), and the government’s EU rough sleeper policy (Gureckis). Cases before the European Courts include Chowdhury v Greece, on state obligations to prevent and investigate trafficking, protect victims and punish traffickers; and Jessy Saint Prix on retained worker rights during maternity leave.
Matthew is committed to the provision of pro bono legal services and access to justice for those who cannot afford to pay for representation. He was a member of the Criminal Rule Procedure Committee from 2012-2016 and a trustee of the Criminal Justice Alliance from 2009-2014.
Matthew was shortlisted for the Law Society Human Rights lawyer of the year award in 2017 and 2018. He provides training to lawyers and non-legal advisers, and blogs.
Research
Publications
Expulsion and EU Citizenship, Series Nijmegan Migration Law Working Paper Series, Nijmegan, Radbound University Nijmegan, February 2017
EU Migrants - Abuse and Access to Welfare, Journal of Immigration and Asylum Law, May 2015
Can the UK get greater control over access to its welfare systems?, LexisNexis, January 2015
Public Engagement
Prisoner rights
The real costs of the legal aid system
Legal aid funding cuts leave prisoners outside the rule of law
‘Ghosting' prisoners harms them and society
EU nationals rights
Home Office Policy to deport EU rough sleepers ruled unlawful
ILPA Brexit Advocacy Series - Securing EEA Nationals Residency Rights
Human Rights
UK rights groups reject official inquiry into post-September 11 rendition
Blogs for Justice Gap and Legal Voice
See publications by Matt Evans for The Justice Gap.
See publications by Matt Evans for Legal Voice.
Related news
- Legal Advice Centre Co-Director wins Human Rights Lawyer of the Year
22 October 2020 - Queen Mary’s Legal Advice Centre wins Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence
6 August 2020 - Global Day of Action for Climate Justice
6 December 2019 - School of Law wins prestigious pro bono award
2 May 2019 - Queen Mary School of Law recognised for its public engagement successes
8 March 2019