Esther Drabkin-Reiter

Planning

Esther has gained experience of a wide variety of planning issues during her pupillage. She has represented clients at planning inquiries and enforcement inquiries both in her own right and as a junior. Throughout pupillage she gained experience of the following:

• judicial review & statutory challenges;
• challenges to officers’ reports;
• plan-making;
• the interpretation of planning policy;
• section 106 obligations and conditions;
• Non-determination of planning applications under section 70C;
• Community Infrastructure Levy;
• Tree Preservation Orders;
• Compulsory Purchase Orders;
• Other development related issues such as covenants and easements.

Infrastructure

During pupillage Esther attended and assisted on a number of infrastructure inquiries, including inquiries into development consent orders for new rail and road links as well as orders under the Transport and Works Act.

Environmental Law

Esther has a particular interest in environmental law and has gained experience in this field during pupillage, including:

• private and statutory nuisance;
• SEA and EIA Directives;
• Aarhus Convention claim, in particular the costs capping regime;
• Habitats Directive and Regulations;
• Industrial Emissions Directive.

Rights of way

Esther has also assisted on a two-day inquiry into a proposed modification to the Definitive Map and Statement.

Public Law

Esther has a keen interest in public law, and has gained experience during pupillage of a range of public law issues, including:

• adequacy of consultation;
• procedural fairness;
• duty to give reasons;
• legitimate expectations;
• public sector equality duty;
• issues of vires;
• Human Rights Act 1998.

Police and anti-social behaviour law

Esther frequently appears before the magistrates' courts in relation to applications under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and the Sexual Offences Act 2003, including closure orders, sexual risk orders and sexual harm prevention orders.