Public Law

Chambers is renowned for its expertise in all areas of public law, with extensive experience of judicial review and similar statutory challenges and appeals.

Chambers is renowned for its expertise in all areas of public law, with extensive experience of judicial review and similar statutory challenges and appeals.

Chambers is renowned for its expertise in all areas of public law, with public law issues arising in nearly all of Chambers’ specialist practice areas. Members have extensive experience advising in relation to public law decisions, as well as challenging or defending those decisions in judicial review and similar statutory challenges and appeals.

Members of the team regularly act both for and against public authorities. Chambers’ broad client base includes government departments, local authorities, individuals, corporations, charitable bodies, and other public and private bodies including NGOs. 

Chambers’ public law expertise spans a range of specialist areas, including the following:  
•    Commercial regulation
•    Competition
•    Education
•    Equality law 
•    EU Law 
•    Human rights and civil liberties
•    Immigration
•    Licensing
•    Local authority powers and finance
•    Planning and environment
•    Police and prison law
•    Public procurement
•    Social welfare and community care

The public law and judicial review team prides itself on its ability to field the right barrister or team to bring or defend any public law challenge, if necessary at very short notice. 

20
Dec' 21
R (on application of London Borough of Hillingdon) v The Mayor of London [2021] EWHC 3387 (Admin)

Lang J hands down judgment on a claim for judicial review based on grounds relating to: the interpretation of tall buildings policy in the London Plan; the alleged failure to take into account air quality evidence; and procedural fairness.

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29
Dec' 20
Victory for Anglian Water in Bathing Water Quality Judicial Review

Anglian Water Services Limited have succeeded in their judicial review of the Environment Agency’s classification of a number of popular Lincolnshire bathing waters within Anglian Water’s region under the Bathing Water Quality Regulations 2013.  The bathing waters at Cleethorpes, Humberston Fitties and Ingoldmells South beaches had all formerly been classed as “excellent” but were downgraded to merely “good” after the Environment Agency included samples in their annual assessment of bathing water quality which had been taken in June 2019 at a time of torrential rain and flooding.

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"FTB is an excellent set for planning, environment and local government, and is developing stronger expertise in broader public law work. There are very good barristers at all levels in chambers."

Legal 500, 2022

"The clerks are absolutely superb and very quick to get back to you." "The clerks are very efficient."

Chambers and Partners, 2022

"The clerks are good at finding availability quickly in very difficult circumstances." "The clerks are determined to make things work for their clients."

Chambers and Partners, 2022
20
Dec' 21
R (on application of London Borough of Hillingdon) v The Mayor of London [2021] EWHC 3387 (Admin)

Lang J hands down judgment on a claim for judicial review based on grounds relating to: the interpretation of tall buildings policy in the London Plan; the alleged failure to take into account air quality evidence; and procedural fairness.

Read more
29
Dec' 20
Victory for Anglian Water in Bathing Water Quality Judicial Review

Anglian Water Services Limited have succeeded in their judicial review of the Environment Agency’s classification of a number of popular Lincolnshire bathing waters within Anglian Water’s region under the Bathing Water Quality Regulations 2013.  The bathing waters at Cleethorpes, Humberston Fitties and Ingoldmells South beaches had all formerly been classed as “excellent” but were downgraded to merely “good” after the Environment Agency included samples in their annual assessment of bathing water quality which had been taken in June 2019 at a time of torrential rain and flooding.

Read more

King's Counsel

Simon Bird KC

Call: 1987 | Silk: 2009

Robert McCracken KC

Call: 1973 | Silk: 2003

Andrew Tait KC

Call: 1981 | Silk: 2003

Michael Humphries KC

Call: 1982 | Silk: 2003

Gerald Gouriet KC

Call: 1974 | Silk: 2006

David Matthias KC

Call: 1980 | Silk: 2006

Morag Ellis KC

Call: 1984 | Silk: 2006

Craig Howell Williams KC

Call: 1983 | Silk: 2008

Mark Hill KC

Call: 1987 | Silk: 2009

Douglas Edwards KC

Call: 1992 | Silk: 2010

Gregory Jones KC

Call: 1991 | Silk: 2011

Suzanne Ornsby KC

Call: 1986 | Silk: 2012

James Pereira KC

Call: 1996 | Silk: 2014

Saira Kabir Sheikh KC

Call: 2000 | Silk: 2014

Andrew Fraser-Urquhart KC

Call: 1993 | Silk: 2015

Hereward Phillpot KC

Call: 1997 | Silk: 2015

Alexander Booth KC

Call: 2000 | Silk: 2016

Richard Honey KC

Call: 2003 | Silk: 2021

Meyric Lewis KC

Call: 1986 | Silk: 2023

Junior Counsel

Philip Petchey

Call: 1976

Timothy Comyn

Call: 1980

James Rankin

Call: 1983

Gary Grant

Call: 1994

Leo Charalambides

Call: 1998

Emyr Jones

Call: 1999

Kate Olley

Call: 1999

John Jolliffe

Call: 2005

Professor Pavlos Eleftheriadis

Call: 2006

Cain Ormondroyd

Call: 2007

Annabel Graham Paul

Call: 2008

Hugh Flanagan

Call: 2008

Rebecca Clutten

Call: 2008

Ned Westaway

Call: 2009

Isabella Tafur

Call: 2009

David Graham

Call: 2010

Michael Fry

Call: 2011

George Mackenzie

Call: 2011

Professor Gordon Anthony

Call: 2011

Alexander Greaves

Call: 2012

Caroline Daly

Call: 2013

Charles Streeten

Call: 2013

Merrow Golden

Call: 2014

Daisy Noble

Call: 2015

Charles Merrett

Call: 2016

Esther Drabkin-Reiter

Call: 2017

Brendan Brett

Call: 2017

Brendan Brett

Call: 2017

Conor Fegan

Call: 2018

Flora Curtis

Call: 2019

Michael Rhimes

Call: 2019

Mark O’Brien O’Reilly

Call: 2021, 2023 (Ireland)

Michael Feeney

Call: 2021

Stephanie Bruce-Smith

Call: 2021

Claire Nevin

Call: 2021

Associate Members

Charles Holland

Call: 1994