Emma has rapidly developed an environmental law practice. She regularly advises on the application of the Habitat Regulations 2017 to consenting decisions of local authorities, and has built experience in EIA development.

Emma’s experience in environmental law includes:

• Advising a local authority on the consequences of Natural Resource Wales nutrient neutrality guidance.
• Emma has advised on the application of the EIA Regulations in the context of a planning inquiry.
• She is currently acting for Northamptonshire County Council as junior counsel to Rebecca Clutten in a judicial review of a ~3,000 home development. The challenge involves the application of the EIA Regulations to the development.
• Acting as junior counsel to Michael Fry in advising public bodies on compliance with environmental law duties;
• Acting as junior counsel to Ned Westaway in advising central government on compliance with its environmental duties.
• Advising Natural England in relation to a judicial review.
• She has acted as junior counsel to Isabella Tarfur KC in advising on issues concerning the Habitats Regulations 2017.
• She acted as junior to Kate Olley for a local authority resisting a judicial review relating to the application of the Habitats Regulations to a caravan site licence.  
• Emma also regularly provides pro bono advice to the Environmental Law Foundation.

As a pupil she assisted on a number of cases in this area under the supervision of Ned Westaway.

• International arbitration which raised international environmental law and domestic environmental law issues.
• A statutory challenge to a Minerals and Waste Plan: The National Farmers’ Union v Herefordshire Council & Ors [2025] EWHC 536 (Admin).
• A challenge to the Government’s energy efficiency policy for new homes that involved the interpretation of the duty on Ministers to have due regard to the Environmental Principles Policy Statement: R (Rights: Community: Action Limited) v The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government [2025] EWCA Civ 990.
• Research on international human rights law and climate change.
• Advice on the application of the Habitats Regulations outside of planning law.

Emma has also given a lecture in environmental law at the Central European University in Vienna.

Emma has gained experience in a range of planning matters and has both acted unled and in planning inquiries, hearings, judicial reviews and statutory reviews. In particular, her experience includes:

• Emma represented the Vale of Glamorgan Council at a six day planning inquiry unled in March-April 2026 in relation to a business park.
• She is currently acting for Northamptonshire County Council as junior counsel to Rebecca Clutten in a judicial review of a ~3,000 home development.
• She is acting as junior counsel to Gregory Jones KC in a s.289 appeal representing an interested party.
• She successfully secured an interim injunction for Buckinghamshire Council to stop development.
• She has assisted Douglas Edwards KC in issuing a s. 289 appeal in which the local authority consented to judgment.
• She has acted as junior counsel to Isabella Tarfur KC in advising on issues concerning the Habitats Regulations 2017.
• She represented Redcar Council at a planning hearing unled.
• Assisting Suzanne Ornsby KC in providing advice to a local authority taking into account cumulative impacts of planning applications.
• Assisting Suzanne Ornsby KC on providing advice on a local plan examination.
• She has provided advice on how to carry out works to a tree subject to a TPO.

During pupillage she assisted in:

• Providing advice on a certificate for lawful proposed and existing development.
• A challenge to a local minerals and waste plans: The National Farmers’ Union v Herefordshire Council & Ors [2025] EWHC 536 (Admin).
• A planning inquiry for 150 homes which raised heritage and landscape issues.
• A planning hearing which raised heritage, design and transport issues.
• Drafting an advice on amending a charging schedule in relation to the community infrastructure levy and the application of the Subsidy Act 2022.
• A challenge to a local plan under s. 113 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
• A challenge to an Inspector’s decision regarding an appeal of an enforcement notice.

Emma is developing a public law practice. She has been instructed by Claimants and interested parties. In particular:

• She is currently acting for Northamptonshire County Council as junior counsel to Rebecca Clutten in a judicial review of a ~3,000 home development.
• She has advised on challenges to LTN schemes in and outside London.
• Emma acted as junior counsel to Charles Streeten in a judicial review of the Oxfordshire City Council charging scheme.
• She has acted as junior counsel to Gregory Jones KC in a s.289 appeal representing an interested party.
• She has assisted Douglas Edwards KC in issuing a s. 289 appeal in which the local authority consented to judgment.
• She has also advised Natural England, the Environment Agency and central government on a range of public law issues.
• During pupillage she assisted in a number of judicial and statutory reviews in a range of contexts, including:
• A statutory challenge to a Minerals and Waste Plan: The National Farmers’ Union v Herefordshire Council & Ors [2025] EWHC 536 (Admin)
• A challenge to the Government’s energy efficient policy for new homes that involved the interpretation of the duty on Ministers to have due regard to the Environmental Principles Policy Statement: R (Rights: Community: Action Limited) v The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government [2025] EWCA Civ 990.
• A challenge to the Government’s XL bully ban.

Emma is developing a practice in highways, commons and open spaces.

• She acted successfully for the British Horse Society at a two day DMMO inquiry unled.
• She is acting for the Ramblers in five DMMO inquiry.
• She is providing advice in relation to a DMMO for a community interest group.

She also gained experience in this area of law under the supervision of Ned Westaway. Emma assisted on:

• A case concerning amendments to the definitive map following copying errors in the map.
• Advice relating to the creation of new highways under Highways Act 1980.
• Advice relating to pedestrianisation.
• Obligations in relation to the Dartmoor commons.
• A definitive map modification order inquiry.

Emma has gained experience of compulsory purchase under the supervision of Cain Ormondroyd. In particular, she assisted in the drafting of closing submissions for a significant compensation claim.  

She has also been instructed on a large compulsory purchase case concerning a certificate of appropriate alternative development (“CAAD”).

Emma has gained experience of rating law. Her experience includes

• Considering the correct approach to calculating the rateable value of anaerobic digestors.
• An advice on the Church Hall exemption in relation to non-domestic rating.

• BA Jurisprudence (Oxford)
• BCL (Oxford)
• MPhil in Law (Oxford)
   

• Administrative Law Bar Association (ALBA)
• UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA)
• Planning and Environmental Bar Association (PEBA)

• Denning Scholarship awarded by Lincoln’s Inn for BPTC.
• Tobias Law Prize awarded for best performance on the BCL at Exeter College, Oxford.
• Fountain Court Scholarship awarded by Oxford Law Faculty for BCL.
• Awarded Alstead Prize for Law by Exeter College, Oxford for academic performance on the BA Jurisprudence.

The International Court of Justice: Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States ion Respect of Climate Change, July 2025, FTB Environmental Law Blog

Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ Advisory Opinion on “Climate Emergency and Human Rights”: an Overview, July 2025, FTB Environmental Law Blog

A River-lution: Rights of the River Ouse, May 2025, FTB Environmental Law Blog

Putting out Fires: New ECtHR Case on the Right to Life and Environmental Pollution, February 2025, FTB Environmental Law Blog

Chemical Regulation: Challenges and Opportunities, January 2025, FTB Environmental Law Blog

Emma has given a lecture in environmental law at the Central European University in Vienna. Her lecture covered the application of environmental human rights jurisprudence from the ECtHR domestically.

Emma has an MPhil degree from the University of Oxford. Her research considered public participation in large scale regeneration projects from a legal perspective, under the supervision of Dr Joanna Bell. She has also completed the BCL and holds a BA Jurisprudence, both from the University of Oxford.

Whilst at Oxford, Emma was involved a number of different legal research projects.

Emma co-authored a report on international human rights obligations when drafting domestic bills of rights bills for the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law and Strathclyde University (Jun-Sep2022).

Emma led a research project for Oxford Pro Bono Publico into prosecutorial assistance in death penalty cases.

Emma also spent 5 months as a judicial assistant at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and maintains a keen interest in the intersection between environmental problems and human rights. Her recent blog on a case raising this issue can found here.