Practice Profile
Emma is a confident advocate who is building a practice in all of Chambers’ core areas. She has acted for clients from central and local government, the private sector and NGOs and, while still a pupil, she appeared unled at a rights of way inquiry, as well as in the Magistrates’ Court and the Crown Court.
During pupillage she assisted in a number of high court cases involving environmental and planning law, including habitats regulation, minerals and waste plans, and planning enforcement. Most recently she has assisted in providing advice on certificates of lawful existing and proposed use.
From October 2024 to January 2025, she was supervised by Ned Westaway. During this time, she assisted on a number of judicial reviews as well as an international arbitration. From February to June 2025, she was supervised by Cain Ormondroyd whom she assisted on a large compulsory purchase compensation claim as well as a number of cases concerning rating. From July to September 2025, she was supervised by Michael Fry. During this time, she assisted on planning enforcement cases and high court injunctions.
Emma has a keen interest in environmental law, having assisted on a number of cases in this area under the supervision of Ned Westaway. Emma’s experience includes:
- International arbitration which raised international environmental law and domestic environmental law issues.
- A statutory challenge to a Minerals and Waste Plan.
- A challenge to the Government’s energy efficiency policy for new homes.
- Research on international human rights law and climate change.
- Advice on the application of the Habitats Regulations outside of planning law.
Emma has knowledge of environmental law from her studies on the BCL (Oxford) and would like to develop her practice in this area.
Emma has gained experience in a range of planning matters and has assisted in planning inquiries, hearings, judicial reviews and statutory reviews. In particular,
- A certificate for lawful proposed and existing development
- A challenge to a local minerals and waste plans.
- 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.
- 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 has assisted in a number of judicial and statutory reviews in a range of contexts, including:
- A statutory challenge to a Minerals and Waste Plan.
- A challenge to the Government’s energy efficient policy for new homes.
- A challenge to the Government’s XL bully ban.
Emma is developing a practice in highways, commons and open spaces. Most recently she acted unled in a two day rights of way inquiry. 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 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.
Latest from Emma
10
Dec' 25Emma Rowland Acted Successfully for the British Horse Society in an Inquiry Concerning a Definitive Map Modification Order
On 3rd December 2025, Inspector Tregembo issued her decision proposing the confirmation of Thwaite Lane as a restricted byway in its full length. This followed a two day inquiry on the 30th September and 1st October 2025 where Emma Rowland acted unled.
01
Apr' 25Second Six Pupils Now Accepting Instructions
We are pleased to announce that our current pupils, Jeffrey Chu and Emma Rowland have both now commenced the second six months of pupillage and are available to accept instructions.
11
Dec' 25Case Note: Oceana v Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and Oil and Gas Authority (trading as North Sea Transition Authority) [2025] EWHC 3146 (Admin)
On 28 November 2025, Mould J dismissed a challenge to the lawfulness of three appropriate assessments published by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Climate Change on 3 May 2024. The appropriate assessments were conducted as part of the authorisation process for the exploration of offshore oil and gas in three regions of the UK continental shelf.
09
Dec' 25FTB Environmental Law Blog Welcomes New Members to the Editorial Board
We are very pleased to announce two new members of the Editorial Board – Gabriel Nelson and Emma Rowland, whose biographies are provided below.
13
Nov' 25Environmental Impact Assessments and Procedural Human Rights: Greenpeace Nordic and Others v Norway
This blog looks at the recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights (“ECtHR”) in Greenpeace Nordic And Others v. Norway (no. 34068/21).
The applicants in this case, six young persons and two organisations (Greenpeace Nordic and Young Friends of the Earth) claimed the decision of the Norwegian Government to license exploration of oil fields in the Barents Sea violated their rights under Article 2, 8, 14 and 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights (“the Convention”). The Court rejected all the claims made by the applicants, but its reasoning under Article 8 of the Convention articulates the procedural obligations on States in the climate change context.
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Oct' 25Building a Better Bill: Changes to Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill 2025
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill was introduced to Parliament on 11 March 2025. Part 3 of the Bill proposes significant changes to how environmental protection is taken into account in the planning process.
Back to Barristers
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Feb' 26Greenwashing Seminar
An evening seminar on Greenwashing to be given by FTB in conjunction with experts from Mishcon de Reya.
This expert event will offer in-depth analysis of greenwashing with a particular focus on both consumer claims and claims involving the financial sector. The speakers are Gregory Jones KC, Charles Streeten, Mark O'Brien O'Reilly, Claire Nevin, Gabriel Nelson and Emma Rowland from FTB and Charlotte Overington from Mishcon de Reya.
Practical Information
Date: 19 February 2026
Time: Registration from 4.45pm. Seminar from 5.00-6.30pm followed by a short drinks reception until 7.30pm.
Venue: Francis Taylor Building, Inner Temple, London, EC4Y 7BY.
Booking: There is no charge to attend but places are limited and will be offered on a first come first served basis. Places can be booked using the book now button below.