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Leading Silks

Laurie Fransman KCGarden Court ChambersLaurie is unquestionably a leading authority in the field of immigration human rights and nationality law. His drafting skills are second-to-none and his advice is always spot-on.
Manjit Gill KCNo5 Barristers’ ChambersManjit's knowledge of the law is amazing.’
Lisa Giovannetti KC39 Essex ChambersShe is an extremely astute, strategically adept and effective lawyer with excellent client care and communication skills. She is also a very highly persuasive advocate who gains the confidence of the court and is able to adapt quickly and effectively to novel or unexpected developments.’
Stephanie Harrison KCGarden Court Chambers 'Stephanie is at the top of her game in terms of her knowledge of immigration law. She is one of the most formidable practitioners in this area, with excellent skills in written and oral advocacy.'
Raza Husain KCMatrix Chambers 'Raza is an articulate and powerful oral advocate. He has a wide knowledge of precedent which he calls on for his analysis.'
Anthony Metzer KCGoldsmith ChambersAnthony has an exceptional eye for detail and his preparation is meticulous and precise. His oral advocacy is laser focussed. He is a natural and gifted silk.’
Hugh Southey KCMatrix ChambersHugh is an excellent silk and one of the best in the field. He is incredibly knowledgeable about all things immigration related and has unrivalled experience on the claimant side in arguing some of the most cutting edge cases of the day.’  
David Blundell KCLandmark ChambersDavid is a formidable advocate. He contributes a superb technical knowledge of immigration law and with a very astute strategic sense for difficult and complex litigation. He is trusted by clients for the most difficult, sensitive and complex cases.’
Samantha Broadfoot KCLandmark ChambersSam is a very experienced government lawyer. She deploys her experience effectively in a manner that demonstrates good judgement. That is appreciated by judges.'
Christopher Buttler KCMatrix ChambersChris is a stellar advocate. He is crystal clear in his oral submissions and has an impressive ability to make complex arguments punchy and accessible.
Charlie Cory-Wright KC39 Essex Chambers – ‘Charlie is an outstanding advocate who is clear, engaging and persuasive. He shows real energy and commitment to his work and thinks strategically about the strongest points to make in his clients interests. He is excellent at leading a team.
Rory Dunlop KC39 Essex Chambers 'Rory has tremendous knowledge of immigration law, and is able to effectively marshal authorities and policies to support a case. His written work is always on time as well as meticulous.'
Tom Hickman KCBlackstone Chambers 'Tom is an exceptional barrister. Strategic, goes straight to the heart of the matter and a highly persuasive advocate.'
Charlotte Kilroy KCBlackstone Chambers 'Charlotte is a true fighter in every sense of the word. She is creative in her approach to complex legal issues and is often ready to take on challenges that others deem too difficult. She is brilliant.'
Samantha Knights KCMatrix Chambers 'Samantha's approach is clear and sensible, but she also is imaginative and seeks to identify novel approaches which might assist the client.'
Zane Malik KC39 Essex ChambersZane is a superb advocate. He is incredibly clever, has great judgement and supreme confidence. His advocacy style is extremely impressive.
Sonali Naik KCGarden Court Chambers 'Sonali is a tenacious advocate. She has a real breadth of experience to draw on and is therefore able to think strategically in legally novel and difficult cases.'
Robert Palmer KCMonckton Chambers 'Robert is outstanding and a brilliant advocate. He has first-rate advocacy skills and is respected by judges and opponents alike.'
Amanda Weston KCGarden Court Chambers 'Thoroughly committed and fearless in advancing her clients' interests. An excellent lawyer.'

2022 Silks

Galina Ward KCLandmark Chambers ‘Galina is a safe pair of hands, has excellent judgement, is very clever and is strong on her feet. The court trusts her.’
Nicola Braganza KCGarden Court ChambersShe is absolutely the best. She knows really the law and is able to quickly identify the strengths and weaknesses in a case. She is 100% behind the client and her sole focus is on getting the best outcome for them and advocates fearlessly on their behalf.’
Nicola Braganza KC - Garden Court ChambersA go-to barrister for immigration cases. She knows the law and policy inside out and they are excellent with the client. Reassuring and professional.
Nicola Braganza KC – Garden Court Chambers ‘Nicola is a fighter. Her drafting is good and she is outstanding on her feet in court. She is great to work with – very communicative and very sensitive to clients’ needs.
Laura Dubinsky KC - Doughty Street ChambersLaura has an unparalleled work ethic and is forensic when it comes to detail. She puts the needs of her clients at the forefront of her litigation and is an extremely compelling advocate. Put simply, Laura is a legal powerhouse.

2023 Silks

Katherine Apps KC39 Essex ChambersKatherine is extremely responsive and well-prepared. She has every detail of a case at her fingertips, and can persuasively and masterfully deploy it with ease.
Nick Armstrong KCMatrix ChambersThoroughly engaging and shows a real understanding of client issues. He is excellent on his feet and knows his tribunal well. His pleadings are a cut above.’
Alex Goodman KCLandmark ChambersExcellent strategic sense, commanding advocate, and is very good at judge-management.‘  
Joe Middleton KCDoughty Street ChambersJoe is a consummate advocate who is excellent on his feet, focuses in on the winnable points, and provides excellent advice on the prospects of success of any claim that could be made. He is incredibly personable, very good with sophisticated clients and has a broader understanding of all aspects of immigration as well as the interaction between asylum and extradition.’
Irena Sabic KCGarden Court ChambersIrena is the counsel of choice for all complex immigration and public law matters. Her ability to work collaboratively with her instructing solicitors is second to none.’

2024 Silks

Greg Ó Ceallaigh KCGarden Court ChambersGreg is fantastic to work with. He has excellent judgement and his advice is always genuinely useful as he quickly gets to the heart of the case and is realistic and pragmatic.'  
David Chirico KCOne Pump CourtHe has an incredible legal brain but also is incredibly modest and generous with his knowledge. He has a knack for getting the best out of the whole legal team, the clients included.’
Colin Thomann KC – 39 Essex Chambers 'Colin is phenomenally hard working, has a colossal intellect, good judgment and is a true team player.'

Leading Juniors

Charlotte BayatiGoldsmith ChambersCharlotte’s preparation is meticulous beyond belief and she knows every comma in the bundle. Charlotte has a remarkable ability to keep calm in very stressful situations and have a calming effect on others. She is composed and reasonable and has an excellent gift to carry the message across.
S Chelvan33 Bedford RowHis expertise in sexual identity related asylum claims is world-renowned, and it is clear from just a perusal of Chelvan’s reported cases that his knowledge and experience is not limited to asylum law. He is ground-breaking in the arguments he makes.’  
Kathryn CroninGarden Court ChambersShe is the guru of the cross over between family and immigration law. Quite frankly nobody knows even a fraction of what she does. You could not want for more in a barrister.'
Benjamin HawkinNo5 Barristers’ Chambers 'He is very helpful and he tries to support his clients in every way. He is a very good advocate.'
Peter JorroGarden Court ChambersPeter has an excellent knowledge and understanding of immigration law including how the Home Office works. He is very helpful and responsive. He provides practical solutions as well as legal advice.'  
Alasdair MackenzieDoughty Street ChambersAlasdair is a phenomenal advocate. He is extremely thorough and is able to work to a very high standard under time pressure. His written work is first-class, being persuasive, detailed and accurate.’
Ali BandeganiGarden Court ChambersAli is a truly exceptional barrister, delivering amazing results in the most difficult cases. He brings his grounding in the principles of asylum and public law to bear in every case.’
Natasha Barnes1 Crown Office Row 'Natasha is extremely bright, quick to see the key points in a case and very good on her feet. She has a real in depth knowledge of Immigration law.'
Rebecca ChapmanGarden Court ChambersRebecca can be trusted with the most complex matters. She is a true star of the immigration Bar. She is extremely experienced and knowledgeable.’
Graham Denholm – Doughty Street ChambersGraham is the ultimate counsel when challenging immigration detention. His ability to work collaboratively with his instructing solicitors means that cases are dealt with smoothly.'
Leonie HirstDoughty Street ChambersLeonie is an exceptional advocate. She is particularly knowledgeable in EU law including the implications of Brexit and the EU Settlement Scheme. Her thorough background knowledge allows her to be creative and come up with new, compelling arguments in this area.’
Samina IqbalGoldsmith ChambersShe is a highly effective advocate. Cogent paper submissions and excellent manner in court. Very good team player and wonderful with lay and professional clients.'
David JonesGarden Court ChambersDavid’s knowledge of any particular case’s facts is beyond any other barrister. This, coupled with his knowledge of the law, makes him an incredible barrister and indispensable to have on your side.’
Gilda KiaiOne Pump CourtGilda is a very effective advocate. She is quick to spot the key issues in a case and focus on these. Clients love her and when clients meet her they feel so reassured and they know they are in safe hands.'
Victoria LaughtonOne Pump CourtVictoria is a very impressive advocate. She presents cases with confidence and authority and impeccable knowledge of the facts of the case and relevant law. She is exceptionally good on her feet in responding to points arising in court from judges or the other side.
Shu Shin Luh – Doughty Street ChambersShu Shin is a force of law. She is incredible and incredibly responsive to queries on cases. She has fantastic judgment. She analyses documents and provides advice quickly and accurately.'
Abid MahmoodNo5 Barristers’ ChambersHe is very efficient and intelligent, and has an excellent attention to detail. He has the ability to pick up the finer points and develop them into legal argument.’
Naina PatelBlackstone ChambersGreat attention to detail and collaborative approach to high level decision making. Naina is thorough, clear and hardworking.'
Jason PobjoyBlackstone Chambers 'Jason's judgment and advice is always spot-on. He is trusted with the most complex cases.'
Sanaz SaifolahiGoldsmith ChambersSanaz is an outstanding lawyer. She prepares her submissions fastidiously and they are invariably cogent and persuasive. She has an excellent knowledge of relevant case law and statutory guidance and is impressive both on paper and in court.’
Sadat SayeedGarden Court ChambersSadat is unquestionably a leading junior barrister in the field of immigration law and human rights. His insight and the quality of his advice are second-to-none.‘  
Julia SmythLandmark ChambersJulia is utterly outstanding: a brilliant lawyer and one of the best of her generation. She has huge experience across some of the most difficult arears of contemporary immigration law.'
Anthony Vaughan Doughty Street ChambersHe is organised, articulate, creative, and willing to take risks. He has a unique asylum and extradition crossover that makes him able to advise on highly complex HNW individual asylum cases.'
Jack Anderson 39 Essex Chambers 'He is outstandingly hard-working, very quick and very smart. Nothing is ever too much to ask and he is always calm under pressure.'
Danny BaziniNo5 Barristers’ ChambersDanny is amazing, well-spoken and friendly.’
Benjamin Bundock One Pump Court 'Ben is the perfect balance of a great legal mind and a compassionate advocate. His written work is impeccable and has an incredible attention to detail.'
Emma DaykinOne Pump CourtShe has an intrinsic understanding of the mindset of both the Home Office decision makers and the judges who assess appeals through her extensive experience. She is able to deal with matters case by case and always provides clear advice regarding evidence and formats of statements to ensure the evidence is aligned with her arguments to ensure the best result for clients.’
Ubah DirieGarden Court ChambersUbah is a fantastic advocate, utilising a combination of forceful and persuasive advocacy to best put her client's case forward. She is a fighter but also graceful and prepared to negotiate when appropriate. Her real strength is in her appeal advocacy.'
Helen FootGarden Court ChambersHelen is an excellent advocate. She combines compassion with precision and firmly advocates for her clients. She is also well-organised, prepares in advance and communicates well with all parties.’
Robert Harland  – 5 Essex ChambersRob has an exceptional grasp of immigration law and is well-respected by his opponents and judges alike. He has a pragmatic approach to litigation which results in excellent outcomes for the Home Office and has a persuasive style of advocacy.’
Jack Holborn39 Essex Chambers 'Excellent immigration knowledge. Excellent written advocacy.'
Sangeetha IengarGoldsmith ChambersSangeetha is a superb lawyer. She has fantastic grasp of all relevant legal concepts. She has a first-class mind and drafts excellent, cogent and persuasive submissions.'
Michelle KnorrDoughty Street ChambersMichelle has an extraordinary ability to drill through extensive disclosure in complex immigration claims and distil it into submissions. She never makes a mistake and her work is consistently excellent.'  
Patrick LewisGarden Court Chambers 'Patrick’s strengths include being incredibly fast to grasp all details of the case and having a mastery of every minute detail of the claim. He has amazing analytical skills, is always comprehensive, thorough and persuasive on feet and in drafting and never misses time limits and deadlines.'
Gemma LoughranGarden Court Chambers 'Outstanding at placing herself in the shoes of the opponent and the judge in order to advise on tactical considerations. Works closely and assiduously with instructing solicitor and lay client, ensuring no stone is unturned in the preparation of a case.'
Hafsah Masood Landmark ChambersShe is dedicated, thorough and well-prepared. Her assessments of cases are realistic, but not overly cautious.'
Eleanor MitchellMatrix ChambersEleanor is exceptionally hard working and diligent. She has impressive knowledge and expertise in relation to immigration and asylum law and provides impressively clear advice on often complex issues.'
Agata PatynaDoughty Street Chambers ‘She is extremely bright, thorough, and hard working. She has an appetite for the detail, and an ability to analyse and deploy it effectively.’
Sarah PinderGoldsmith ChambersOutstanding advocate with an ever-calm approach. Reliable, resourceful and works collaboratively with instructing solicitors. She is a dynamic personality who keeps update with all aspects of the law.'  
Frances ShawNo5 Barristers’ ChambersShe is extremely calm, composed and charming and very good at getting her point across in advocacy in a way which the judges enjoy. Really accessible and personable for dealing with clients and case preparation. Reliable and easy to work with.'
Jessica SmeatonNo5 Barristers’ ChambersJessica is very good in what she does. She has good legal thinking.'
Priya SolankiOne Pump CourtPriya is dedicated, highly committed, excellent with clients, and has a deep knowledge of trafficking issues. She is always fully on top of the brief.  One of the better juniors at the immigration Bar.’
Mark SymesGarden Court ChambersMark is one of the finest immigration barrister at the Bar. His written work is breathtakingly good. His knowledge of asylum and human rights law is fantastic.
Sandra Akinbolu The 36 Group 'She is very knowledgeable on all areas of immigration law especially EU and Brexit law. Her advocacy is succinct and forceful. She always goes the extra mile to find a powerful argument that's just right for her clients.'
Antonia BenfieldDoughty Street ChambersHer advocacy and drafting skills are unmatched and she is always keen to make a real change with her work. She excels at working with vulnerable clients who are victims of torture, sexual violence, and other heinous crimes, and her passion for her work really shines through in her hard work and dedication to each and every case she works on.'
Miranda Butler – Landmark ChambersShe is very intelligent, able to quickly analyse the strength and weaknesses of a case and gives expert guidance on the necessary case preparation groundwork. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of immigration law and she is an extremely skilled and talented advocate.’
Grace Capel Garden Court ChambersGrace is a great junior. She has good judgement and is a calm but persuasive advocate. Her drafting is clear and manages to present complex arguments with clarity.’
Ayesha ChristieMatrix ChambersAyesha has impressive attention to detail combined with excellent legal analysis and drafting. She has achieved some brilliant outcomes in a number of reported public law trafficking cases.’
Guy DavisonGoldsmith ChambersHe is a walking encyclopaedia of the ever-changing immigration law. He truly assists the vourt by presenting the most complex arguments in a straightforward and succinct manner.’
Emma Fitzsimons Garden Court Chambers 'Very thorough, as she doesn't fail to consider or address any angles of a case. Extremely knowledgeable of asylum and immigration law and applies it clearly and succinctly to the case. Her advocacy style is clear and compelling.'
Zoe HarperDoughty Street ChambersZoe has a huge wealth of knowledge of immigration and asylum law, particularly given her year of call. She is able to gain the trust of even the most vulnerable clients, whilst also being a persistent and eloquent advocate.’
Bijan HoshiGarden Court ChambersBijan is a compassionate and empathetic barrister, and his ability to work with very distressed and unwell clients is notable. The vulnerability of a client where the intersection between immigration and Court of Protection law is in play can place them under great pressure, but Bijan expertly navigates this tension to ensure the client’s position is advocated for and well advanced.
Ben Keith5 St Andrews Hill  ‘Ben cuts straight to the point and gives robust advice. He does not waste time and ensures that the client’s expectations are managed.
Ranjiv KhubberNo5 Barristers’ ChambersRanjiv always makes sure he is extremely familiar with all material he is provided with relating to any case on which he is instructed and this is reflected in his advocacy by the way he can smoothly navigate within said material when asked about it by judges.'
Gordon LeeGarden Court ChambersGordon is an incredibly polished advocate. His particular strength is that he instinctively hones in on the most powerful points in a case and is very quick on his feet, dealing with any points raised by a judge with consummate ease.’
David LemerDoughty Street ChambersDavid is hard working, can think laterally, and is quick on his feet. He tries his best to win the case,  and if the merits are weak, he gives honest feedback. He has excellent approach and is very likable.'
Keelin McCarthyOne Pump CourtKeelin's written work is very clear and easy to follow. Her written advice is excellent and shows that she is very knowledgeable in the area.'
Catherine MeredithDoughty Street Chambers 'Catherine is an expert in immigration and asylum and achieves fantastic results in very difficult cases.'
Rowena MoffattDoughty Street ChambersRowena is brilliant, thoughtful, skilful, and she shows excellent attention to detail. Rowena is extremely hard working and dedicated, and she is always willing to take on difficult arguments and gets on top of the issues really quickly.'
Asma Nizami  - Doughty Street Chambers  ‘She is a diligent and knowledgeable junior with good ideas about how to get the most for her client. She fights their corner hard. She is persuasive and concise.’
Julian Norman – Goldsmith ChambersJulian is an impressive advocate with an excellent command of the relevant law and good tactical acumen as to how best to deploy the facts to maximum advantage. She has built up a very good practice, is very good with lay and professional clients and an excellent team player.'
Claire PhyssasOne Pump Court 'She is great to work with. She always delivers by the agreed time or earlier and she is quick to chase up any necessary information when needed.'
Catherine RobinsonOne Pump CourtShe has very good judgement, so she can assess potential weaknesses in case in particular in judicial review matters. She is very pragmatic and responsive, always providing her written work quickly and in the agreed timescale. She writes very well and is very good with clients.’
Parminder SainiNo5 Barristers’ Chambers 'His advice is clear and detailed and he is responsive and a pleasure to deal with. Fantastic.'
David SellwoodGarden Court ChambersDavid is a highly competent, diligent and skilled advocate, with significant experience of highly complex and high-profile immigration applications and appeals.
Harriet ShortOne Pump Court Harriet has the uncanny ability to deal with complex issues in a very short space of time.'
Alexis Slatter  –Goldsmith Chambers  ‘He is very personable and much liked by clients. His ability to draft grounds very quickly is impressive and they have always been of a high quality, getting straight to the core of the issue.’
Mark Smith – 5 St Andrews Hill  ‘Mark is very personable and exceptionally bright. He is hard working, with an eye for detail and excellent judgement. Mark is particularly knowledgeable in matters concerning extradition.
Abigail SmithGarden Court ChambersShe is forensic in her case preparation and an excellent advocate. She presents cases with clarity and fluency both in her oral and written advocacy.'
Christopher Staker39 Essex Chambers 'His advice has always been very on point, clear, well-researched, constructive and helpful. No weaknesses to report.'
Emily Wilsdon39 Essex Chambers 'Emily has a wealth of experience in immigration law. She is razor-sharp and enthusiastically and effortlessly tackles even the most difficult legal issues. Her advice is confident, clear and pragmatic, and clients love her.'
Lawrence YoussefianGoldsmith ChambersLawrence has an encyclopaedic knowledge of immigration law. He displays complete dedication to his clients and leaves no stone unturned in ensuring he gets the right result for them.'

Rising Stars

Camila Zapata BessoDoughty Street Chambers 'Camila is a highly astute barrister, who is highly personable and also hugely analytical. Her Spanish language abilities and deep understanding of Latin America add a further layer of expertise in cases involving that region.'
Isabel BuchananBlackstone Chambers 'Isabel is very smart and provides top quality advice. She understands cases and their facts quickly and thinks creatively to find solutions. Her legal analysis is top quality and she is a pleasure to work with.'
Eva Doerr – Garden Court Chambers 'She has become the star of European immigration law. An absolute fountain of knowledge in this area.'
Pierre Georget – Goldsmith ChambersPierre is very knowledgeable and very detailed in his assessments.'
Daniel GrüttersOne Pump CourtWhen working with Daniel, it becomes unequivocally clear that he is genuinely and indefatigably devoted to his clients and passionate in pursuing their objectives with them and for them.
Zoe McCallum Matrix Chambers 'Superb junior, fizzing with brilliant ideas. Great team player and first-rate drafter. An authority on modern slavery claims.'
Isaac Ricca-RichardsonGarden Court ChambersHe is dedicated, detail-oriented and proactive. He has a particular attention to detail which means he identifies any potential issues at the outset and provides sound advice on how to move the case forward.’

Immigration (including business immigration) in London Bar

Garden Court Chambers


Garden Court Chambers remains the ‘go-to set for immigration‘ with its deep bench that covers the full scope of work touching on nationality and deportation, asylum and international protection, national security, EU free movement, and business immigration. Acting across all courts, including up to the Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights, the set has significant experience handling complex appeals. The set has been deeply involved in the high-profile Rwanda litigation, with Amanda Weston KC and Sonali Naik KC leading Mark Symes, Isaac Ricca-Richardson, and Eva Doerr in AAA v Secretary of State for the Home Department, opposing the Government’s policy to remove persons who enter the UK irregularly, to seek asylum or otherwise, to the Central African country.  Stephanie Harrison KC leading Gordon Lee have similarly been active in the public inquiry into the allegations of ill-treatment at the Brook House immigration detention centre, and the set remains actively engaged with the wide-ranging litigation that has arisen from the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, with Nicola Braganza KC and Irena Sabic KC engaging with a number of these cases such as R (NBS) v SSHD. 

Testimonials

Clerks are excellent and in particular Harriet Massie, who responds extremely quickly and is always helpful.’

The clerks service is always helpful and excellent. Helen-Louise D’Agostino and Harriet Massie have particularly stood out this year.

Garden Court are the go-to set for immigration and asylum. They are able to provide capable counsel for any matter. They consistently arrange superb training sessions for practitioners.’

Garden Court Chambers is my go-to chambers for immigration matters. Counsel have been of a high quality and I have had only positive experiences.

The Garden Court immigration team are second-to-none.’

‘The clerks are first class: very responsive and always working hard to find the right barrister for the case.’

 

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One Pump Court


Claimant-side set One Pump Court has a specialist immigration team that is able to advise on the full gamut of immigration, asylum, and deportation cases, including those that cross-over into other areas of law such as human rights and Court of Protection matters. The chambers includes a number of notable juniors who have acted in relation to a number of high profile mandates, such as David Chirico KC and Benjamin Bundock , who represent the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in its intervention into R (AAA and others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, the substantial litigation around the government policy to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. Alex Burrett is acting for an appellant who was stripped of his British citizenship by the Secretary of State in an appeal before the European Court of Human Rights in Pham v UK.

Testimonials

All the clerks are quick and helpful in their response to you. Mycal Thomas is always friendly and kind and facilitates a solution in even the most inconvenient scenarios.

I think the Pump court is a great set. They are about the individual and they care massively about justice for everyone.’

I have worked with One Pump Court for over 10 years and I find all their clerks and barristers to be diligent and the utmost professionals.’

One Pump Court have an extremely strong immigration team. They are in my opinion the leading chambers in the country for immigration work.’

One Pump Court is a fantastic set with some of the most experienced and knowledgeable legal minds working today. All members of the set are strong and can be relied to provide excellent advice and advocacy. The training programmes offered by the set are extremely helpful and relevant to the work we do.

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39 Essex Chambers


39 Essex Chambers has ‘real strength in depth‘ in immigration, regularly appearing in judicial reviews challenging removal, detention, and immigration rules before the first tier and upper tribunals, and going up to the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, and European Court of Justice. The set ‘has been involved in many of the leading cases over the last years‘, with Rory Dunlop KC acting for the government in respect of R (AAA and others) v SSHD interim relief and case management hearings concerning the Rwanda proposals before the Administrative Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court. Joining the set in November 2022 from 5 Essex Chambers, Alan Payne KC has been representing the government in relation to the challenge to immigration officers to seize mobile phones from small boat arrivals to the UK in R (HM) v Secretary of State for the Home Department. Lisa Giovannetti KC, Charles Cory-Wright KC, and Zane Malik KC are also key members of the chambers – all notable for their government work, and Cory-Wright KC in his capacity as a special advocate in national security-related proceedings.

Testimonials

The Chambers has been involved in many of the leading cases over the last 12 months, including the Rwanda litigation, the Country Guidance appeal on El Salvador, and a series of challenges to the Home Office’s policy on asylum and trafficking support.’

Great set with real strength in depth.’

From my experience, this set of chambers have high calibre of counsels experts in various areas of the law.’

Chambers as a whole are very responsive and have a wide range of exceptionally skilled barristers which gives confidence in instructing from this Chambers, knowing in the event that if the need arises for cover to be provided for a hearing or meeting that this is readily available.’

The clerks are fantastic, incredibly responsive, helpful and friendly and adept at finding time even in the most packed Counsel diaries.’

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Blackstone Chambers


Blackstone Chambers is particularly strong in its work at the intersection of public law and immigration, handling judicial reviews relating to asylum and deportation before appellate courts, and is noted for being ‘at the top of their game on public law matters‘. Lord Pannick KC is representing the Government in the high-profile Rwanda litigation in R (AAA and others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, while Charlotte Kilroy KC represents a claimant charity in a related appeal and Jason Pobjoy was part of the team which secured interim relief for refugee claimants before the European Court of Human Rights. James Eadie KC - as "treasury devil", the government's first-choice outside barrister - Tom Hickman KC are also active in this space, crossing over between public law and immigration.

Testimonials

They are known to be at the top of their game on public law matters.’

The clerks are very helpful, communicative and proactive.’

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Doughty Street Chambers


Doughty Street Chambers is a ‘real human rights driving force in the market‘, with casework that covers the spectrum of immigration, nationality, and asylum law. Litigation surrounding immigration enforcement is a particular strength of the set with its own immigration detention group, but the chambers has experience handling trafficking and business immigration work also. Laura Dubinsky KC has led a team representing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the intervention into the Rwanda litigation in R (AAA and others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, with Alasdair Mackenzie and Shu Shin Luh have represented refugee claimants in related cases. Joe Middleton KC has represented a high-profile HNW individual in a judicial review of the Home Secretary’s exclusion decision before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission in E6 v SSHD.

Testimonials

Emily Norman and Rachel Finch are fantastic. They are helpful and quick to respond, even at the busiest of times.’

Excellent. Rachel Finch and Emily Norman are awe inspiring and totally dedicated to providing a first class service.’

The clerks are second to none. Highly professional, very responsive and adept at matching the ideal barrister to a case.’

Doughty Steet Chambers are the real human rights driving force in the market.

Doughty Street are an excellent set; the breadth of the team means someone is always available to assist in any case.

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Landmark Chambers


Landmark Chambers acts for claimants, NGOs, and the government in leading cases across the High Court, Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court, leveraging the set’s strengths in public law to expertly handle immigration litigation. David Blundell KC has represented the government across a number of high-profile cases, appearing before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission in the ongoing Shamima Begum citizenship revocation litigation, and in the case of R (Howard) v SSHD as to the legality of the good character requirement for naturalisation under the Windrush scheme. Samantha Broadfoot KC and Tim Buley KC are both involved in work around the Rwanda litigation on behalf of refugee and NGO claimants. Richard Drabble KC remains a key figure in this field.

Testimonials

Excellent set, right up there with the best public law chambers, providing an excellent service. Their clerks are so easy to work with and there’s a good range of juniors.’

I have worked with Landmark chambers for over 10 years and I find all their clerks and barristers to be diligent and the utmost professionals.

My experience has been, that this set has an extremely high standard of counsel.’

Landmark clerks are the one set where they are always on top of things and deals with queries in the shortest possible time, which makes it very easy to work with them.

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Matrix Chambers


Matrix Chambers covers the full breadth of work and courts, with particular strengths in trafficking, modern slavery, immigration systems, and publicly-funded work more generally, while sports and business immigration have been a growing focus for the set. The set continues to engage with high-profile litigation, with Raza Husain KC, amidst his wider practice in refugee and HNW individuals asylum claims, has been leading a team in relation to the judicial review around the government’s Rwanda policy; Jonathan Glasson KC acting on behalf of the government in respect of the Shamima Begum appeal; and Christopher Buttler KC being a leading counsel challenging the Home Secretary’s pushback’s policy regarding the small boats in the Channel. Hugh Southey KC and Samantha Knights KC have been active in relation to work around exclusion on the basis of national security and EU asylum claims respectively.

Testimonials

The practice teams at Matrix are helpful and responsive. They offer a high degree of professionalism and good advice on counsel expertise and availability.

Matrix is a strong immigration and trafficking set. The majority of counsel I work with are from Matrix and provide high calibre advice and advocacy.

Excellent set with good breadth of counsel with expertise in this area and excellent training sessions.

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Goldsmith Chambers


Goldsmith Chambers has a wealth of experience in immigration public law challenges, and is able to deploy the cross-disciplinary expertise of its teams, particularly in civil, family, and criminal law, to handle cases at such intersections of those fields. The chambers draws on a number of impressive juniors, such as Charlotte Bayati, who has brought a challenge on the correct approach post-AM (Zimbabwe) in the Supreme Court as to the remit of medical experts; Samina Iqbal works in relation to unlawful detention claims; and Julian Norman being led by Anthony Metzer KC in a claim on behalf of a Ukrainian seeking refugee status having evaded conscription in OS (Ukraine) v SSHD.

Testimonials

My main point of contact is Neil Dinsdale who is head clerk for the immigration team. He is very helpful and efficient and always offers practical measures depending on circumstances that arise.’

Very approachable friendly clerks, excellent team work, their ethos is quality in everything they do.

I regularly instruct Goldsmith Chambers on our immigration matters. They are an excellent set and I have been impressed by all the barristers I have instructed. They have a decent-sized team who have been able to cover the full spectrum of issues.

Goldsmith Chambers is an excellent set with counsels of the highest calibre and very efficient clerking.

Very friendly clerks.

 

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No5 Barristers' Chambers


No5 Barristers’ Chambers brings both a national presence through its offices around the country and experience in appearing before the First-Tier Tribunal up to the Upper Tribunal, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court to its representation of a wide range of claimants. Manjit Singh Gill KC was part of the team representing a Sudanese individual in the wider Rwanda litigation of R (AAA and others) v Secretary of State of the Home Department, alleging unlawful transfer of personal data and failure to investigate data protection concerns involved in the scheme. Abid Mahmoud represented a refugee appellant in the Court of Appeal in SR (Sri Lanka) v SSHD regarding the impact of anti-government activities (in this case, support for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the Sri Lankan Civil War) on the likelihood of ill-treatment on return to his home country.

Work highlights