Alexa has a busy multi-disciplinary practice specialising in social security, housing, prisons, immigration, and public law.
Alexa graduated with a first-class degree in Theological Studies in Philosophy and Ethics, for which she received the Deans’ Award for Achievement. She was awarded a full-fee scholarship from her university and a Princess Royal Scholarship from the Inner Temple to fund her GDL; she received an Exhibition Award to fund her BTC. Alexa has an LLM in International Human Rights Law (Dist.) and in her thesis she examined the role of human rights law in the repatriation of cultural heritage objects. Cultural heritage law remains an ongoing area of interest for Alexa.
Before coming to the Bar, Alexa spent several years in the charity advice sector, working as a specialist FCA-regulated debt adviser at Citizens Advice Bureaux, and as a Housing and Welfare Rights Worker for a mental health charity. During her GDL, she worked as a legal researcher for a legal non-profit on a public legal education project concerning homelessness. She also completed an internship with a US-based forensic genetics firm where she worked with forensic geneticists who advise on DNA evidence in criminal defence cases, including post-conviction reviews and death row cases. Building on her previous work, Alexa is experienced in working with vulnerable clients and adopts a trauma-informed approach throughout her work.
Alexa is care-experienced and an active campaigner for reform to the children’s social care system and for challenging the differential treatment that care experienced people face, including by strengthening their legal rights. Outside the Bar, she is a Trustee of the Care Leavers Association.
She is a member of the editorial team of the Journal of Social Security Law (Sweet & Maxwell), where she co-edits the Cases section of the Digest.
Alexa is committed to pro bono work and accepts pro bono instructions where appropriate.
Alexa’s multi-disciplinary practice enables her to accept public law instructions across her core areas of practice in social security, housing and homelessness, and prison law. She is eager to develop her public law practice and is particularly interested in cases involving human rights and discrimination.
She recently acted for the successful claimant in R (on the application of Taylor) v Parole Board and Secretary of State for Justice [2024] EWHC 1363 (Admin) where she appeared, unled, in the High Court at a substantive judicial review hearing. This case concerned a challenge to the Parole Board’s refusal to convene an oral hearing in respect of a recalled IPP prisoner who sought re-release.
Alexa is a member of the Administrative Law Bar Association.
Alexa accepts instructions across the full spectrum of social security law and at all stages of proceedings, including statutory appeals in the tribunals, judicial review challenges, and discrimination claims against the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
She has particular expertise in cases concerning residence rights and entitlement to benefit, including cases involving pre-settled status and the interpretation of EU and separation agreement law both in the tribunals and in the higher courts. She recently acted for the Second Respondent in SSWP v Versnick and Jarvis-Wingate, led by Tom Royston, in the Court of Appeal. This case concerned whether a carer with pre-settled status could rely on benefits paid to his partner to evidence a qualifying right to reside for entitlement to UC as a self-sufficient person in accordance with art.7(1)(b) Directive 2004/38.
Alexa completed her pupillage under the supervision of Tom Royston, during which she gained exposure to a broad variety of cases in social security law, and she assisted in the following:
Alexa is a member of the editorial team of the Journal of Social Security Law (Sweet & Maxwell).
Alexa has a busy housing law practice and accepts instructions across the full spectrum of housing and homelessness law. She regularly represents tenants in possession proceedings brought by private and social landlords at all stages and has experience of defending claims on the basis of public law, human rights, and discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. She also has experience of acting for tenants in injunction proceedings brought under Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, committal applications, disrepair cases, and claims for unlawful eviction. Her understanding of the social security system is particularly useful in her housing practice.
Alexa also has experience of acting for homeless persons who seek to challenge local authority decisions by way of judicial review and pursue statutory appeals under Part VII Housing Act 1996. She is keen to develop her homelessness practice.
Alexa is particularly interested in cases that involve aspects of licensing, planning, and mobile homes law. Owing to her background in debt advice, she is also interested in cases involving the Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space Moratorium) Regulations 2020.
Alexa accepts instructions in prison law and is keen to expand her prison law practice. She has experience of acting for prisoners before the Parole Board in applications for initial and re-release and for progressive moves to open conditions. Alexa also has experience of public law challenges in the context of prison law. She recently appeared, unled, before the High Court in a successful judicial review concerning the Parole Board’s failure to convene an oral hearing in respect of a recalled IPP prisoner, contrary to the Osborn principles: R (otao Taylor) v Parole Board and Secretary of State for Justice [2024] EWHC 1363 (Admin).
Alexa accepts instructions to act for prisoners seeking to pursue discrimination claims for damages. She has experience of pursuing discrimination claims (including counterclaims) in both her social security and housing practice areas. She is particularly interested in human rights claims in the context of prison law, including cases involving unlawful detention and delays.
Alexa is a member of the Association of Prison Lawyers.
Alexa accepts instructions to act for appellants in immigration law proceedings. Owing to her prison law practice, she is particularly interested in deportation matters.
She completed her pupillage under the supervision of Mikhil Karnik, in which she was exposed to a broad range of immigration and asylum proceedings. She observed R (otao AM (Belarus)) v SSHD [2024] UKSC 13 before the Supreme Court, which concerned the application of article 8 ECHR in ‘limbo’ cases where a deportation order remains in place, but the person cannot be removed.
Alexa has experience of acting for appellants in the First-tier Tribunal in asylum appeals.
She is particularly interested in cases involving EU/EEA law, owing to her experience of cases involving residence rights in her social security practice where she has argued, successfully, that claimants have had a qualifying right to reside for benefit entitlement, in accordance with material provisions of EU law and/or separation agreement law.
She is also interested in business immigration, including challenges to civil penalties, owing to her previous work in debt advice.
Alexa accepts instructions to act for claimants in discrimination claims concerning breaches of the Equality Act 2010. She has experience of bringing discrimination claims for damages against the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in the County Court and Employment Tribunal.
Alexa deploys her knowledge of discrimination law throughout her practice areas. In her housing practice, she is alert to discrimination defences and counterclaims that may be raised at an early stage and has experience of advising and representing tenants in pursuing the same.
Building on her previous work in the charity advice sector, Alexa is experienced in working with vulnerable clients and adopts a trauma-informed approach throughout her work.
Administrative Law Bar Association
Association of Prison Lawyers
Housing Law Practitioners Association
ILPA
NAWRA
Alexa has written about the implications of SSWP v AT and Jwanczuk v SSWP in the context of social security law. Her note on ‘Universal Credit, transitional protection and temporary accommodation’ concerning SSWP v JA (2024) UKUT 52 (AAC) was featured on the Nearly Legal blog.
Alexa has published case summaries in the Journal of Social Security Law (JSSL) editions J.S.S.L. 2024, 31(1) and J.S.S.L. 2023, 30(3).
Alexa’s Privacy Notice may be viewed by clicking here
Our mailing list is dedicated to professionals with an interest in our work.
