I am really grateful to him for his representation and what I felt to be a clear passion for justice and getting the best for me.
Alexander McColl represents protesters, tenants, prisoners and welfare benefits claimants in actions which give effect to their fundamental rights. His cases frequently involve supporting vulnerable and disadvantage clients to defend proceedings brought by state institutions and landlords, and to challenge the decisions of public authorities.
Housing and Homelessness
Alexander appears regularly in the County Court in possession proceedings, housing disrepair and committals for contempt of court. He also takes instructions is homelessness cases, both statutory appeals and claims for judicial review. Alexander can advise at all stages of proceedings including advice on merits, drafting statements of case, advocacy at interim hearings, advocacy at trial and advising on and drafting settlement agreements. He regularly advises on section 21 defences, ASB, housing conditions, succession, unlawful eviction, discrimination and public law.
With a background as an adviser at Citizens Advice, Alexander has a particular advantage in cases involving welfare benefits and clients who are vulnerable due to disability, mental health or incapacity.
Protest Rights
Alexander represents protesters who are charged with criminal offences in the Magistrates’ Court and the Crown Court. He appreciates the unique nature of a preparing a defence, including the tactical and political considerations inherent in these cases. He keenly follows developments in the law relating to protest rights and has published on the recent legislative and judicial trend towards restricting the right to protest.
Alexander appears regularly alongside Mira Hammad, Rosalind Burgin and Hamish McCallum.
Prison Law
Alexander has a successful and growing prison law practice. He is a member of the Association of Prison Lawyers and is committed to providing effective advocacy for prisoners. He appears regularly in hearings before the Parole Board, representing the full spectrum of prisoners including lifers, IPP and recalled determinate sentence prisoners.
He also advises on all stages of judicial review in proceedings against the Parole Board, HMPSS and the MOJ and advises on discrimination and human rights civil claims.
Public Law and Social Security
Alexander accepts instructions to advise and provide representation at tribunal and in judicial review claims in social security matters and on applications for legal aid funding in such matters. Prior to coming to the Bar, Alexander worked as a welfare rights adviser at Citizens Advice and at a Students’ Union. He has an in-depth knowledge of the benefits system and was previously an IMA-accredited debt adviser. He has previously provided representation in benefits appeals in the FTT and is in a strong position to advise on appeals to the Upper Tribunal.
Alexander represents protesters who are charged with criminal offences in the Magistrates’ Court and the Crown Court. He appreciates the unique nature of a preparing a defence, including the tactical and political considerations inherent in these cases. He keenly follows developments in the law relating to protest rights and has published on the recent legislative and judicial trend towards restricting the right to protest and has delivered training alongside Avi Shlaim, Mira Hammad and Rosalind Burgin on understanding anti-Zionism in the courts.
Notable cases
The Drax 15 (September 2025)
One of the first trials on the new offence of ‘being equipped to lock on’ contrary to s.2 Public Order Act 2023. The defendants were charged with having items including super glue, gaffer tape, bolt cutters, tripods and poles which the prosecution alleged could be used in connection with a lock on. Through cross-examination of the police and a submission of no case to answer, Alexander was able to show that there was no evidence that any of the items would be used by his defendants to commit an offence. At the end of the legal argument, the prosecution offered no evidence.
R v DJ (September 2024)
Alexander McColl represented one of four defendants charged with criminal damage of a value of £700,000 at Teledyne Defence and Space. The case involved extensive legal argument on the applicability of the defence of lawful excuse in prevention of war crimes and although all defences were withdrawn by the judge, the jury was unable to reach a verdict and was ultimately discharged.
R v IA (February 2024)
Alexander represented a defendant charged with breaching police conditions under section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986. The district judge was persuaded that the police notice was not lawful and the prosecution had not been able to show that the defendants were aware or ought to have been aware of the notice.
R v RG & CR (June 2023)
The defendants were charged with aggravated trespass and were alleged to have blockaded the entrance and exit gate of a Tameside abattoir by locking themselves into large coffins and lying on the road resulting in disruption to the slaughter and processing of pigs on the site. They were acquitted following a successful submission of no case to answer based on the adequacy of evidence regarding land boundaries such that the prosecution could not show that the defendants were on private land.
Alexander appears regularly in the County Court in possession proceedings, housing disrepair and committals for contempt of court. He also takes instructions is homelessness cases, both statutory appeals and claims for judicial review.
Alexander can advise at all stages of proceedings including advice on merits, drafting statements of case, advocacy at interim hearings, advocacy at trial and advising on and drafting settlement agreements. He regularly advises on section 21 defences, ASB, housing conditions, succession, unlawful eviction, discrimination and public law.
With a background as an adviser at Citizens Advice, Alexander has a particular advantage in cases involving welfare benefits and clients who are vulnerable due to disability, mental health or incapacity.
Notable Cases
R(MA) v Halton Council (April 2025)
In a procedurally complex claim, Alexander successfully secured an interim injunction in the Administrative Court, requiring the council to secure interim accommodation for his refugee client.
G2M v SD (November 2024)
Successful claim for unlawful eviction. Following Alexander’s cross-examination of the Claimants’ witnesses, the case settled out of court for a global sum of £17,500.
IB v DD (June 2024)
Alexander successfully defended a claim for possession based on £25,000 of rent arrears. He was able to demonstrate through cross-examination and document analysis that there were no arrears. Furthermore, he succeeded in two counterclaims on behalf of the defendant for disrepair and failure to protect a deposit. The court awarded the defendant damages of £12,672.96, an order for specific performance of the landlord’s repairing obligations and costs.
ZH v SC (January 2024)
Successful defence of a s.21 possession claim on the basis that a Gas Safety Record was invalid where it did not contain the landlord’s correct name and address.
Alexander has a successful and growing prison law practice. He is a member of the Association of Prison Lawyers and is committed to providing effective advocacy for prisoners. He appears regularly in hearings before the Parole Board, representing the full spectrum of prisoners including lifers, IPP and recalled determinate sentence prisoners.
He also advises on all stages of judicial review in proceedings against the Parole Board, HMPSS and the MOJ and advises on discrimination and human rights civil claims.
Alexander accepts instructions to:
Notable cases
R (Taylor) v Parole Board and Secretary of State for Justice [2024] EWHC 1363 (Admin)
Alexander represented the Claimant on the papers in a successful judicial review concerning the Parole Board’s failure to convene an oral hearing for a recalled IPP prisoner, contrary to the Osborn principles:
Lawton, Application for Reconsideration [2024] PBRA 60 (28 March 2024)
Successful application for reconsideration of a Parole Board refusal to release on the basis that there was procedural unfairness, in a sensitive case where the effect of a victim observer and victim personal statement put the prisoner at an unfair disadvantage when giving evidence.
Alexander accepts instructions to advise and provide representation at tribunal and in judicial review claims in social security matters and on applications for legal aid funding in such matters. Mindful of the difficulties in funding this area, Alexander is also open to discussions of alternative funding arrangements and acting pro bono where he has capacity.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Alexander worked as a welfare rights adviser at Citizens Advice and at a Students’ Union. He has an in-depth knowledge of the benefits system and was previously an IMA-accredited debt adviser. He has previously provided representation in benefits appeals in the FTT and is in a strong position to advise on appeals to the Upper Tribunal.
Alexander maintains an up-to-date knowledge of social security law and has written several articles aimed at assisting welfare rights advisers bring challenges:
Notable cases
Universal Credit claimant £50,000 better off after successful ‘capital limits’ appeal
Successful appeal to the FTT of a decision by the DWP to recover £29,000 worth of Universal Credit which had been paid to a disabled claimant over a 3-year period. The case turned on the ‘capital limits’ threshold and the valuation of a property which was part-owned by the appellant.
Alexander is a currently a member of Liberty, Young Legal Aid Lawyers and Haldane Society.
English
German
Alexander’s Privacy Notice may be viewed by clicking here.
Alexander attended the University of Sheffield where he studied an MA in Global Politics and Law following his LLB Law with German which incorporated an ERASMUS year at the Freie Universität Berlin. He then completed the BPTC at BPP University Manchester.
Prior to joining chambers, Alexander worked as an Adviser at Citizens Advice for a number of years as an FCA-regulated debt adviser, where he provided specialist advice and casework on debt, benefits and housing issues. He has also worked at a Students’ Union Advice Centre, where he advised students on housing and discrimination issues and represented students at disciplinary panels. He was also formerly a volunteer benefits adviser with the Greater Manchester Law Centre, a volunteer on the Sheffield Innocence Project (part of what was the Innocence Network UK), and an elected member of the Policy Council at Liberty. While at BPP Manchester, he volunteered on the BPP Legal Advice Clinic.
Alexander was awarded first place in the Law Society’s Graham Turnbull Essay Competition in 2017, on the issue of civil claims against the armed forces for breaches of human rights in situations of conflict. He also published an article in the Young Human Rights Lawyer Journal in 2018 on the case of R (TP and AR) v SSWP [2018] EWHC 1474 (Admin), which related to transitional protections for people claiming disability benefits under Universal Credit.
Alexander is fluent in German.
He is a currently a member of Liberty, Young Legal Aid Lawyers and Haldane Society.
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