Anna Watterson

Housing & Homelessness

Anna primarily represents tenants in possession cases, disrepair claims and unlawful eviction claims. She acts for applicants for homelessness assistance and/or social care, in County Court appeals and in judicial review claims.

• Currently representing a tenant unlawfully evicted from social housing whilst serving a prison sentence. Damages claim worth up to £205,000, under section 28 of the Housing Act 1988.
• Currently representing shared ownership leaseholders who have been excluded from certain facilities in their mixed tenure block of flats, and made to use a “poor door”, in breach of their leases.
• Brought judicial review raising a “point of public interest” concerning a local housing authority’s duty to provide interim accommodation pending a decision on a homelessness application (reported here).
• Represented a mother who faced eviction because of the anti-social behaviour of her son, in the County Court and Court of Appeal, ultimately saving her home of 25 years (Court of Appeal case reported here).

Community care & mental health

Anna primarily represents tenants in possession cases, disrepair claims and unlawful eviction claims. She acts for applicants for homelessness assistance and/or social care, in County Court appeals and in judicial review claims.

• Currently representing a tenant unlawfully evicted from social housing whilst serving a prison sentence. Damages claim worth up to £205,000, under section 28 of the Housing Act 1988.
• Currently representing shared ownership leaseholders who have been excluded from certain facilities in their mixed tenure block of flats, and made to use a “poor door”, in breach of their leases.
• Brought judicial review raising a “point of public interest” concerning a local housing authority’s duty to provide interim accommodation pending a decision on a homelessness application (reported here).
• Represented a mother who faced eviction because of the anti-social behaviour of her son, in the County Court and Court of Appeal, ultimately saving her home of 25 years (Court of Appeal case reported here).

Immigration and asylum

Anna represents applicants in asylum and human rights cases, appearing in First-Tier and Upper Tribunal, and the higher courts.

• Current cases include challenging refusal of spouse visa where the immigration rules make no provision, as the UK partner has limited leave on Art. 8 grounds.
• Recent successes include establishing refugee status for a Moroccan victim of modern slavery, and demonstrating that a family visitor had made a “human rights claim” and had a right of appeal.
• Settled Court of Appeal case on suicide risk following Paposhvili (WA(Afghanistan) v SSHD C5/206/1682) initially listed to be heard with AM (Zimbabwe) [2018] EWCA Civ 64
• Settled Court of Appeal case preventing Home Office from circumventing outcome of my client’s earlier appeal (NS (Angola) v SSHD C5/2013/3157).
• Successfully represented low-paid care workers to obtain permanent residence after last minute Home Office decision to change the conditions for settlement (cases reported here and here).

Further experience

Visiting Lecturer – Inns of Court College of Advocacy: Mar 23 – present

Teaching Civil Litigation and Opinion Writing modules on the Bar Vocational Course.

Charity Trustee – TB Alert: 2017 – 2021

Governance responsibility for a small health and international development charity.

TB “patient advocate”: 2006 – 2009

• Spoke at NHS Wales conference on best practice in TB treatment.
• Addressed WHO conference of international TB programme managers, promoting the Patients’ Charter.
• Responded to media enquiries on patient perspective on TB.

Languages

Anna holds a Diploma (Merit) in French from the University of Cambridge.

Privacy notice

Anna’s privacy notice may be viewed by clicking here.