Expertise

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Chambers and Partners ranked us as a Band 1 Set, and The Legal 500 2024 lists us as a Top Tier Set, in several areas.

Administrative and Public Law

‘Garden Court North Chambers maintains its reputation as the pre-eminent set in the North for public law. Barristers from the set are sought after for their extensive expertise in a wide range of issues, including immigration, housing and human rights.’ (Chambers and Partners)

‘Garden Court North Chambers is ‘a very strong set‘ and has a team of barristers with extensive experience across a wide range of public law matters involving human rights, immigration, inquests and inquiries, housing, discrimination, community care, prison law and state benefits. Its members are also active in representing vulnerable individuals and community groups. Social security law specialist Tom Royston successfully acted for the claimants in Deadman and Ryan v SSWP, concerning transfers between legacy benefits and universal credit. Pete Weatherby KC has been instructed to represent the Covid-19 Bereaved Families 4 Justice group in a public inquiry into the handling of the pandemic.’ (The Legal 500)

Civil Liberties and Human Rights

‘A market-leading human rights and civil liberties set, Garden Court North Chambers’ barristers are praised for their in-depth experience acting for individual claimants in a raft of high-profile claims and public law challenges. The set offers strong expertise across areas such as public inquiries, criminal justice, prison law and immigration.’ (Chambers and Partners)

Crime and Protest Rights

‘Cases at the intersection of crime and civil liberties are a particular area of strength for the set, and the team offers considerable expertise in matters involving vulnerable defendants and criminal proceedings arising from protests and demonstrations.’ (Chambers and Partners)

‘Garden Court North Chambers is praised as being ‘unrivalled in the north for criminal defence.’ Nina Grahame KC is active in representing defendants with complex mental health needs with defences of loss of control, diminished responsibility and insanity, as well as parents and carers accused of serious offences against children or vulnerable adults. Grahame KC defended in a case concerning the shooting of an bystander law student during an attempted assassination.’ (The Legal 500, Tier 2)

Immigration and Asylum

‘Garden Court North Chambers is a pre-eminent immigration set with notably strong expertise in country guidance cases, nationality law and other complex issues. The set’s offering remains “consistently high-quality across all areas of immigration,” a source remarks. The team is best known for handling appeals and bringing judicial review claims on behalf of vulnerable clients, including refugees, unaccompanied children and victims of trafficking.’ (Chambers and Partners)

‘Garden Court North Chambers is a ‘very strong set‘ for all aspects of immigration law, including asylum, trafficking and nationality cases. Vijay Jagadesham has substantial experience acting for vulnerable individuals, including torture-survivors, unaccompanied asylum seeker children and victims of gender-based violence. EU law and freedom of movement are key areas in Mikhil Karnik‘s practice, whilst Tom Royston specialises in matters with a cross-over between EU law-related immigration and socio-economic rights. Kerry Smith undertakes work in all aspects of asylum, immigration and human rights law in the First-Tier Tribunal, Upper Tribunal and Immigration and Asylum Chamber, and Tasaddat Hussain is also a notable name.’ (The Legal 500)

Inquests and Public Inquiries

‘Garden Court North Chambers excels in the representation of bereaved families and survivors in public inquiries and Article 2 inquests. Barristers from the set provide expert handling of a wide range of matters, including deaths involving policing and prisons, or immigration detention. The set has also had counsel appear in most of the major public inquiries undertaken in recent years, including the Grenfell Tower and Manchester Arena inquiries. Market commentators note: “Garden Court North is the leading set in representing families in public inquiries”.’ (Chambers and Partners)

‘Garden court North Chambers ‘has an excellent reputation for inquests and inquiries‘ and is ‘a go-to chambers for actions against the police and inquest work on behalf of claimants’. Notable names include Pete Weatherby KC, who has a thriving inquests and inquiries practice, and Anna Morris KC, both of whom are representing bereaved families in the Manchester Arena Bombing Inquiry. Kate Stone is another key name and her strengths include representing bereaved families, especially in cases engaging Article 2.’ (The Legal 500)

Social Housing

‘With a deep bench of housing law practitioners, Garden Court North Chambers continues to represent tenants and charitable organisations in a wide variety of cases, including possession claims, injunction proceedings and a range of judicial reviews. The barristers at the set are well known for their abilities in complementary areas, such as immigration, human rights and community care law, and bring this expertise to bear in complex cases.’ (Chambers and Partners)

‘Garden Court North Chambers is a ‘very strong set for tenant-related social housing litigation’ and its members act for a range of tenant clients, including ones with disabilities, addiction issues, mental health problems and learning difficulties. Joseph Markus has a strong focus on immigration matters as well as homelessness cases, and James Stark‘s practice also has a strong focus on homelessness, in addition to social housing cases with human rights elements. Sonia Birdee thrives in representing tenants in discrimination cases under the Equality Act 2010. Elizabeth Mottershaw has a broad range of expertise and acts for vulnerable individuals in possession, injunction and committal proceedings, unlawful eviction and disrepair cases, as well as homelessness appeals.’ (The Legal 500)

You can find out more about our areas of expertise by clicking expertise tabs below.

If you have any questions about our areas of expertise, please contact the Practice Management Team on 0161 817 6377 or at gcn@gcnchambers.co.uk

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