The UK Legal 500 recommendations 2015
17 September 2015
The 2015 edition of the UK Legal 500 was published this week with Garden Court North Chambers continuing to be recommended as a Northern Circuit Leading Set. This year’s rankings recommend chambers in each of our practice areas covered by the directory (crime, personal injury and public law), along with three QC and seven leading junior recommendations within these categories. There is also a superb recommendation for our senior clerk Sarah Wright and “knowledgeable” clerking team “always directs you to counsel best suited to the issue at hand”. “The clerks are consistently very helpful and available to discuss any concerns solicitors may have”.
Chambers is recommended as a “helpful set”…”With an ethos that supports social justice” highlighting our work in areas such as the protection of human rights and the defence of civil liberties, expertise in public law, crime, employment, inquests and personal injury and elsewhere in the practice area editorials there is mention of some of our niche areas such as “defence of anti-fracking protestors and environmental demonstrators” (in Crime).
Chambers is also well represented with individual recommendations for our barristers under each of the relevant categories of crime and personal injury and public law. These individual recommendations include new entrant Peter Hodson (personal injury).
Overall, Chambers is recommended as offering “a wide array of counsel who are easy to work with and quickly engage with a case to provide helpful feedback on preparation and tactics”.
Full details of the recommendations are below:
LEGAL 500 2015: The Bar
Northern Circuit Leading Set: Band 3
“With an ethos that supports social justice, Garden Court North Chambers represents claimants in actions involving the police or public authorities concerning the protection of human rights and the defence of civil liberties. Committed to undertaking publicly funded work, the set regularly represents vulnerable individuals who have suffered some form of discrimination and inequality. It has “a wide array of counsel who are easy to work with and quickly engage with a case to provide helpful feedback on preparation and tactics“. Particular areas of expertise include public law, crime, employment, inquests, personal injury and clinical negligence. Sarah Wright’s “knowledgeable” clerking team “always directs you to counsel best suited to the issue at hand”. “The clerks are consistently very helpful and available to discuss any concerns solicitors may have.” Offices in: Manchester”
Northern Circuit – Crime
Well known for its ethos of protecting civil liberties and defending human rights, ‘helpful set’ Garden Court North Chambers has a focus on defence work within the crime arena. The core of the practice is in the Crown Court, dealing with crimes such as assault, firearms offences and murder. Members also undertake a significant amount of appeal work, handling cases in the divisional, appeal and Supreme courts as well as the European Court of Human Rights. The set is expanding into niche areas such as the defence of anti-fracking protestors and environmental demonstrators. See more.
Northern Circuit – Crime: Leading Silks
Mark George QC – Garden Court North Chambers “A highly experienced advocate who defends serious offences.”
Northern Circuit – Crime: Leading Juniors
Nina Grahame – Garden Court North Chambers “Utilises pre-trial protocols on disclosure effectively to the benefit of clients.
Northern Circuit – Personal Injury
Garden Court North Chambers represents claimants in a wide range of areas, including occupational illnesses and disease, industrial disease (notably asbestos and deafness matters), and RTAs. In 2014, practice head Peter Hodson acted in Frith v DECC & others, a respiratory disease case brought against contractor companies to British Coal and its statutory successor.
Northern Circuit – Personal Injury: Leading juniors
Peter Hodson – Garden Court North Chambers “Knowledgeable on occupational diseases.”
Northern Circuit – Public Law
Garden Court North Chambers is at the forefront of this area. The set has “an array of counsel who are incredibly competent“, and “they quickly get engaged with a case to provide helpful feedback on preparation and tactics“. Members have expertise in areas including immigration and asylum, community care, mental health and welfare benefits. In 2014, Vijay Jagadesham appeared in the landmark case of R (Haney, Kaiyam, Massey and Robinson) v Secretary of State for Justice, in which the Supreme Court held that all indeterminate prisoners must be given a reasonable opportunity to rehabilitate themselves and demonstrate their suitability for release
Northern Circuit – Public Law : Leading Silks
Pete Weatherby QC – Garden Court North Chambers ‘He provides extremely good guidance throughout cases.’
Northern Circuit – Public Law : Leading Juniors
Vijay Jagadesham – Garden Court North Chambers “Clear, logical, passionate, and excellent with clients.”
Alex Offer – Garden Court North Chambers “Presents legal arguments persuasively.”
Rory O’Ryan – Garden Court North Chambers “He particularly excels where a technical legal argument is involved.”
Kerry Smith – Garden Court North Chambers “Extremely capable of getting to grips with any case.”
London Bar: Immigration
NB Only the London Bar has a separate category for Immigration.
Immigration (including business immigration) – Leading silks
Ian Macdonald QC – Garden Court Chambers “An innovator in the field.“
