Barrister specialising in public law, human rights and civil liberties with a particular focus on immigration, prisoners’ rights, social welfare and equality. Recent cases of note include T v The Chief Constable of Great Manchester Police & Ors [2013] EWCA Civ 25 (criminal records disclosure scheme found not to be Article 8 compliant), KA v Essex County Council [2013] EWHC 43 (Admin) (extending the protect ions owed to migrant famllies requiring accommodation); R (RB) v Devon County Council (2012] EWHC 3597 (Admin) (whether decision to contract out children’s services lawful); FV (Italy) [2012] EWCA Civ 1199 (leading case on deportation of EU citizens); James, Lee and Wells (Strasbourg decision finding detention of IPP prisoners to have been in breach of Article 5(1) ECHR); AM (Angola) [2012] EWCA Civ 521 (meaning of independent evidence of torture for immigration detention purposes).

Qualified solicitor 1998; called 2001; Inner Temple. Researcher, then research fellow at Nottingham Law School 1991-97; Irwin Mitchell, solicitor 1998-2001; barrister at Tooks Chambers 2001-07; joined Matrix Chambers 2007. Former editor of ‘Education, Public Law and the Individual’; deputy editor of the ‘UK Human Rights Reports’; various articles, papers and blogs.

Nottingham Trent University (1991 LLB; 1995 PhD).

Continually packing and unpacking the car (has small children).