Landmark Chambers

David specialises in all areas of public law, human rights, European Union law, environmental and planning law.

David regularly appears in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He frequently acts as sole counsel on behalf of the United Kingdom Government in proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and has represented the United Kingdom in proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights.

David is ranked as a leading barrister in six different areas in the main legal directories: Administrative Law, Environment, EU Law, Immigration Law, Local Government Law and Planning Law.

The 2015 Planning Magazine survey ranked him as a top-rated planning junior. The 2009 Planning Magazine survey ranked him in the top 10 planning barristers in the country under 35. David has been nominated for the Human Rights and Public Law Silk of the Year in the Chambers and Partners Bar Awards 2024 and he was named the Immigration Silk of the Year at The Legal 500 UK Bar Awards 2023. David was shortlisted for the Chambers and Partners Human Rights and Public Law Junior of the Year award in both 2018 and 2016, and for the Legal 500 Public Law Junior of the Year award in 2018.

In 2015, he was appointed to the Attorney General’s A Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown, after 5 years on the B Panel and 3 years on the C Panel before that. He was also on the Treasury Solicitor’s former list of counsel specialising in Freedom of Information issues until its incorporation into the main Attorney General’s Panels. He regularly works on national security cases.

David began practice in 2004, after spending a year working as a Judicial Assistant to the Law Lords (Lord Nicholls and Lord Rodger).

He is the Joint Editor of the leading public law journal Judicial Review and was a Visiting Lecturer in European Community law at City University.

David is fluent in French, and has good German, basic Czech and Slovak and is learning Farsi.

Qualifications

• Modern Languages (French and German) at Trinity College, Cambridge, and the Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris.

• M.Phil in International Relations at Trinity College, Cambridge. Thesis: minority rights in the EU accession process, with particular focus on the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

• Law at City University, awarded MA in Law. Dissertation: material error of fact as a ground of judicial review.

• Major Scholar of the Inner Temple

• Inner Temple Bursary holder

• Bar Council Stage Scholar

Scholarships

Whilst at Cambridge, David was awarded a number of college scholarships. He was also awarded scholarships by the German and Czech Governments for academic work abroad.

Awards

• Shortlisted for the Legal 500 UK Bar Awards 2023 Immigration 'Silk of the Year'

Memberships

• Administrative Law Bar Association

• United Kingdom Environmental Law Association

Publications 

• Book: Author of the chapter on access to environmental information in Banner, The Aarhus Convention: A Guide for UK Lawyers (2015), Hart Publishing.

• Book: Author of the human rights chapter in Bickford-Smith and Francis Rights of Light: The Modern Law (2007) 2nd Ed., Jordan Publishing.

• Book: Updated the Social Services chapter of Drabble, Maurici and Buley Local Authorities and the Human Rights Act (2004), Blackstone Press.

• Published article: “Top 10 Public Law Cases 2015-2016″ [2016] JR Vol 21, Issue 3.”

• Published article: “Irrationality”, “Habeas corpus” and “Legitimate expectation”: author of articles in Westlaw’s Insight online legal encyclopedia (regularly updated).

• Published article: “Ultra Vires Legitimate Expectations” [2005] JR Vol 10, Issue 2.

• Published article: “Material Error of Fact: Where Are We Now?” [2004] JR Vol 9, Issue 1.

• Published article: “Surinder Singh and the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2000: A Step in the Wrong Direction?”, Columbia Journal of European Law, August 2002.

• Editorial work: Joint Editor of Judicial Review (with David Lock KC), Routledge.

• Editorial work: Editor of the Planning Encyclopedia (with David Elvin KC), Sweet and Maxwell.

• Editorial work: Case digester for the Administrative Court Digest, 2002-2011.