Doughty Street Chambers

Rowena is a public law practitioner whose main areas of practice are domestic administrative law, human rights, EU law and international law.

In terms of her administrative law practice, she has particular expertise in immigration and asylum law and community care. Rowena is well-placed to undertake work at the intersection of these areas, including age assessment, trafficking and asylum support judicial reviews. She regularly undertakes Children Act and Care Act judicial reviews.

Rowena further regularly undertakes statutory appeal work in the First-tier Tribunal, Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) as well as onward appeal to the Court of Appeal. She is one of the authors of the central handbook on immigration and asylum appeals, the EIN Best Practice Guide to Asylum and Human Rights Appeals (EIN, 2018).

Rowena regularly represents individuals in immigration detention. She advises and provides representation for individuals seeking immediate release through judicial review as well as civil damages claims for unlawful detention. Rowena is particularly well-placed to provide representation in this area as the author of the 'Enforcement' chapter in the upcoming Jacksons on Immigration Law (4th edn, Bloomsbury). She also represents applicants seeking immigration bail.

She also has a substantial advisory practice, including advice to high net worth individuals and businesses on their immigration matters.

Rowena has particular expertise in EU law. She is the co-author of EU Law in Judicial Review (OUP, 2014) and various texts on Brexit, including a forthcoming major work on the EU withdrawal legislation. She also regularly gives talks in the area, including at Chatham House (2017, Constitutional Consequences of Brexit) and the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association, as well as giving regular seminars at Doughty Street and in house.

Rowena also advises and provides representation in international cases and in particular those engaging international human rights. She undertakes international field work, including missions to Ukraine and Azerbaijan with the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute.

Rowena is recommended by Chambers and Partners, where she is described as a public law specialist "regarded for her ability to undertake the full suite of immigration matters on behalf of both private individuals and large businesses" and with comments including "very bright, thorough and offers excellent knowledge of EU law."

Rowena was a member of the JUSTICE Working Party on Tribunal Reform (2018), convenes the Courts and Tribunals Working Group of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association, is Case Notes Editor of the Journal of Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Law, and writes practice notes for Lexis Nexis. During 2010-11, Rowena was judicial assistant to Lord Dyson at the United Kingdom Supreme Court. Between 2012-15, she completed a DPhil in administrative law (Oxford University).

Rowena is accredited for direct access, which means she can be instructed directly by anybody without the need to go through a solicitor.

Year of Call: 2009

Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association

The Constitutional & Administrative Law Bar Association

BA Hons (Oxon) English Literature and Modern Languages (First) Graduate Diploma in Law (Distinction) Inner Temple Scholarship LLM in European Law, College of Europe, Bruges (Distinction) DPhil in Law (Oxon)