Cornerstone Barristers

Information, planning, environment, public law

John Fitzsimons is a versatile junior barrister who maintains a deliberately diverse practice encompassing data protection/information law, planning/environmental law, inquests/inquiries and general public and regulatory law. He is regularly instructed by a wide variety of public and private clients and is ranked in Legal 500 as a leading junior. As well as his general public law and local government expertise, John’s specific expertise includes the following.

Information Law: John has a busy data protection and information law practice, and he has experience representing private clients, public bodies, and the Information Commissioner. He often appears in both the First-tier and Upper Tribunal on information law matters and has also appeared in the High Court and Court of Appeal, including in the leading case on FOIA contempt proceedings: Moss v Kingston [2023] EWCA Civ 1438. John advises clients on data breaches, UK GDPR issues and other privacy matters. He is also a contributing author to the leading texts on data protection and information law, namely “Information Rights” by Philip Coppel KC (Hart, 6th ed 2023) and “Data Protection: A Practical Guide to UK Law” by Peter Carey (Oxford, 6th ed 2020). He is a co-author of “Data Protection, Privacy and Information Law” (Law Society, 1st ed, 2024).

Planning and Environmental Law: John’s planning and environmental law practice spans residential, infrastructure, and environmental matters. He advises and represents local authorities, private clients, and resident groups on a range of issues in planning inquiries and court proceedings, in particular judicial reviews. Some of his recent inquiry work includes s78 inquiries at Gomm Valley, Buckinghamshire and Gritstone Road, Derbyshire, both of which involved hybrid applications for schemes involving more than 400 homes. His recent judicial review experience includes R(Watton) v Cornwall Council [2023] EWHC 2436 (Admin), a challenge concerning planning permission for a crematorium.

Inquests and Inquiries: John acts for interested persons and supports witnesses in giving evidence in a range of inquests and inquiries. His inquests work often has a social care or health angle. In recent years, some of the high-profile inquests he has appeared in include that of Zara Aleena (2024) and Sheila Hartman (2024). John’s public inquiries experience includes acting for a Core Participant in both the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry.

John was called to the Bar in 2016 and is a member of Lincoln’s Inn. He is a recipient of the Inn’s Hardwicke Entrance Award, Lord Denning Scholarship, Buchanan prize and Hubert Greenland Scholarship.

John is a member of JUSTICE, UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA), the Human Rights Lawyers Association (HRLA), the Planning and Environmental Bar Association (PEBA), and the Administrative Law Bar Association (ALBA).

John sits as a non-executive director on the board of Innisfree Housing Association.

LLB Ling. Franc (Trinity College Dublin); BCL (University of Oxford, Worcester College); BPTC (City University).