Claire Nevin

Claire is a second six pupil and will join chambers as a tenant on 2 October 2023.

During pupillage Claire has been supervised by Ned Westaway, Gregory Jones KC and Isabella Tafur.

Before her call to the Bar in 2021, Claire gained valuable experience of the intersection between environmental and human rights law in her work for the United Nations in Geneva, the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and a number of NGOs. The breadth of Claire’s previous experience with international organisations, a government department and campaign groups means she is already well-practised in considering complex and sensitive legal issues from a range of perspectives.

Claire is building a busy practice across all of Chambers’ practice areas. She has appeared as sole counsel for a Rule 6 Party in a five-day planning inquiry which encompassed issues such as designated Local Open Space, a Grade I listed heritage asset, ecology and the provision of affordable and market housing. Claire is currently instructed as sole counsel for a Rule 6 Party and junior counsel for a local authority in a number of upcoming planning inquiries. She is also building a busy environment law practice. The law of chemical regulation is a topic of particular interest to Claire and one she has written about for Chambers’ Environment Law Blog.

Claire conducted research and drafted advices and skeleton arguments on matters including major energy projects, commons and village greens, flood defence works, sewage pollution from storm overflows, charitable exemptions from the Community Infrastructure Levy and permitted development rights in a conservation area. Claire also provided research and drafting assistance during a two-week planning inquiry on a proposal for a major solar farm in an historic parkland.

Alongside practice at the Bar, Claire regularly contributes to policy and educational initiatives in the field of environmental law. Claire was invited to deliver a workshop on the Rights of Nature alongside environmental lawyers working in the UK and internationally, representatives from NGOs and academics. She co-authored the Environmental Justice Network Ireland, Queen's University Belfast School of Law and Lawyers for Nature’s submission to the Irish Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. Claire supervised LLM students at the University of Essex on a project focusing on the right to a healthy environment in the UK and is a regular contributor to Chambers’ Environmental Law Blog.

Claire is an appointed member of the Attorney General’s ‘Junior’ Junior Scheme.

The King’s Inns, Dublin, Advanced Diploma in Irish Planning and Environmental Law (2022) The Inns of Court College of Advocacy, London, Bar Course (2021) City, University of London, GDL (2020) (Distinction) European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation, Venice, MA in Human Rights and Democratisation (2015) Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, B.A. European Studies (2014) (First) Recipient of the 2023 Bar European Group's Peter Duffy Scholarship The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple GDL Exhibition Award (2019) City, University of London, Law School GDL Scholarship Award (2019) Awarded funding by European Inter-University Centre in Venice to undertake a six-month traineeship at the EU Delegation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg for graduating amongst the top fifteen students with a Masters in Human Rights and Democratisation (2015) Winners’ Category of International Undergraduate Awards Competition in Social Sciences category for paper, “To what extent do Michel Foucault’s views on power and panopticism inform our understanding of modern-day control and surveillance?” (Finishing in the top 10% of 5,500 entries) (2015). Dean of Students’ Roll of Honour for Contribution to Student Life as President of the Trinity College Dublin French Society (2011) Entrance Exhibition Award from Trinity College Dublin for outstanding Leaving Certificate (Irish equivalent of A-Levels) results (2011)