George Laurence

Specialises in real property disputes; also has special interest and expertise in the public and administrative aspects of property law, in particular concerning access to the countryside, minor highways, commons and village greens. He frequently appears at public inquiries and before both Houses of Parliament, notably when dealing with the High Speed 2 (2006, House of Lords), Channel Tunnel, Crossrail and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link hybrid bills. His cases since 2000 (many in the House of Lords, Supreme Court or Court of Appeal) include: Ex parte Sunningwell [2000] 1 AC 335; Masters v Secretary of State for the Environment [2001] GB 151 (CA); Yaxley v Gotts [2001] Ch 162 (CA); R (Beresford) v Sunderland City Council [2004] 1 AC 889; Todd v Secretary of State for the Environment [2004] 1 WLR 2471; Oxfordshire County Council v Oxford City Council [2006] 2 AC 674; R (Norfolk County Council) v Sosefra [2006] 1 WLR 1103; R (Kind) v Sosefra [2006] QB 113; Ford-Camber Ltd v Deanminster Ltd [2007] EWCA Civ 458; R (Godmanchester Town Council) v Sosefra [2008] 1 AC 221; Sava v SS Global [2008] EWCA Civ 1308; Smith v Muller [2008] EWCA Civ 1425; Winchester College v Hampshire County Council [2009] 1 WLR 138 (CA); Betterment Properties (Weymouth) Ltd v Dorset County Council [2009] 1 WLR 334 (CA); Herrick v Kidner and Somerset County Council [2010] EWHC 269 (Admin); R (Lewis) v Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and Anor (No 2) [2010] 2 AC 70; Leeds Group plc v Leeds City Council [2011] Ch 363 (CA); Leeds Group plc v Leeds City Council (No 2) (CA) [2012] 1 WLR 1561 (CA); Fortune v Wiltshire County Council [2013] 1 WLR 808 (CA); Betterment Properties (Weymouth) Limited v Dorset County Council (No 2) SC(E) [2014] AC 1072; Paddico (267) Limited v Kirklees Metropolitan Council SC(E) [2014] AC 1072; R (Barkas) v N Yorkshire County Council SC(E) [2015] AC 195; R (Newhaven Port and Properties Ltd) v East Sussex County Council SC(E) [2015] 1 AC 1547; R (Andrews) v Sosefra [2015] EWCA Civ 669; Powell and anor v Sosefra [2014] EWHC 4003 (admin); R (Trail Riders Fellowship) v Dorset County Council SC(E) [2015] UKSC 18.

Oxford University (MA); Cape Town (BA); Rhodes Scholar; Harmsworth Scholar.