2 Temple Gardens

Public Inquiries, Group Litigation, Disclosure, Public Law

Clare is on the Treasury A Panel and is frequently instructed by the Government in the highest profile public law cases. She has a background as acting as Counsel to the Inquiry in a number of public inquiries and previously worked for the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and for the Ombudsman of Human Rights in Bosnia.

Public Inquiries: Clare is currently the Lead Junior representing HMRC in the Covid Inquiry. She was previously Junior Counsel to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (Lambeth Investigation). This follows a long background of public inquiry work, having previously been Junior Counsel in one of the Northern Ireland Public Inquiries (the Rosemary Nelson Inquiry) and Junior Counsel to an NHS inquiry into sexual abuse (the Kerr Haslam Inquiry).

Group Litigation: Clare was previously instructed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the multi-million pound Kenyan Emergency Group Litigation brought by over 40,000 “Mau Mau” and related claimants in respect of their experiences in colonial Kenya during the 1950s.

Disclosure: She advised the Ministry of Defence on complex disclosure matters, including Public Interest Immunity issues, in her role as the lead junior in one of the “Combat Immunity” cases arising out of the Iraq conflict. She has also led a team of junior counsel, instructed by the Government, in relation to disclosure issues related to the “Kamoka” litigation, concerning allegations of rendition and ill treatment sustained in Libya, brought against the British Government.

Public Law: Clare has been instructed in cases before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal and the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (led by Sir James Eadie KC). She was previously a Special Advocate.

Whilst her current practice focuses on Public Law she has a background of a broad practice encompassing personal injury and clinical negligence. She was the junior to Dermod O’Brien KC in the case of Horton v Sadler [2006] UKHL 27 in the House of Lords instructed by the Motor Insurers Bureau. She also undertakes some academic work and is a part time Senior Lecturer on the Bar Professional Training Course.

Called 1993; Middle Temple; formerly worked for the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and the Ombudsman of Human Rights in Bosnia; appointed as a special advocate. Publications: contributor to Sweet & Maxwell’s loose leaf ‘Human Rights Practice’.

French.

Downing College, Cambridge University (Senior Harris Law Scholar; MA Hons Cantab (First Class)); Oxford University (BCL); Diplock Scholar, Middle Temple; Pegasus Scholar.

Sailing.