Bindmans LLP

Partner and Head of Public Law and Human Rights department. John Halford is a public law specialist. As a litigator, he has focused on judicial review work since 1993, challenging the unfair exercise and abuse of power by public authorities, human rights breaches and discrimination. John represents individuals, campaign and action groups, unions, charities, schools, professional associations and regulators, arts organisations and commercial companies – not only as judicial review claimants but also as interested parties and interveners in cases brought by others that affect their interests, or those of people they represent. He has had a number of notable successes in high profile test cases in the Court of Appeal, the House of Lords and the UK Supreme Court, most recently in the Article 50 litigation, where he represented a group of interested parties. He has European Court of Human Rights experience at Grand Chamber level. John is also a source of decisive and trusted advice on a wide range of complex public law issues. His advisory caseload spans Brexit and other EU law issues, regulatory and licensing, professional disciplinary, procurement, planning, pensions and human rights law matters.

Associate, Public Law and Human Rights. Emma specialises in judicial review challenges to decisions of public bodies, including decisions by local authorities, schools and health bodies. Emma has a particular interest in Education Law matters, including judicial reviews in the High Court as well as disputes in the Tribunal involving special educational needs. Emma also represents clients in community care cases and in welfare disputes in the Court of Protection.

Solicitor, Public Law and Human Rights team. Shirin represents clients in a wide range of public and international law matters, with a particular interest in challenges relating to migrant rights, national security and data protection. Shirin is experienced in bringing judicial review and civil claims against the state on a range of domestic and international law matters. She represents victims of trafficking, false imprisonment, arbitrary detention, torture and extraordinary rendition. She also specialises in bringing appeals before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), on behalf of individuals deprived of their British citizenship. She has participated in roundtable meetings in relation to Syrian returnees and in 2023, provided written evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee Inquiry on the State Handling of Hostage Situations. Shirin also regularly challenges decisions by the police and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) concerning disclosure of information, police record deletion requests, appeals before the Information Tribunal and civil claims for data protection breaches. She is a Trustee of PBI International (UK).  

Partner and Head of Education Law. Karen mainly acts for individuals although has also had experience of acting for local authorities and schools. Her specialism is judicial review cases, with a particular focus upon education law and community care law judicial reviews. Karen has acted in many leading education law judicial review cases in the High Court and Court of Appeal, concerning vulnerable children. Instructions are also regularly received from parents of children attending independent schools. These instructions often relate to safeguarding and exclusion matters within the independent sector. Karen’s main focus is acting for vulnerable children and adults. This work has seen her acting for a number of families in relation to special educational needs issues during childhood right through to Court of Protection matters in adulthood. It has also seen her acting in challenges against a wide variety of public bodies in addition to local authorities, such as CCGs and Chief Constables. Karen has also acted in a number of cases concerning breaches under the Human Rights Act 1998 and discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. She has secured favourable financial settlements for clients in a number of these cases. Karen has also recently acted in a case against a police force concerning breaches under the Human Rights Act 1998 in a claim for damages connected with information on an Enhanced DBS Certificate. She has experience of representing a number of clients in relation to what appears on their Enhanced DBS Certificates. As well as providing representation in relation to higher court cases, Karen regularly represents clients in relation to SEN Tribunal cases, admission appeals and exclusion appeals. She is also regularly instructed in relation to disputes about school transport which is a particularly difficult area with a number of public sectors cuts to transport budgets. Karen’s interest in transport cases stems from acting for the claimant in October 2000. Since that time, she has helped many parents secure suitable transport arrangements for children with special educational needs.