GARDEN COURT CHAMBERS - Key Persons
Anya Lewis is an experienced criminal defence advocate who specialises in complex and sensitive cases including those involving allegations of murder (including baby-shaking), fraud and serious sexual offences.
She is consistently ranked in Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500.
Anya Lewis and Sam Robinson of the Garden Court Chambers Crime Team to be appointed Queen's Counsel
Garden Court Chambers is delighted to announce that Anya Lewis and Sam Robinson of the Garden Court Chambers Criminal Defence Team will be formally appointed Queen's Counsel in 2021.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Garden Court Chambers Community
Blog by Connor Johnston. Liz Davies and Nick Bano of the Garden Court Housing Team acted for the Respondent Ms Broderick.
Connor Johnston is a member of the Garden Court Chambers Community Care team.
Job Titles:
- Appointed Deputy High Court Judge
Garden Court is very pleased to announce that our colleague Dexter Dias QC has been appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge.
Dr Susie Alegre joins as a new associate tenant
We are delighted to announce that Dr Susie Alegre has joined Garden Court Chambers as an associate tenant.
Gemma Loughran provides advice and representation in all areas of immigration, asylum and human rights law. She is recommended in the Legal 500 and in the Chambers UK Bar Guide in immigration. She is registered with the Bar Council for public access work.
Job Titles:
- Joint Head
- Lawyer of the Year at UK Diversity Legal Awards 2021
- Trustee of the Haringey Migrants Support Centre
Grace Brown is Joint Head of Garden Court Chambers.
Grace is a public law practitioner with a particular focus on human rights, immigration and refugee law. She commenced practice in 1995 inspired by the desire to promote the rights of the underprivileged and disadvantaged and quickly established herself as a well-respected and busy human rights and immigration barrister.
Grace is appointed to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's preferred Panel of Counsel.
Grace was awarded the 2021 BSN Lawyer of the Year, in the Chambers category, at the UK Diversity Legal Awards.
Grace has developed an impressive practice in community care judicial reviews for which she is well-suited given her extensive experience in public law. She has particular expertise in cases involving the non-provision of services to children who lack secure immigration status in the UK and who need accommodation and support from local authorities. Grace has successfully acted in a number of cases involving destitute children and adults who need urgent access to the Court in order to challenge unlawful decisions and/or processes e.g. following a failure to treat an adult as a ‘former relevant child'.
Grace has expertise in representing patients who are detained pursuant to hospital orders and in advising on appeals and judicial review.
Grace has a long-standing interest in conservation, ecology and the environment. She appeared in the M4 Corridor (Relief Road) Around Newport Inquiry, a scheme with an estimated cost of £1 billion; see here, which resulted in the plans of the Welsh Government to build the road being rejected.
Grace advises and has appeared in professional conduct proceedings and regulatory matters, having previously served as a Disciplinary Tribunal member.
Grace is a Trustee of the Haringey Migrants Support Centre where, from 2013, she started providing pro bono immigration advice and pro bono representation to services users. She is also a trustee of the Voice of Domestic Workers.
Grace has provided legal advice at Windrush Legal Clinics and has advised, pro bono, on a large number of Windrush and Windrush-related cases. These include cases involving family members of Windrush migrants and also claims and potential claims for compensation. A significant amount of her caseload remains Windrush-related and pro bono. For over 1 year, Grace acted pro bono in three linked cases in which she formed and developed unique legal arguments based on the flaws and limitations of the Windrush Scheme.
Grace is a mentor on the Inner Temple Mentoring Scheme and a Pegasus Scholar Host and has, since 2001, mentored and hosted many students studying for the Bar and hosted junior barristers.
We are delighted to announce that our Joint Head of Chambers, Grace Brown, is highly commended in the 'Advocate of the Year' category at the Women & Diversity in Law Awards 2024.
Grace Brown, Joint Head of Garden Court Chambers, is acting in an upcoming High Court challenge to grant legal aid to a claimant under the Windrush Compensation Scheme (WCS) and is among the contributors to KCL's research report.
We are delighted to announce Grace Brown has been shortlisted for BSN Lawyer of the Year in the Chambers category at the UK Diversity Legal Awards 2021.
Grace Brown represented the Claimant. She was instructed by Sharif Khan of Oliver Hasani Solicitors.
Grace has been an invited speaker/panel member at the following events: Diverse Voices organised and hosted by Kings College London BAME in the City (27 January 2021), Immigration Seminar organised and hosted by the Jamaican High Commission in London (28 January 2021), British In All But Legal Status, organised by Windrush Defenders Legal and hosted by the Ethiopian World Federation Incorporated Manchester (09 May 2021) and Race, Class and Social Mobility Webinar organised and hosted by the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (06 July 2021).
Helen Curtis' legal practice concentrates on areas where the liberty of the subject is at stake, particularly in areas of mental health, prisoners and the Court of Protection. She appears before Tribunals, Parole Boards and courts through to the Court of Appeal. Helen was an approved mediator on the Court of Protection Mediation Panel.
Leslie Thomas QC appointed as Board member by Bar Standards Board
We are delighted to announce that Leslie Thomas QC, Chair and Joint Head of Garden Court Chambers, has been appointed as a new Board member by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).
Leslie Thomas QC, Marc Willers QC, Thalia Maragh and Tihomir Mak of Garden Court Chambers are instructed on this case.
Marc Willers QC of the Garden Court Chambers Environmental and Planning Law Team is the leading barrister representing CAN Europe. Garden Court's Richard Reynolds, Paul Clark and Julia Lowis worked with Marc on the application to intervene.
Job Titles:
- Co - Drafted GREVIO 's Mid - Term Report That Launched Today, on the Eve of the 10th Anniversary of the Opening for Signature of the Istanbul Convention
- UK National Research Consultant on Anti - Trafficking Efforts for British Institute of International and Comparative Law
The BIICL has recently appointed Maria Moodie of Garden Court Chambers as the National Research Consultant for the UK case study into the determinants of anti-trafficking efforts as part of an innovative global study.
Maria Moodie co-drafted GREVIO's mid-term report that launched today, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the opening for signature of the Istanbul Convention
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Co - Chair of the Housing Law Practitioners Association
Marina is Co-Chair of the Housing Law Practitioners Association, along with Simon Mullings. During their tenure, HLPA intervened in Arkin v Marshall [2020] EWCA Civ 620, was part of the Working Group on possession claims and have given evidence to the APPG on Legal Aid, amongst much more.
Marina is a founder member and trustee of The Vicky Sergides Foundation, a stomach cancer charity.
Marina is an accredited mediator. Praised for her ability to address issues with clear and calm approach, Marina is an effective mediator. Further details can be found on the Garden Court Chambers Mediation website.
Marina has provided training to the Housing Law Practitioners Association and regularly provides training at the Garden Court Seminars on a wide range of housing and civil law topics. She recently spoke at the Garden Court Judicial Review Conference and currently provides training for Community Legal Advice Centers.
Marina was also a member of Pupillage and Training Committee from 2002 until 2008 and was convenor from 2007-2008.
Job Titles:
- Director of Operations and HR
- Director of Operations and Human Resources
- Head of Operations & HR, Pioneered the Mentoring Scheme in Conjunction With Garden Court 's Leslie Thomas QC and Connor Johnston
Sonali Naik QC, Ronan Toal and Gemma Loughran were instructed by JD Spicer on behalf of the appellant. Ali Bandegani was instructed by Baker McKenzie for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Garden Court has been shortlisted at the Chambers Bar Awards, whilst Stephanie and our Public Law Team are shortlisted at the Legal 500 Awards.
Mia Hakl-Law, Head of Operations & HR, pioneered the mentoring scheme in conjunction with Garden Court's Leslie Thomas QC and Connor Johnston.
Job Titles:
- Co - Authors Chapter in 'Litigating the Climate Emergency How Human Rights, Courts, and Legal Mobilization Can Bolster Climate Action'
- Times Lawyer of the Week
Paul Clark is an established practitioner in the field of climate justice, as well as in international and domestic human rights law. He acts for the Applicants in the ground-breaking case of Duarte Agostinho and others v 33 States before the European Court of Human Rights - a challenge to the climate targets and policies of all of the state respondents - and has done so since its inception. He was also advised and represented ‘Climate Action Network Europe' in Carvalho & others v European Parliament & Council ('the People's Climate Case') in which families and youth challenged the EU in order to protect their fundamental rights from the insufficiency of the EU's 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target. Other work includes advising on the human rights elements of Município de Mariana v BHP Group UK Ltd, following which the Court of Appeal gave permission for some 200,000 Brazilian claimants to pursue their class action for damages for the collapse of the Fundão Dam in Brazil. Having appeared before the International Court of Justice and several of the international criminal tribunals, he offers expertise in general international law that forms a key part of his practice in climate justice.
We are delighted to announce that Paul Clark of the Garden Court Inquests & Inquiries Team has been named Times Lawyer of the Week.
Yassar's family are represented by Paul Clark of the Garden Court Inquests and Inquiries Team, led by Michael Mansfield KC. Counsel instructed by Imran Khan KC and Daniel Lemberger Cooper of Imran Khan & Partners.
Job Titles:
- Chairman and Joint Head of Garden Court Chambers, Comments on the Nationality and Borders Bill Receiving Royal Assent
Garden Court Chambers is pleased to announce that Stephen Simblet KC and Grace Brown have been newly elected as Joint Heads of Chambers. They join Rajiv Menon KC who continues as Joint Head of Chambers.