The Public Law Group includes some of the leading practitioners in the country when it comes to bringing and defending challenges to the legality of actions by public bodies, both in the UK and abroad. Upholding civil liberties and human rights lies at the heart of everything we do, whether acting for the individual or the public body.
Administrative and Public Law covers a range of specialist work, reflecting the different ways in which the Government impacts on the lives of citizens. Our team has experts across this field. A common thread is that public bodies have defined purposes, limited powers and, importantly, duties to act fairly and reasonably in all their dealings with the public.
We advise and act for:
Our team provides sound and astute tactical advice helping our clients to navigate the, often complex, situations and the options that may arise in relation to representation within, or in a challenge to a public law decision-making that affects the client’s interests. We recognise the issues are always of considerable importance to our client and may have profound effects upon the lives of individuals, and sometimes in the development of the law.
Our barristers are experts in interpreting statutory schemes, understanding the limits of powers, advising on how public bodies are required to act to comply with their duties under the Human Rights Act 1998, data protection and information law, international conventions to which the United Kingdom is a party, and the important Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010.
We regularly appear in leading public law cases in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, and the High Court. Our counsel are also briefed to appear regularly in specialist courts and tribunals, such as the Court of Protection, the First-Tier and Upper Tribunals and Coroner’s Courts, as well as in numerous other venues where key public law decisions are taken for example in education matters, professional discipline, or Parole Board hearings, to name but a few.
For details of the specialists within our Public and Administrative Law team, please follow the links below to subject areas or contact our group clerks for advice.
We also have practitioners with individual specialities within administrative law, as listed in the profiles of individual barristers. This includes a wide range of niche matters, such as representation in matters before the Contract Review Board of the Legal Aid Agency, public procurement, safeguarding matters, and discrimination in the provision of services and goods (often involving Equality Act 2010 duties). Please contact the public law clerks for more details.
Our dedicated and experienced clerking team provides 24-hour service, 365-days-a-year to arrange, where appropriate, for urgent advice and representation from members of the Public Law team, and prides itself on dealing with emergency orders and out-of-hours applications smoothly.
Are you considering a career at the bar and interested in applying for a pupillage at No5 Chambers? We’re delighted to announce two exciting pupillage…
The third and final seminar will focus on challenging Parole Board decisions. It will comprehensively cover the latest developments in this area and provide an…
The second seminar will guide attendees through how to best represent their clients at oral hearings. This session will be split into two parts. In…
Professional courses are known to be particularly strenuous, whether a student is hoping to qualify as a doctor, nurse, paramedic, accountant, barrister, solicitor architect etc. …
A university’s complaints procedure is reserved for any other issues that may affect the delivery of educational services for a student. This is often a…
On 13 March 2025, G4S Care and Justice Services Limited who operate HMP Oakwood, admitted the unlawful use of X-ray body scanners ‘XRBS’ at a…
Philip Rule KC and Daniel Henderson were invited by Lexis Nexis to deliver its annual webinar on practice and procedural updates in judicial review over…
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Philip Rule KC and Kawsar Zaman are speaking at the Commonwealth Law Conference, see the details to register below. Philip Rule KC is chairing the…
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In LR v Coventry City Council [2025] EWHC 20 (Admin), the High Court quashed the section 17 Children Act 1989 assessment of a vulnerable family…
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In R(Clarke) v Parole Board [2025] EWHC 190 (Admin) Mr Justice Fordham quashed the decision of the Parole Board to not grant the Claimant an…
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In the case of R (SARCP) v Stoke-on-Trent City Council [2025] EWHC 18 (Admin) the Administrative Court considered a dispute over the setting of care…
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Philip Rule KC is instructed by Advocates for Animals, a specialist solicitors’ firm, in a judicial review challenge to a decision of the Secretary of…
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The appellant is represented by Philip Rule KC, Henry Orren Merren IV (of George Town, Grand Cayman), and Samir Amin. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council…
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Ffyon Reilly was called to the Bar in 1999 and specialises in Public Law. Ffyon has a multidisciplinary background including significant experience in criminal law, both…
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Thank you to all those who attended our Pupillage Open Evening at our London office. It was lovely to meet and talk with so many…
Are you considering a career at the bar and interested in applying for a pupillage at No5 Chambers? We’re delighted to announce two exciting pupillage…
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The decision of Murray J in R (NCA) v Hao & Ors [2024] EWHC 2240 (Admin) caused sharp intakes of breath in the family offices…
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On 11 June 2024, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council advised His Majesty to allow the appeal against the conviction for the murder of…
