Avril continues to develop a broad public law practice including immigration law, Court of Protection, prison law, education law, mental health law, inquests and coronial law, civil liberties, and age dispute/age assessments for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children,
Education Law
Avril is instructed by local authorities and parents in appeals concerning all aspects of Education and Health Care Plans (including pre-issuing and cases involving health and social care recommendations) and discrimination claims under the Equality Act 2010.
Avril has a growing advisory practice in cases which straddle SEN law and mental capacity law.
Prison and Police Law
Avril regularly advises on behalf of prisoners in judicial review challenges to decisions of the Parole Board and the Secretary of State for Justice, including decisions concerning release, recall, and the provision and prioritisation of oral hearings. Avril has a keen interest in actions against the state, and accepts instructions in respect of challenges against the police and the Home Office. Further information is contained in Avril’s Prison and Police Law CV
Court of Protection
Avril provides representation in both health and welfare and property and financial affairs matters and has been instructed by the Official Solicitor, family members, Clinical Commissioning Groups, Health Boards, and Local Authorities in section 21A and section 16 proceedings. Further information is contained in Avril’s Court of Protection CV.
Inquests and Coronial Law
Avril has considerable experience appearing on behalf of a range of Interested Persons at coronial inquests, including multiple-day Article 2 jury inquests, and especially where mental health treatment and mental capacity are in issue.
Avril also advises on the prospects of successful post-inquest civil proceedings.
Immigration and Asylum
Avril regularly appears in appeals before the First-Tier Tribunal, particularly in claims based on sexual orientation and political opinion. Avril has considerable experience working with vulnerable clients and draws on her knowledge in mental health and mental capacity law in this regard. Further information is contained in Avril’s Immigration and Asylum CV.
International Human Rights Law
Avril is a PhD candidate and former research associate in Public International Law at the University of Amsterdam and the Walther Schucking Institute for International Law. Accordingly, Avril is particularly interested in claims raising issues under the Human Rights Act 1998 that invoke wider international human rights instruments. Avril also hopes to increasingly accept instructions in her areas of specialisation namely the application of international law in domestic systems, customary international law human rights, and the protection of socio-economic rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Most recently, Avril successfully completed the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (“HELP”) course on the Environment and Human Rights and is keen to explore this area of practice.
Previous experience
Avril has gained extensive experience in the field of public law and human rights. Avril has worked in human rights NGOs and legal advice centres in Germany, Bolivia, the UK, and the Netherlands, including the AIRE Centre where she advised on family reunification and the Citizenship Directive. Through this work, Avril has developed skills for dealing with vulnerable clients, particularly in the fields of LGBT rights, immigration and asylum, access to healthcare, anti-discrimination, and violence against women. Before joining Chambers, Avril taught in the LL.M programme at the Walther Schücking Institute for Public International Law.
Avril is contactable out of hours and is always happy to assist charities and NGO’s on a pro-bono basis.
Avril speaks fluent Irish and German and has a working knowledge of French and Spanish
Qualifications
LLB Law and German Trinity College Dublin
LLM Public International Law University of Amsterdam
MSc. European Integration and Development Vrije Universitat Brussels (Free University of Brussels)
PhD Candidate Walther Schucking Institute for Public International Law, Germany
