Felicity Williams

Year of Call: 2000

"Vast knowledge on public law and an impressive advocate."

Legal 500, 2021 (Civil Liberties & Human Rights)

"Always a pleasure to work with."

Legal 500, 2019

"She has an outstanding and impressive range of public law knowledge. She is emerging as a key barrister for clients with disabilities."

Chambers UK and Legal 500

"A work-horse, with impressive advocacy skills."

Legal 500, 2017

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Legal 500 2023: Leading Junior
Legal 500 2023: Leading Junior

Felicity Williams specialises in public law, court of protection and community care cases. She has particular expertise in representing young and vulnerable people in public law proceedings. 

Felicity is ranked for Administrative Law & Human Rights in the Legal 500 2023.

Administrative and Public Law

Felicity has established expertise in judicial review proceedings for individuals contesting the acts of public authorities. She has extensive experience in representing vulnerable adults and children. With a background in both civil and criminal litigation, she is strongly placed to represent those challenging their treatment in the community and in the criminal justice system. Recent public law work has included community care, deprivation of liberty, prison law, healthcare, human rights and public protest issues.

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Civil Liberties and Human Rights

Felicity has an established background in civil liberties and human rights cases across both public law and criminal justice cases. Her judicial review practice has encompassed a range of ground-breaking cases particularly for young and vulnerable people in the criminal justice system. Felicity is often instructed by charities and NGOs in strategic litigation. She regularly acts for individuals challenging their treatment while under the supervision or care of public bodies in the community or in prison.

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Community Care Law

Felicity is experienced in complex community care work. She often acts in cases seeking urgent accommodation and support under the Children Act 1989. She represents individuals in need of assessment, support and accommodation, including proceedings under the Care Act 2014, Equality Act 2010 and healthcare access.

Felicity has frequently dealt with cases where responsibility for care is disputed between public bodies or unlawfully denied to an individual.

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Court of Protection

Felicity frequently appears in the Court of Protection. Her casework includes deprivation of liberty issues, personal welfare applications and complex care packages. Felicity is experienced in community care and Children Act judicial review claims, which assists her approach to Court of Protection matters. Felicity acts for litigation friends, the Official Solicitor, local authorities and family members.

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Prisoners’ Rights

Felicity undertakes wide-ranging prison law work. She advises on all matters of prison law including resettlement, discrimination, re-categorisation, segregation, adjudications, licence conditions, medical treatment, mental health and prison discipline. Much of her High Court casework has concerned the particular difficulties of prisoners during resettlement.

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Public International Law

Felicity has a background in international case law and legal policy work. This has led to her working in the UK and abroad on a range of international human rights issues.

In 2021-2022, Felicity worked in Canada as part of the independent consultation team on a Miscarriages of Justice Commission for Canada. The consultation recommendations set out a blueprint for a new independent commission, proactive in focus and directly tackling systemic discrimination.

During Brexit, Felicity worked extensively on the legal issues and the interface between European and UK law; speaking in parliamentary meetings, and writing articles on the developments for law journals and the press. She has been involved in international and domestic environmental cases, including legal challenges to the exploitation of tar sands in Canada and fracking cases in the UK.

Felicity was admitted to the International Criminal Court's list of Counsel in 2013 and is eligible to represent the accused and victims before the Court.

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Notable Cases & News

Local authority ordered to support young care leaver

Garden Court's Felicity Williams was instructed by Eleanor Ronson at GT Stewart.

10 May 2018

The Garden Court Chambers Housing Team respond to the consultation of Terms of Reference of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry has called for responses to the consultation of Terms of Reference.

3 August 2017

Important Court of Appeal judgment for victims of human trafficking

A number of defendants and the intervener were represented by counsel from Garden Court Chambers.

15 February 2017

Garden Court and Stephanie Harrison QC shortlisted for Human Rights and Public Law awards

Garden Court has been shortlisted at the Chambers Bar Awards, whilst Stephanie and our Public Law Team are shortlisted at the Legal 500 Awards.

21 October 2016

Chambers UK Bar Guide ranks Garden Court in Band 1

Garden Court Chambers recognised as a leading set for immigration, social housing, civil liberties, police law, Court of Protection, crime and inquests and public inquiries.

30 October 2015

Garden Court wins Legal 500 crime set of the year award

The winners in these awards are chosen by the Legal 500 as a result of thousands of interviews with firms, sets and counsel.

8 October 2015

Appeal Court rules that removal of a child's clothes in police custody is a strip search

The Court considered whether the safeguards of Annex A on strip searches in PACE Code C apply

19 February 2015

Divisional Court quashes Secretary of State for Justice's refusal to provide Registered Intermediary for defendant

Stephen Knafler QC and Felicity Williams successfully challenge refusal to provide an RI for defendant with Asperger’s Syndrome and learning disability.

25 June 2014

All related news

Background

Felicity completed pupillage at Doughty Street Chambers in public law and crime before taking tenancy at 6 King's Bench Walk, where she won Young Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year 2008. She joined Tooks chambers in 2010 before moving to Garden Court Chambers in 2013.

Before specializing in the above fields, Felicity's jury trial work included offences of grievous bodily harm, firearms, Class A drug supply and sexual offences. Her domestic criminal work now consists of appellate cases and judicial review claims concerning the criminal justice system.

Prior to pupillage, Felicity worked on a range of international litigation including Al Skeini, the Gurkha discrimination cases and environmental cases such as R (Friends of the Earth) v EA. Subsequently, she was junior counsel in R (Al Jedda) v SSD [2008] 1 A.C. 332, HL concerning the treatment of a detainee during the Iraq war. She completed a stage in the US Unit of the European Commission on a Bar Council scholarship.

Publications

‘Brexit Litigation and the Balance of Power’, (2019) European Human Rights Law Review, vol. 4, 334-346

'Boris Johnson combats allegations of misconduct in public office’, Oxford Human Rights Hub (5th June 2019) 

'The Public Sector Equality Duty,' Legal Action 2013, Jan, 45-49 (co-authored with Catherine Rayner)

'Defendants and the Use of Registered Intermediaries,' Crimeline Article 2012 (co-authored with Shauneen Lambe, Just for Kids Law)

'European Arrest Warrants - Immunities and Amnesties', The European Arrest Warrant in Practice, (Nico Keijzer and Elies van Sliedregt Ed. 2009, TMC Asser Press) reviewed European Constitutional Law Review 2012, 8 (3), 523-533

'The Application of the European Arrest Warrant in the UK, Legislative Background and Human Rights Challenges', Still not resolved? Constitutional Issues of the European Arrest Warrant, (Elspeth Guild and Luisa Marin Ed. 2009, Wolf Legal Publishers)

Education

  • LLM (with distinction) International and European Legal Studies, University of Durham
  • LLB University of Birmingham

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