We are delighted to announce that Garden Court has been shortlisted for Human Rights and Public Law Set of the Year at the Chambers Bar Awards 2016 and Public Law Set of the Year at the Legal 500 Awards 2017. Stephanie Harrison QC, Head of the Public Law Team, has been nominated for Public Law Silk of the Year.
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Over the last 12 months, Garden Court has undertaken pioneering human rights work, particularly in the areas of unlawful detention and asylum, inquests and public inquiries, deaths in custody, discrimination, actions against the police, homelessness, mental health and protest law.
Our barristers have successfully pursued Public Law challenges against public authorities to advance protections for prisoners’ rights, trafficked women, unaccompanied child migrants and migrant families.
Key cases have encompassed a challenge at the Supreme Court on behalf of Shelter which resulted in local authorities reviewing their homelessness policies, successful challenges to Home Office policies on the detention of pregnant women and litigation challenging the legality of the Detained Fast Track asylum system. Stephanie Harrison QC was leading counsel in both of these detention cases.
Stephanie Harrison QC has over twenty years’ experience advising and representing claimants in complex judicial review challenges to public bodies, policy and decision-making. Her public law practice has a strong emphasis on civil liberties and anti-discrimination. More information can be found on her profile.
Garden Court represented 77 of 96 families at the inquest into the Hillsborough Stadium disaster. Over two years, a million pages of evidence were considered in the longest running inquest ever held in the UK. On 26 April 2016, the inquest jury concluded the Liverpool fans were unlawfully killed and found a catalogue of failings by the emergency services had contributed to their deaths. Article 2 ECHR was fundamental in delivering justice for the families as it provided the legal basis for a far wider ranging inquest.
The winners of the awards are due to be announced the week commencing 24 October 2016.
Find out more about our Civil Liberties and Human Rights practice and Public Law practice.
