We are delighted to announce that Garden Court Chambers has been shortlisted in a record-breaking fourteen categories at The Legal 500 Bar Awards.
The awards are determined by the Legal 500’s independent research for the authoritative annual Legal 500 directory.
We are over the moon to announce that Garden Court Chambers has been nominated for a record-breaking fourteen awards at The Legal 500 Bar Awards 2024, taking place on Wednesday 25th September 2024.
Our teams have been shortlisted across four categories and nine of our members have been shortlisted. Adding to this fantastic achievement, our Deputy Director of Clerking, Lisa O'Leary, has also been shortlisted for Clerk of the Year.
Garden Court Chambers is shortlisted for Court of Protection Set of the Year, with our very own Bethan Harris and Tim Baldwin shortlisted for Court of Protection Junior of the Year. Bethan is an experienced practitioner who has been involved in leading Community Care and Court of Protection cases in the High Court in the last year, as well as representing Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru in the Covid-19 Inquiry. Tim is known for his fierce commitment to representing vulnerable, marginalised and disadvantaged clients including Gypsies, Travellers and Asylum Seekers concerning accommodation and support needs. Tim is the co-chair of Housing Law Practitioner Association and is co-convenor of the Garden Court Chambers Court of Protection Team.
We are also shortlisted for Immigration Set of the Year. Sonali Naik KC is shortlisted for Immigration Silk of the Year, and Emma Fitzsimons and Raza Halim are shortlisted for Immigration Junior of the Year. Sonali has been instructed in a number of leading immigration cases in the last year, including the Rwanda case and a number of wide-ranging litigation arising out of the Afghan crisis. She regularly advises on and acts in public law policy challenges and test cases in this field. Recently, she represented UNHCR in a challenge to the refugee child family reunion policy. She was one of the winners of a Highly Commended Award at the Lawyer Awards 2022 for a pro bono initiative to assist Afghan judges secure UK visas. In 2023, Sonali was listed in The Lawyer magazine’s Hot 100 list, which recognises excellence in the legal profession.
Emma is a public law barrister, specialising in immigration, trafficking, community care, civil liberties and detention. In the past year, she has worked considerably on Afghan relocation cases, and challenges to Albanian certification claims. She has particular experience representing children and young people, trafficking victims, persons with serious mental health diagnoses and those who lack mental capacity. She has a high rate of success before the First-tier and Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). She is a contributing author to Macdonald’s Immigration Law and Practice.
Raza specialises in public law, with an emphasis on refugee law, trafficking and human rights. Raza has acted in a range of important test case litigation, including two of the lead claimants in the Rwanda litigation, a test case challenge to the Home Secretary’s policy to raise the evidential threshold for the recognition of potential victims of trafficking, the first appeal against conviction for the new offence of arriving by small boat before the Lord Chief Justice, a challenge to the lawful operation of the Windrush Compensation Scheme, acting for Vernon Vanriel, whose story broke the Windrush scandal. He is an interim relief specialist, having acted in hundreds of urgent applications against removal, detention and unlawful asylum accommodation. He is presently instructed in two test case challenges to the policy governing the accommodation of vulnerable asylum seekers.
Garden Court Chambers is shortlisted for Public Law Set of the Year. This category also recognises civil liberties, human rights and inquests & inquiries. Owen Greenhall is shortlisted for Public Law Junior of the Year. Owen's broad practice encompasses all aspects of the criminal justice system, and he is an expert in cases involving freedom of expression. Owen acts in both criminal trials and civil proceedings relating to protests, including actions against the police, public inquiries, inquests, injunctions and possession proceedings.
Garden Court Chambers is shortlisted for Public Services and Charities Set of the Year. Patrick Roche is shortlisted for Public Services and Charities Junior of the Year. Patrick has over 30 years' experience practising in high profile inquests, public law cases and in criminal defence, and is currently engaged in representing a large number of Grenfell families in their claims for damages arising out of the fire. He represented 77 Hillsborough families during the inquests and has represented a substantial number of bereaved families whose loved ones have died in custody or due to the failings of other State bodies. Patrick also represented the Hillsborough families in their successful claim for damages against South Yorkshire Police and West Midlands Police arising from the cover up after the disaster. He was listed on the Pro Bono Recognition List of England & Wales 2024.
Keir Monteith KC is shortlisted for Financial Crime Silk of the Year. Keir is a highly sought-after leading silk who represents clients facing heavyweight, complex and high-profile fraud allegations. Keir is ranked for criminal law in Chambers UK and the Legal 500. He is also ranked in Tier 1 for Fraud in the Legal 500. This year, he became a Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester.
Amanda Meusz is shortlisted for Family Law Junior of the Year. Amanda's practice focuses on all areas of the law relating to children, including the provision of services to children and young people, and is frequently instructed in in complex care cases. Amanda has developed a unique trauma-informed practice to help assist the most vulnerable clients in family proceedings. Amanda was part of the legal team who won Family Law Case of the Year at the Family Law Awards 2022. She was previously shortlisted for Family & Child Law Junior of the Year at the Legal 500 Bar Awards 2022.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge on Wednesday 25th September 2024.
The full shortlist can be seen here.
