Garden Court Chambers is pleased to announce that Stephen Simblet KC and Grace Brown have been newly elected as Joint Heads of Chambers. They join Rajiv Menon KC who continues as Joint Head of Chambers.
Stephanie Harrison KC and Liz Davies KC have stepped down as Joint Heads of Chambers following the end of their terms. Both Stephanie and Liz continue to practice at Garden Court. We are hugely grateful for their outstanding contribution to the stewardship of chambers in recent years.
With the appointment of three of our leading barristers, our new Heads of Chambers reflect our commitment to diversity, human rights, access to justice and the highest standards of advocacy.
We are delighted that Rajiv Menon KC, Stephen Simblet KC and Grace Brown will be taking on the leadership of Garden Court Chambers. Their expertise spans our leading practice areas, including civil liberties, community care, criminal defence, immigration, inquests & inquiries and public law.
On her appointment, Grace Brown stated:
"It’s hard to think of a time when the work of every barrister in these chambers, supported by an excellent clerking and staff team, is more critical and urgent. We strive purposefully and determinedly to achieve justice where there is inequity, equality where there is imparity, and freedom where there is suppression. I'm lucky to be surrounded by people whose aspirations are to boldly uphold human rights and support them. It’s the long-standing and unyielding tradition of these chambers. Long may it continue, and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of the team helping to see the set through its next phase - 'Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much'".
Rajiv Menon KC (Year of Call, 1993, Year of Silk: 2011)
Rajiv has 30 years of experience and expertise in a wide range of serious, complex and high-profile cases. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2011. Rajiv’s primary area of work is criminal defence, both at trial and appellate level. He also specialises in related areas of criminal justice including inquests, inquiries, police actions, extradition, regulatory law, criminal judicial review and ECHR applications.
Rajiv has a particular interest in cases involving human rights violations, miscarriages of justice, political protest and the abuse of power by the state. He was instructed in the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, the Hillsborough Inquests and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. He currently represents 12 individuals and organisations at the Undercover Policing Inquiry. He represented children's rights organisations during Module 2 of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. Rajiv sits as a Judicial Panel Member of the Football Association's (FA) Safeguarding Review Panel. Rajiv is ranked for crime in the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.
Stephen Simblet KC (Year of Call: 1991, Year of Silk: 2020)
Stephen's practice focuses on individual rights in four discrete areas. These are civil claims against the police and public authorities; inquests; mental health and Court of Protection; public law/judicial review. He was one of the lead advocates representing bereaved families in the Hillsborough Inquests and has appeared as advocate in a number of public inquiries. Stephen represents the Covid-19 Airborne Transmission Alliance (CATA) in the UK Covid-19 Inquiry Module 3.
Stephen is ranked for Civil Liberties & Human Rights, Police Law: Mainly Claimant, and Protest Law in Chambers & Partners 2024. He is also ranked for Court of Protection & Community Care in the Legal 500 2024.
Grace Brown (Year of Call: 1995)
Grace Brown is a public law practitioner with a particular focus on human rights, immigration and refugee law. She commenced practice in 1995, inspired by the desire to promote the rights of the underprivileged and disadvantaged, and quickly established herself as a well-respected and busy human rights and immigration barrister. She is instructed in a significant number of Windrush cases that are aimed at challenging the apparent and various inequities and failings of both the Windrush Scheme and the Windrush Compensation Scheme. Grace is ranked in Community Care, Immigration, and Public Law in the Legal 500 2024.
Grace is appointed to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's preferred Panel of Counsel. Grace was awarded the 2021 BSN Lawyer of the Year, in the Chambers category, at the UK Diversity Legal Awards, and is shortlisted for Advocate of the Year and Woman of the Year at the Women & Diversity in Law Awards 2024.
