Local Government and Public Law
Local Government Law
We act for many local authorities, including the Greater London Authority and most London boroughs, as well as public bodies such as Passenger Transport Executives and Waste Disposal Authorities in relation to powers, finance, procurement, planning, traffic control, local authority contracts, waste and employment.
Our advisory work covers issues such as the rights of access to information held by public bodies under the Local Government Acts and Freedom of Information Act, and advising local government in relation to the regulation of their finances by central government, particularly with regard to capital controls.
Public and Administrative Law
Since the “Fare’s Fair” litigation in the early 1980s Chambers has a well-established reputation in all aspects of public and administrative law and in many other areas of work relevant to central government, local authorities and other statutory bodies, such as property, planning, highways, compulsory purchase, transport, telecommunications, finance and audit, environmental, education, social services, employment and pensions.
We act for central government departments, devolved institutions, local authorities and other public and statutory bodies, dealing with judicial review and other matters, both contentious and non–contentious. Advisory work particularly focuses on budgetary and financial matters and the extent of the powers of public bodies in a range of contexts.
Members regularly advise central government through their positions as Junior Counsel to the Crown and Junior Counsel to the Welsh Assembly Government’s Public Law panel.
Members have worked on a number of high-profile public inquiry cases, including the Clapham, Southall and Ladbroke Grove rail inquiries, and the Marchioness and Herald of Free Enterprise maritime inquires in addition to the Shipman Inquiry and the E-Coli Inquiry.
Public Sector
Our Public Law Group covers five key practice areas: judicial review, public procurement, local government, European law and professional discipline.
We have been providing advice and representation to the public sector for many years. The list of clients is long and prestigious: Central Government, the Welsh Assembly Government, most London Boroughs and local authorities nationwide, NHS Trusts, Police and Fire Authorities, Local Authority companies and consortia, Network Rail, registered social landlords, General Medical Council and many other medical and non-medical professional bodies.
We also represent those wishing to challenge decision makers (e.g. commercial enterprises aggrieved at public procurement decisions).
We have expertise in the areas of transport, education, employment, local authority finance, FOI/DPA, highways, emergency services and civil contingency, flood defence, the Olympics, outsourcing, TUPE and Coroners.
We have been in many of the leading cases, most recently the LAML judicial review (which considered the core ‘best value’ powers of local authorities).
We have also appeared in some of the leading professional discipline cases over the last decade including the case of Professor Sir Roy Meadow.
Professor Alan Dashwood CBE QC leads our European team which has appeared in cases such as Palacios de la Villa (compulsory retirement ages) and we regularly work with European specialists from McDermott, Will & Emery in Brussels (where our junior barristers spend a period of secondment).
In addition to Professor Dashwood who regularly represents the UK Government before the ECJ, we have 6 Treasury Counsel and 2 Counsel to the Welsh Assembly Government in Chambers.
