Department profile
Garden Court Chambers

Administrative & Public Law

UK Bar Guide 2026 : London (Bar)

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Garden Court Chambers

Rankings

Chambers Review

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Administrative & Public Law - London (Bar)

Band 4

What the Team is Known For

Garden Court Chambers' well-known expertise in areas such as immigration and civil liberties is grounded in a firm command of public law principles and judicial review. Its capability in this area is strongly geared towards safeguarding the rights of vulnerable groups and individuals, by challenging policies of the Home Office and other government departments. One solicitor praises the "excellent quality of the barristers" whose "passion and enthusiasm is always at the forefront". Members of this set have appeared in numerous high-profile immigration and trafficking cases, including challenges to asylum seekers' accommodation and challenging the Home Office's policy on victims of human trafficking and slavery. The barristers possess notable experience covering policy on human trafficking, mental health and criminal justice.

Colin Cook leads the clerking.

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Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • The clerks are always fantastic - very good at responding and really friendly. Sumaya Gilmore is a standout.

    Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

  • The support staff are really incredible. Tim Hempsted is so prompt and his emails are second to none.

    Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

  • It is a fantastic team of clerks: Lisa O'Leary is absolutely fantastic. Helen-Louise D'Agostino and Harriet Massie are extremely helpful.

    Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

  • The clerks at Garden Court are excellent - always efficient, approachable and very helpful. They stand out when compared to other chambers.

    Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

  • Calum Gordon is really helpful and Gavin John is very approachable and very responsive.

    Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Amanda Weston
    Amanda Weston

    Amanda Weston

    Amanda Weston KC operates an excellent public law practice with a strong emphasis on advocating for the rights of minorities and vulnerable people. She is experienced in cases relating to immigration and asylum, education and equality law.

    • Amanda is a complete brainbox. She is very intellectually gifted and understands really complex concepts very quickly.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Amanda is formidable. She doesn't mince her words and doesn't take any prisoners.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Amanda is a trailblazer and has a unique ability to see how the law intersects.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar
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  • Stephanie Harrison
    Stephanie Harrison

    Stephanie Harrison

    Stephanie Harrison KC is a strong choice for public law challenges involving immigration, asylum and human rights, including major challenges to immigration detention and the use of medical evidence in asylum claims. Another area of expertise is public law claims concerning protest rights.

    • Stephanie has an incredibly sharp mind and a great eye for strategic cases.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Stephanie knows her area of law astonishingly well and she employs it to the client's advantage. She speaks eloquently and profoundly and skilfully navigates thorny issues in her oral submissions.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Stephanie Harrison is erudite and innovative with finding ways to ensure her clients achieve redress. Her specialism in detention-related matters makes her a force to be reckoned with.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Stephanie is a force of nature. She is incredibly focused on the client in an exceptional way; she has a real gift for humanising the clients. Her commitment comes through with her advocacy.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Stephanie is fantastically clever, with deep subject matter expertise and a clear sense of which arguments would and wouldn't land with the judge.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar
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  • Ollie Persey
    Ollie Persey

    Ollie Persey

    Ollie Persey has a broad-ranging claimant public law practice. He has strong experience in a variety of challenges based on human rights claims, including those concerning eligibility for legal aid. Recently, he has been active in cases involving education.

    • Ollie is so friendly, very down to earth and doesn't hesitate to answer any questions. He comes up with very quick solutions and has fantastic drafting abilities.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Ollie is the best junior barrister I have worked with. I have been beyond impressed with his legal expertise, his attention to detail, his commercial awareness and the care he shows towards clients.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Ollie is a very promising junior who is extremely dedicated to improving educational experiences and outcomes for children and young people.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Ollie is very skilled at working with different clients. He ensures opinions are taken on board and thinks strategically how to get the best outcome for clients.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Ollie is peerless in terms of his call level, and his impact on cases is unique.

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  • Raza Halim
    Raza Halim

    Raza Halim

    Raza Halim is noted for his considerable expertise in public law. He specialises in the crossover between public law, immigration and human rights and is often involved in high-stakes claims relating to deprivation of liberty and victims of trafficking.

    • Raza looks at things through different angles.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Raza has a razor-sharp and forensic mind. He is a powerful advocate with stellar judgement. He is a definitive silk in the making.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Raza is very knowledgeable. He grappled with the case quickly and his advocacy was flawless.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Raza is an impressive junior with excellent drafting skills. He is very hard-working and willing to go the extra mile.

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  • Sonali Naik
    Sonali Naik

    Sonali Naik

    Sonali Naik KC leverages her enviable expertise in immigration law to handle judicial reviews and statutory appeals of central government decision-making and wider policy. She has a strong track record in matters involving detention and deportation as well as the rights of trafficking victims and asylum seekers.

    • Sonali is fearless and creative, with a brilliant mind and superb instinct and judgement. She is a true warrior for justice who will speak powerfully and persuasively for those without a voice.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Sonali is a firm and clear advocate.

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  • Ali Bandegani
    Ali Bandegani

    Ali Bandegani

    Ali Bandegani represents vulnerable claimants in asylum and trafficking challenges. He has made recent appearances in the Supreme Court and the ECtHR.

    • Ali is excellent on complex public law challenges.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Ali is an expert in public law. He always drills into the law and facts to discover the winning point, even in the most difficult and complex cases. He knows how to win and is an excellent advocate.

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  • Adrian Berry
    Adrian Berry

    Adrian Berry

    Adrian Berry KC is a highly regarded silk who regularly works on the most complex immigration matters. He works on both individual appeals from the Immigration Tribunal and large-scale judicial reviews challenging government policy, such as recent work on Windrush-related cases.

    • He has an encyclopedic knowledge of immigration.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Adrian is an absolute pleasure to work with, and his expertise in nationality issues is matched by none.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar

    • Adrian Berry is exceptional. He is a joy to speak with, with the uncanny ability to explain extremely complicated knots of law in a way that is much easier to understand.

      Administrative & Public Law respondentUK Bar
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Ranked Barristers at Garden Court Chambers (7)

London (Bar)

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