JUNIOR PROFILE
Graham Denholm

Graham Denholm

UK Bar 2026

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Ranked in 3 practice areas

About

Provided by Doughty Street Chambers

Practice Areas

Immigration

Administrative & Public Law

Actions Against the Police and Public Authorities

Mediation

Immigration Detention Group

Anti-Trafficking

Data Protection and Information Law

Artificial Intelligence

Career

Graham has a broad practice in civil, public and immigration law, working at all levels of court as sole counsel, leading junior, or part of a team.

Graham’s civil work takes in High Court and County Court claims against public authorities, including the Home Office, the police, local authorities and NHS trusts. His public law practice has a grounding in migrants’ rights but extends across the full range of chambers’ work. He has a particular interest in privacy and data protection litigation involving public authorities, and in public and private law litigation relating to emerging technologies including artificial intelligence.

Graham has many years’ experience in immigration law acting at all levels from the First-tier and Upper Tribunals to the Supreme Court. He deals with private client matters as well as deportation, asylum and human rights appeals. His expertise in immigration detention is widely recognised, and he is happy to act in linked immigration and detention proceedings.

Graham is regularly instructed by the Official Solicitor on behalf of incapacitous claimants and has particular expertise in the management of damages awards in such cases.

Graham is a trained mediator and is committed to ADR as a means of securing positive outcomes for his clients in appropriate cases.

Professional Memberships

Constitutional & Administrative Law Bar Association

Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association

Society for Computers and Law

Member of the Bar Council's Law Reform Committee

Member of Middle Temple’s Talent Retention Working Group

Education

MA (Hons) English Language and Literature (First Class), University of Glasgow

M.Phil American Literature, University of Cambridge

PGDL, Nottingham Law School, 2000

BVC, Nottingham Law School, 2001

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

UK Bar

Immigration - London (Bar)

Band 1
Band 1

Individual Editorial

Graham Denholm is an experienced public law and immigration barrister with notable expertise in asylum and deportation matters, particularly cases involving vulnerable clients such as children and trafficking victims. He is a recognised immigration detention expert who is routinely called upon to act for clients in judicial review proceedings against the Home Office, including in cases before the Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal.

Civil Liberties & Human Rights - London (Bar)

Band 3
Band 3

Individual Editorial

Graham Denholm is particularly well known for his sterling work in the field of immigration. He routinely undertakes complex deportation and asylum cases and has specialist expertise in immigration detention. He frequently brings civil actions and judicial reviews against the Home Office, often involving complex false imprisonment claims.

Administrative & Public Law - London (Bar)

Band 4
Band 4

Individual Editorial

Graham Denholm chiefly counsels claimants in judicial reviews challenging decisions of the Home Secretary. He is well versed in cases concerning immigration detention, age assessments and asylum appeals.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • He is very punctual and organised. His expertise in false imprisonment is second to none.

    ImmigrationUK Bar
  • Graham is extremely intelligent, and is clear and calm when advising on the most complex issues.

    ImmigrationUK Bar
  • Graham is a standout, very experienced and very good.

    ImmigrationUK Bar
  • Graham is absolutely the best on civil claims and false imprisonment in an immigration context.

    Civil Liberties & Human RightsUK Bar
  • With Graham, you feel confident that no problem hasn't been thought of and no stone has been left unturned.

    Civil Liberties & Human RightsUK Bar
  • Graham is really good at anticipating the courtroom.

    Civil Liberties & Human RightsUK Bar

Ranked Barristers at Doughty Street Chambers (226)

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