Matrix Chambers
Hugh Southey
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Barrister Information
Barrister profile for UK Bar 2021
Chambers Review
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UK Bar
Police Law: Mainly Claimant - All Circuits
Band 1
Content
Specialises in judicial review challenging police action or inaction, including the disclosure of information or failure to investigate. He has taken on a number of cases scrutinising the role of the Northern Irish police during the Troubles.
Strengths: "He's sharp, responsive and always on top of his brief."
Recent work: Acted on behalf of the claimant in the McGuigan judicial review concerning PSNI's failure to investigate allegations that government ministers authorised the use of torture in Northern Ireland in the 1970s.
Administrative & Public Law - London (Bar)
Band 2
Content
Leads significant challenges to government policy, particularly in the areas of crime, extradition and immigration. He is especially proficient at challenging police conduct through judicial reviews. He also frequently handles public law claims concerning national security, immigration and asylum.
Strengths: "There is no lawyer in the UK who works harder. He is a top-quality barrister and extremely down to earth and direct, which makes clients and solicitors love him." "He is such a specialist in what he does - he picks up on nuances that others miss. He's logical in court, and it helps that he's from a solutions background and is not pretentious."
Recent work: Acted for Jamal Abdulkadir in a Supreme Court appeal arising from a challenge to the detention of asylum seekers facing removal based on EU rules governing asylum claims.
Civil Liberties & Human Rights - London (Bar)
Band 1
Content
A recognised expert in the fields of immigration, human rights and prison law, who demonstrates notable skill in cases concerning mental health, extradition and discrimination. He frequently represents clients before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. Further areas of expertise include TPIM, work before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission and Court of Protection matters.
Strengths: "A pleasure to work with and really smart, he's certainly first-class." "He goes absolutely above and beyond."
Recent work: Appeared on behalf of the appellant in R (on the application of Stott) v Secretary of State for Justice, which concerned the compatibility of extended sentences with the ECHR.
Immigration - London (Bar)
Band 1
Content
Exceedingly popular among top-flight solicitors, he specialises in immigration, human rights and asylum matters. His main areas of focus include nationality law and unlawful detention claims, and in particular immigration matters involving the application of EU law. His immigration practice is complemented by his broader prison law expertise.
Strengths: "He's brilliant; he is such a specialist in what he does, he's logical in court and he's fantastic with the clients." "He cuts through complex issues and gets straight to the point, is very easy to work with and has very persuasive writing."
Recent work: Acted for one of the respondents in the Supreme Court case of Hemmati, the culmination of a successful challenge to the unlawful detention of asylum seekers facing removal to other EU countries in which they had already claimed asylum, based on the Dublin III Regulation.
Barrister information
This content is provided by Hugh Southey QC
Practice Areas
Human rights, regulatory, immigration and asylum, mental health, media, international law, terrorism, prisoners' rights, police law, crime and extradition, contempt, election, privacy, community care and other public law. Twenty three Supreme Court cases. Recent significant cases include: R (Hemmati) v SSHD [2019] 3 WLR 1156; R (P) v SSHD [2020] AC 185; R(Stott) v SSJ [2018] 3 WLR 1831; Rhuppiah v SSHD [2018] 1 WLR 5536; R (AR) v Chief Constable GMP [2018] 1 WLR 4079; N v ACCG [2017] AC 549; R (Johnson) v Secretary of State [2017] AC 365.
Career
Admitted as a solicitor in 1991. Headed the Immigration and Crime Departments at Glazer Delmar. EHRC A list. Deputy High Court Judge. Recorder of the Crown Court. Called in Northern Ireland. Has also litigated in US, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Cayman Islands.
Professional Memberships
Administrative Law Bar Association, Association of Prison Lawyers, Immigration Law Practitioners Association, Mental Health Lawyers Association, Human Rights Lawyers Association, Legal Action, Liberty, Justice.
Publications
Judicial Review: A Practical Guide (3rd Edition: With Amanda Weston, Jude Bunting and Raj Desai) and United Kingdom Human Rights Reports (Editor: 1998 – 2011).
Hugh Southey
Matrix Chambers
10 YEARS RANKED 
Griffin Building
Gray's Inn
London
Greater London
UK
WC1R 5LN
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