Ranking tables

Administrative & Public Law | UK Bar

London (Bar)

The focus of this section is upon the highest-profile judicial reviews, typically concerning decisions of government ministers. Cases considered here have broad application in the public sphere.  

The section covers a wide range of public law issues, including human rights, immigration, criminal justice, welfare and public services, foreign policy, constitutional law, and the regulation of markets. 

Those with a specialist Planning practice are encouraged to submit to the separate Planning section. 

See also: Inquests & Public Inquiries; Local Government; Planning

Rankings overview for Sets

All Sets profiles

1
Band 1
  1. Blackstone Chambers
    1
    Blackstone Chambers
    Administrative & Public Law
    2024 | Band 1 | 20 Years Ranked
    Blackstone Chambers' pre-eminence in public law is demonstrated by its involvement in the most significant constitutional cases; the set also leads the field when it comes to commercial or human rights-focused judicial review. Recent highlights include multiple instructions in the blockbuster appeal concerning the government's Rwanda asylum policy, and a successful appearance on behalf of the UK government in a Supreme Court case concerning Holyrood's competence to hold a second Scottish independence referendum. Members act for a multitude of central government departments as well as regulators across various industries, including energy, financial services and telecommunications. Barristers from the set are also instructed by claimants and campaign groups. The set boasts numerous appearances in the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. One solicitor notes: "They are the best of the best. If you have a big, existential case that raises tricky bits of law, you need to at least consider Blackstone, because they are are excellent."
2
Band 2
  1. 11KBW
    2
    11KBW
    Administrative & Public Law
    2024 | Band 2 | 20 Years Ranked
    11KBW offers first-class representation of government departments and individual or business claimants in a plethora of public law actions. Clients of the chambers benefit from its specialist knowledge of areas including public procurement and data protection. Several members have been instructed on either side of major judicial review challenges concerning government decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notable recent highlights include a high-profile challenge to the Welsh Government’s COVID Pass Scheme, and judicial review proceedings challenging the use of WhatsApp and private email accounts to conduct government business.
  2. 39 Essex Chambers
    2
    39 Essex Chambers
    Administrative & Public Law
    2024 | Band 2 | 20 Years Ranked
    39 Essex Chambers is exceptionally well established across the full scope of public law work, and is notable equally for the volume of Administrative Court advocacy its barristers undertake, as for their appearances in the leading Supreme Court appeals. The set houses numerous counsel who are firm favourites of government departments and local authorities, and who additionally act for claimants and charities. Chambers continues to demonstrate a marked affinity for work involving the provision of health or social care. Barristers from the set have defended attempts to defeat the ban on assisted dying in the UK, and have been involved in Bell v Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, the key case on puberty blocker prescriptions.
  3. Doughty Street Chambers
    2
    Doughty Street Chambers
    Administrative & Public Law
    2024 | Band 2 | 20 Years Ranked
    Doughty Street Chambers can boast an extraordinary record of success in some of the most significant challenges to public policy and decisions on criminal justice, welfare provision, immigration and asylum. The public law specialist barristers act for individual claimants and human rights groups, appearing regularly in the Supreme Court. In recent months a number of the barristers have been instructed in the Rwanda asylum policy challenge and appeal, as well as several cases concerning the treatment of Afghan migrants to the UK following the Taliban's return to power.
  4. Landmark Chambers
    2
    Landmark Chambers
    Administrative & Public Law
    2024 | Band 2 | 20 Years Ranked
    Landmark Chambers excels in a notably broad selection of public law specialisms, including challenges to environmental, immigration and welfare policy. Barristers from the set are in demand to act for both claimants and central government defendants. Prominent judicial reviews affecting the workings of local authorities are an area of strength. As well as significant appearances in the Rwanda removals policy appeal, barristers from the set have recently acted successfully in the Supreme Court cases of R (Day) v Shropshire Council, and Jones v Birmingham City Council.
  5. Matrix Chambers
    2
    Matrix Chambers
    Administrative & Public Law
    2024 | Band 2 | 20 Years Ranked
    Matrix Chambers has an exceptional pedigree in public and human rights law. The set is well known and highly regarded for representing individual claimants and NGOs in judicial review, but members are also instructed by government departments. The barristers are extremely well versed in a broad array of issues including welfare provision, immigration, civil liberties and policing, criminal law and many others. A recent highlight saw Raza Husain KC lead a team which persuaded the European Court of Human Rights to intervene to halt the first flight carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda. Husain and others from the set additionally participated in the subsequent judicial review and appeal. Elsewhere, Phillippa Kaufmann KC was instructed by the claimant organisation in R (Good Law Project) v Prime Minister and Others, a challenge concerning the use of private communications devices to conduct government business. Chambers can offer strong capability for business claimants in regulatory judicial review.
3
Band 3
  1. Brick Court Chambers
    3
    Brick Court Chambers
    Administrative & Public Law
    2024 | Band 3 | 20 Years Ranked
    Brick Court Chambers is notable for its prominence at the cutting edge of multiple facets of public law. Many of the set's practitioners in this area benefit from market-leading expertise in commercial or competition law, which informs their handling of judicial reviews challenging decisions on business regulation. Brick Court is also home to barristers experienced in major human rights-related cases. Among other high-profile cases, the barristers have recently been involved in resisting a judicial review on behalf of London Metal Exchange, focused on the cancellation of nickel trading in the weeks following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
  2. Monckton Chambers
    3
    Monckton Chambers
    Administrative & Public Law
    2024 | Band 3 | 15 Years Ranked
    Monckton Chambers excels in both commercial and human rights-based public law work. The barristers represent individual claimants or interveners in challenges to policy involving immigration, social housing, criminal justice and related issues. Meanwhile, Chambers is regularly instructed by a range of government departments, including the Home Office, in key national security challenges involving surveillance and the use of data. The set also acts for businesses in competition and other regulatory matters. Recent mandates include acting for the Independent Monitoring Authority in a judicial review concerning EU citizens' rights in UK.
4
Band 4
  1. 1 Crown Office Row
    4
    1 Crown Office Row
    Administrative & Public Law
    2024 | Band 4 | 17 Years Ranked
    1 Crown Office Row is best known in the administrative law field for its barristers' deft handling of cases with national security elements, in the role of special advocate. This work sees them acting in prominent judicial reviews involving immigration law, criminal justice and counter-extremism. The set also possesses considerable public law expertise in various issues outside this niche, including healthcare provision and regulation, prisoners' rights, and the conduct of public inquiries. Members tend to act for the government in these cases.
  2. Garden Court Chambers
    4
    Garden Court Chambers
    Administrative & Public Law
    2024 | Band 4 | 15 Years Ranked
    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. Barristers from this set have appeared in numerous high-profile immigration-related cases, including Sonali Naik KC who was instructed in the major challenge to the Home Secretary's Rwanda removals policy. The barristers possess notable experience covering policy on human trafficking, mental health and criminal justice.