James Maurici KC > Chambers of David Holland KC and Jenny Wigley KC > London, England > Barrister Profile

James was a member of the Attorney-General’s London Panels of Junior Counsel to the Crown from 1999-2013. He  also served on the Welsh Assembly Government’s Junior Counsel Panel from 2009 to 2013.

Planning: James’ planning practice encompasses all aspects of planning including: advisory, advocacy at inquiries and hearings and advocacy in the Higher Courts. He has considerable experience of Development Plan examination hearings. His practice also encompasses compulsory purchase and compensation, harbours, highways, rights of way, commons registration and village greens (both inquiries and in the Higher Courts). His recent cases high-profile include:

• Compton Parish Council & Others v Guildford BC [2019] EWHC 3242 (Admin);
• R (Spurrier) v Secretary of State for Transport and others [2019] EWHC 1070 (Admin) and R (Plan B) v Secretary of State for Transport [2020] EWCA Civ 214 multiple judicial review challenges to the Airports NPS favouring Heathrow expansion and raising issues related to SEA, air quality, climate change, bias, reasons and habitats;
• R (Shirley) v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government  [2019] 2 C.M.L.R. 14 on the interpretation of the air quality directive;
• R (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) v Secretary of State for Justice [2017] 5 Costs L.O. 691 on the challenge to the revised Aarhus costs rules;

Environment: James’ environmental law practice is wide-ranging, covering matters such as habitats and species protection, contaminated land, air quality, waste, access to environmental information, statutory and common law nuisance and all aspects of environment impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment and environmental permitting. He has considerable expertise on climate change issues, and especially emissions trading: see below. He has also been involved in a number of cases concerning marine environmental issues: see below. He regularly advises and is involved in cases concerning access to environmental information. He has also appeared a number of times before the UNECE Aarhus Compliance Committee in Geneva. He has made many appearances before the Court of Justice of the European Union and the General Court of the European Union (formerly the European Court of First Instance) in environmental cases.

Public law: His public law practice is very wide ranging and has included housing (see e.g. Yemshaw v Hounslow LBC [2011] 1 W.L.R. 433), social security (including national insurance) (see e.g. Zalewska v Department for Social Development [2008] UKHL 67), tax matters, education (James was a governor at two state primary schools for 13 years in total and a Chair of Governors for 5 years), regulatory, local government including local government finance (see e.g. R (Cheshire East BC) v Secretary of State for the Environment Queen’s Bench [2011] EWHC 1975 (Admin)); and all aspects of human rights law. He has appeared in a number of high-profile public law cases including:

• R (Sharon Shoesmith) v Ofsted and Others [2011] P.T.S.R. 1459;
• R (Bradley and others) v Secretary of State for Work & Pensions [2009] Q.B. 114;
• Ken Livingstone v Adjudication Panel for England [2006] H.R.L.R. 45;
• R v. Bow Street Magistrate, ex p. Pinochet Ugarte (No. 2) [2000] 1 A.C. 119 and;
• the Alconbury litigation [2003] 2 A.C. 295.

James has advised and acted on a number of cases involving the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman the Local Government Ombudsman and the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales.

European: He has regularly appeared in the Court of Justice of the European Union and the General Court of the European Union (formerly the European Court of First Instance) on environmental matters. Cases include:

• Case C-71-14 East Sussex County Council v Information Commissioner [2016] P.T.S.R. 179 (property searches and the Environmental Information Directive);
• Case C 279/12 Fish Legal & Emily Shirley v The Information Commissioner, United Utilities, Yorkshire Water and Southern Water[2014] 2 W.L.R. 568 (the meaning of public authority under the Environmental Information Directive);
• Case C-43/12 Commission v European Parliament and Council (cross-border exchange of on road safety related traffic offences);
• Case C 530/11 Commission v United Kingdom and Case C-260/11 Edwards v Environment Agency (costs and environmental judicial reviews);
• Case C-567/10 Inter-Environnement Bruxelles ASBL, (strategic environmental assessment) 22/3/2012;
• Case C-504/09 P Commission v Poland (EU Emissions Trading) 29/03/2012;
• Case C-474/10 Seaport (NI) Ltd, Magherafelt District Council and Others v Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland (strategic environmental assessment) 20/10/2011 and;
• Case T-369/07 Latvia v Commission (EU Emissions Trading) 22/03/2011.

International: In addition to his extensive European Court practice (see above) James has made several appearances before the UNECE Aarhus Compliance Committee in Geneva. He has acted in cases going to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. His international practice also includes cases in the Isle of Man (including before the Staff of Government see e.g. Penfolds v The Treasury).

James works for a wide range of public sector clients, private clients and public interest groups.