Antonia Benfield > Doughty Street Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile
Doughty Street Chambers Offices
53-54 DOUGHTY STREET
LONDON
WC1N 2LS
England
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Antonia Benfield
Work Department
Position
Antonia is an immigration and public law specialist with particular expertise in asylum, immigration, community care and trafficking claims.
Career
Year of Call: 2013
Antonia works across the fields of asylum, immigration and public law with a specialism in refugee, asylum law and children’s rights. Before joining the Bar, Antonia worked for NGOs including the Refugee Council, and has spent over 15 years working in support of refugee and migrant rights.
Antonia is regularly instructed in the First-Tier and Upper Tribunals, High Court and Court of Appeal on asylum and public law claims, with a particular focus on complex claims and those involving victims of torture and sexual violence. Combining her backgrounds in the NGO field, Antonia is highly regarded for her ability to engage with particularly vulnerable clients and her detailed knowledge of country conditions and asylum policy. She is especially well placed to undertake cross-cutting work in the fields of immigration, children’s rights and public law and works on complex country guidance cases and claims involving cessation/revocation of international protection.
Antonia is regularly instructed in public law challenges on behalf of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children whose age is disputed by the Home Office or local authorities, unlawful detention of putative children and asylum support challenges under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. In addition, she acts on behalf of adults and unaccompanied minors in the context of Dublin III challenges and challenges to trafficking decisions. Antonia acts in criminal deportation, human rights claims and EEA challenges and has extensive expertise in out-of-hours and urgent claims.
Antonia is currently appointed as Counsel to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse on the Children outside the UK (Phase 2) and Child Sexual Exploitation by Organised Networks investigations. She has been a member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Panel since 2019.
Memberships
Bar Human Rights Committee (BHRC)
Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA)
Human Rights Lawyers Association (HRLA)
European Society of International Law (ESIL)
The Frontline Club
Education
MA Social Anthropology of International Development, SOAS, 2006
BA History of Art and Archaeology (Asia and Africa), SOAS, 2004
Graduate Diploma in Law, University of Law, 2012
BPTC, University of Law, 2013
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Court of Protection and community care
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 4Antonia Benfield – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Antonia is a truly outstanding advocate. She is as sharp, knows her cases inside out, and is measured and compelling in submissions. She is flawless.’
London Bar > Immigration (including business immigration)
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 4Antonia Benfield –Doughty Street Chambers ‘Her advocacy and drafting skills are unmatched and she is always keen to make a real change with her work. She excels at working with vulnerable clients who are victims of torture, sexual violence, and other heinous crimes, and her passion for her work really shines through in her hard work and dedication to each and every case she works on.’