The Legal 500

This leading set offers specialist advice and representation across a wide range of civil and criminal law, with an emphasis on human rights and civil liberties for all, as well as protecting the individual against the interests of the state. Judicial review, employment, immigration and asylum, actions against the police, and crime and terrorism cases are among its areas of expertise.

The set: Tooks Chambers was founded in 1984 at the height of the miners’ strike and much of its early work involved defending miners wrongly accused of riot and affray. Now a large, modern and efficient chambers, Tooks has greatly expanded the scope of its activities, but is still driven by a desire to promote access to justice and representation without fear or favour, as well as expose injustice wherever it occurs. It also maintains its belief in the democratic importance of an independent Bar.

The set’s profile has always been unashamedly political. The cases involving the Orgreave miners, the Deptford/New Cross Fire, the Marchioness Disaster, the Lockerbie/Omagh/Dublin/Monaghan bombings, the Birmingham Six, the ABC Official Secrets case, the Bradford 12 and the Newham Seven against the National Front, the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, the Princess Diana and De Menezes inquests, Bloody Sunday, Fatmir Limaj, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo all involved members of Tooks. Members write and lecture extensively, contribute to legal journals and conferences, appear on radio and television, and are active in groups such as Amicus, Legal Action Group, Liberty, Justice, Redress, Rights of Women, The Civil Rights Movement, The Fawcett Society, Haldane Society, The Society of Black Lawyers and The Society of Labour Lawyers. 27 years on, Tooks’ fearless commitment to the most vulnerable and marginalised individuals and groups in society has never been stronger, with a diversity of expertise and ability in its members that equips the set to work effectively on their behalf. It is active in overseas matters, including human rights and crime, and clients include non-governmental organisations and United Nations bodies.

Types of work undertaken: Barristers at Tooks have played a leading role in many civil and criminal areas of law relating to rights of the individual. These include major miscarriage of justice cases that led to the creation of the Criminal Cases Review Commission. The set has a reputation for taking ground-breaking challenges on behalf of claimants in all areas of judicial review but particularly in cases raising civil liberties and human rights issues. Prison law, actions against the police and inquests are specialisms and criminal expertise ranges from murder and drug trafficking to money laundering and public order. Expertise is provided in education and children’s public law, employment matters, including all types of equality issues, unfair dismissal, redundancy and trade union rights, and transnational issues. Labour trafficking and rights of migrant workers are dealt with.

Other areas of expertise include extradition, children and family law, housing matters, and immigration and asylum, as well as terrorism, including acquittals in the 7/7 London bombing trials and an acquittal in the Glasgow airport and London car bomb plots. Members provide representation across the whole of the UK, the European courts and international courts in civil and criminal matters.

The future: Tooks and its members are committed to providing legal services to those in need and that commitment means adjusting to the new legal landscape following huge changes in legal aid, including its availability affecting access to justice. Direct Access will provide those who are in need of legal services with the ability to seek advice and representation directly from members of chambers and this is part of the changing face of legal services.