Irwin Mitchell

Human Rights and Public Law

I’m a partner in our Public Law and Human Rights team, based in London. I work alongside a brilliant group of specialist lawyers who really care about the people we represent. My work focuses on children’s rights, community care, public law and Court of Protection (health and welfare) cases.

I’ve been supporting both individuals and organisations in judicial review claims for over two decades now. My work often means standing up to decisions made by local authorities or central government, whether that’s challenging unfair policies or cuts to essential services, and making sure people’s rights are properly respected.

I take the time to get to know my clients and understand the difficulties they’re facing. I approach each case with empathy and a genuine concern for getting the best result possible for their individual situation. Decisions taken out of an individual’s hands can have a deep impact and feel incredibly frightening and unfair. I never lose sight of this, no matter what the circumstances.

A big part of what I do is centred around children’s rights. I regularly act for children bringing judicial reviews under the Children Act 1989, helping them have their voices heard when decisions about their lives are taken out of their hands. I’ve also worked on a range of wider human rights issues, representing both children and adults where their fundamental rights are at risk.

I also spend a lot of time representing vulnerable adults in the Court of Protection, including section 16 and 21A cases, and bringing public law challenges when public bodies aren’t meeting their responsibilities. That might involve securing the support someone needs to live safely and with dignity, and in some cases pursuing damages where things have gone wrong.

What keeps me grounded in all of this is the human side. Every now and then, a former client gets back in touch to say how they’re doing, and those moments mean everything to me. Seeing how the right legal support at the right time can genuinely change someone’s life is incredibly powerful, and it’s a big part of why I do this work.

I am a partner in the public law and human rights department, working with a team of specialist public lawyers. I specialise in children’s rights, community care, public law and court of protection (health and welfare).

I have nearly twenty years’ experience representing organisations and individuals in judicial review proceedings, challenging decisions of both local and central government, including policy decisions and cuts to services.

I have a particular interest in children’s rights, which mainly consists of representing children in bringing judicial review proceedings under the Children Act 1989, but I have also represented children (and adults) on a number of human rights issues.

I also represent vulnerable adults in the court of protection in s16 and s21A proceedings, and bring public law challenges against public bodies to ensure that they are receiving the services that they need. This includes damages claims.

Significant recent cases include:

• WB & W v SSJ [2014] on the impact of a baby separated from it’s mother in prison.
• C v Walsall MBC [2017], challenging a child’s inclusion on the child protection register.
• Article 39 v DFE on the challenge of a Department for Education ’Myth Busting’ guide on looked after children and care leavers.
• Poole LBC v GN [2019] UKSC 25, acting pro bono for two intervening charities on the impact of the issues before the court on looked after children and care leavers.