Martin Westgate KC KC > Doughty Street Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile
Doughty Street Chambers Offices
53-54 DOUGHTY STREET
LONDON
WC1N 2LS
England
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Martin Westgate KC KC
Work Department
Position
Martin Westgate has a consistent track record of advice and representation in a wide range of subject areas although he concentrates on public and administrative law, housing and social care. Much of his work is in, and on appeal from, the Administrative Court and he is experienced in professional negligence and costs litigation, particularly in cases related to his main practice areas. His broad based practice makes him an ideal choice for cases that have a multidisciplinary aspect or that are difficult to categorise.
Martin is ranked in the 2015 edition of Chambers in the fields of Administrative and Public Law, Civil Liberties and Human Rights, Local Government and Social Housing and in the Legal 500 for Administrative and Public Law Civil Liberties and Social Housing. Commentators note that he “has taken well to silk” and is “a clever man who translates his thoughtfulness into creative and effective legal arguments”. He is described as a “very skilful and formidable advocate” whose wider experience of public law issues enables him to “think out of the box on more challenging cases”.
He is leader of the public law and housing and social welfare teams within chambers and vice chair of the Administrative Law Bar Association.
His record since taking silk in 2010 continues to demonstrate his range and versatility. He has appeared in a number of leading cases (see below) at all levels up to and including the Supreme Court.
Martin is qualified to undertake direct access work. He has been trained as a mediator with CEDR and undertakes and represents in mediations.
Career
Called 1985; Middle Temple; Year of Silk: 2010.
Memberships
Administrative Law Bar Association
Housing Law Practitioners Association
Education
Oxford (1984 BA Jurisprudence).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Court of Protection and community care
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3London Bar > Social housing
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Martin Westgate KC –Doughty Street Chambers ‘His legal knowledge is excellent, and his advice is high quality.’
Doughty Street Chambers is ‘a leading housing law set with great breadth and depth‘ and a ‘very talented‘ team. Martin Westgate KC and Daniel Clarke represented the applicant in Kaye v Lees, a High Court case involving the first application of the provisions of the Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space Moratorium and Mental Health Crisis Moratorium) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020, which allows a moratorium to be granted when a person is undergoing treatment for a mental health crisis. The case involved a creditor’s application for the cancellation of a mental health crisis moratorium (MHCM), or alternatively to enforce a debt despite the MHCM; the High Court dismissed the application. In 2023 Ben Chataway was appointed as a District Judge, and Matthew Lee joined the team from Lamb Building.
London Bar > Administrative law and human rights
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3Martin Westgate KC –Doughty Street Chambers ‘A great communicator, with an amazing ability to explain difficult legal principles in clear terms.’