Set Profile > Doughty Street Chambers > Bristol , South West

Inquests and inquiries Tier 1

Considered 'one of the very best' Doughty Street Chambers is an 'excellent set for inquest work', acting on behalf of bereaved families in cases including  deaths in clinical and custody settings such as immigration detention, secure hospitals and prison. As an example, Alison Gerry acted at an inquest on behalf of the sister of Kirsty Walker, a prisoner at Sodexo-run HMP Bronzefield who after engaging in over two hundred acts of self harm took her own life in the prison. Heather Williams QC represents the families of three of the deceased in the resumed inquests into the 1974 Birmingham Pub Bombings, which killed 21 and led to six men ("The Birmingham Six") being wrongfully convicted. Members are involved in all the major ongoing public inquiries, with Henrietta Hill QC acting as deputy counsel to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

International crime and extradition Tier 1

Doughty Street Chambers 'has a strong team dealing with extradition and at all levels of seniority', according to clients, and is also well known for acting in prominent international criminal cases. In a major instruction, Edward Fitzgerald QC, Tim Moloney QC, Peter Caldwell, and Graeme Hall successfully defended Arti Dhir and Kaval Raijada against an extradition request made by the government of India, on the grounds that the extradition would breach Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights; the defendants were requested for alleged conspiracy to murder a child.

Social housing Tier 1

Doughty Street Chambers garners praise from instructing law firms, who note that it 'provides excellent service and has a number of standout barristers'. Its reputation as one of the leading sets for social housing (notably on the tenant side) is underpinned by its consistent involvement in many of the leading decisions in this area, as well as cases involving novel legal issues. Martin Westgate QC and Dominic Preston acted for Abdelrahim Alibkhiet at the Supreme Court in Alibkhiet v Brent LBC, which concerns a challenge to the local authority's procurement and allocations policy in relation to the provision of temporary accommodation. The matter is now pending before the Supreme Court. Also notable is that Westgate QC and others represented the non-governmental organisation Liberty as an intervening party in Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants v Secretary of State for the Home Department; Goloshvili v Secretary of State for the Home Department. These are two linked, systemic challenges to the government's 'Right to Rent' scheme.

Civil liberties and human rights (including actions against the police) Tier 2

Doughty Street Chambers is known for its 'excellence in bringing claims against the police and in the inquest field' and has vast expertise in immigration, extradition, and claims against the state. Recent instructions of note for members include Heather Williams QC representing clients in McGlone & Others v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police and Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, which concerns the role of the police in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster. She has also been instrumental in the Undercover Police Inquiry, undertaking considerable advisory work for the core participants which include Neville Lawrence and six victims of deceptive sexual relationships initiated by undercover officers. Edward Fitzgerald QC is acting for Maha El Gizouli, the mother of one of the 'IS Beatles', El Shafee Elsheikh, in her application for a judicial review into the Home Secretary's decision to cooperate with the US authorities and assurances that her son won't be subject to the death penalty. Others members of note include Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC, who acted for Just for Kids Law in a test case concerning the use of children as ‘covert human intelligence sources’ by the police in R (Just for Kids Law) v Secretary of State for the Home Department; Stephen Cragg QC who acted in Miah v Independent Police Complaint Commission challenging the use of illegal stops at Heathrow airport under the Terrorism Act 2010; and ‘standout junior’ Adam Wagner who acted for the Equality and Human Rights Commission in AB, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for Justice regarding the prolonged detention of a minor in solitary confinement.

Court of Protection and community care Tier 2

Doughty Street Chambers ‘is a formidable set with a depth of expertise’. This 'excellent' set's members handle the full array of community care and Court of Protection matters. In one example, Aswini Weereratne QC acted for MIND in Welsh Ministers v PJ. The case looked at whether it was lawful to deprive a patient of their liberty with a community treatment order under the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended).

Crime Tier 2

'One of the go-to sets for fighting cases against the state', Doughty Street Chambers has particular strengths in terrorism cases, criminal appeals, and cases where mental health issues are involved. Tim Moloney QC represented the first successful joint enterprise appellant after the Jogee Supreme Court case in 2016, and also represented the parents of Jack Letts (dubbed "Jihadi Jack" by the media), who received suspended sentences for sending money to their son; Letts had travelled to Syria to join the Islamic State group, which he subsequently left. Before trial, the matter went before the Supreme Court to consider if the test for mens rea in terrorism finance offences is objective or subjective. Rebecca Trowler QC represented autistic Islamist convert Lewis Ludlow, who was convicted of plotting a truck attack on Oxford Street. A number of the set's juniors handle terrorism work, unled, too: Liam Walker represented the reported leader of proscribed neo-Nazi group National Action, who was convicted of a plot to behead a Labour MP; in an entirely separate trial involving the same group, Piers Marquis represented the first of six defendants convicted of membership of the organisation. Walker also represented television personality Ant McPartlin in a drink-driving case. Paul Taylor QC represented one of two anonymised appellants in the R v AS Court of Appeal case concerning the sentencing of severely ill convicts.

Immigration (including business immigration) Tier 2

Doughty Street Chambers is a 'go-to set for immigration' with 'depth and breadth of experience'. As such, chambers undertakes a broad spectrum of immigration work from personal immigration, EU, family, student and nationality applications to business and commercial migration, as well as asylum and human rights-related immigration claims. In one represenative instruction, Laura Dubinsky was leading counsel for a high profile former ETA (Basque separatist) militant convicted of 22 murders who resisted his deportation to Spain.

Administrative and public law (including local government) Tier 3

Doughty Street Chambers handles various public law matters, frequently crossing over with its other areas of expertise where it acts for individuals against the state. Edward Fitzgerald QC represented a Grenadian revolutionary convicted of murder after the Grenadian Bar rejected his application to practice law due to a failure to meet its "good character" requirement. Among the juniors, Jude Bunting represented Michael Segalov, a left-wing commentator and Labour Party activist, in a challenge to Sussex Police's decision to refuse him accreditation to attend the 2017 Labour Party conference; in court proceedings it transpired that this was based on his reporting.

Fraud: crime Tier 3

Doughty Street Chambers houses 'a solid team of fraud practitioners'. Rupert Bowers QC is representing West Ham United in an ongoing investigation into alleged tax evasion regarding the transfer of football players, while Benjamin Newton successfully defended Barry Jefferd, an accountant who was acting as financial advisor to Armande Cohen, a former member of the French Resistance, against allegations of fraud by abuse of position and forgery.

Set overviews: England and Wales

The ‘top-class’ Doughty Street Chambers ‘tends to be involved in most high profile and/or legally significant cases’. It is ‘one of the best sets for civil liberties and criminal instructions’ and, with a ‘solid team’ of fraud practitioners, it is building itself ‘a strong reputation as a business-crime set’. Chambers also provides pro bono assistance in death penalty and constitutional/human rights cases in the Caribbean and other Commonwealth countries. ‘They have a big team of gifted advocates at all levels who can do the most serious trials as well as appeal work. They are the go-to set for fighting cases against the state.’ Overall, chambers is described as ‘excellent; from reception to senior management they have a real friendly, can-do attitude and a professional feel about how they conduct themselves that can be missing at other sets’. The set also ‘regularly hosts interesting legal events and see the bigger picture in trying to keep their solicitors happy’. The clerks are praised for resolving listing issues thanks to the maintenance of good relationships with both listing offices and other sets, which ‘allows for collaborative resolutions’. Senior practice manager (civil) Sian Wilkins is ‘excellent, friendly, and helpful’. ‘She suggests the right barrister for the work at hand and knows solicitors requirements without prompting.’ Matthew Butchard, senior practice manager (crime), is also a name to note. At practice manager level, Marc Gilby and Rebecca Gilchrist are ‘efficient and easy to deal’, while Callum Stebbing is ‘always very helpful and pleasant’ and Richard Vile ‘is extremely responsive, efficient, and friendly – just what you want from a clerk’. In recent news, general crime practitioner Karlia Lykourgou joined from 3 TEMPLE GARDENS; Adrian Waterman QC moved to Matrix Chambers; the set has moved its Manchester office to 3 Hardman Square in the business district of Spinningfields; and what seems to be becoming a trend at the Bar, after five years in chambers former business development director Marurice MacSweeney has joined Harbour Litigation Funding as a director; and in the clerking team, Georgia Pilbro joined Wilberforce Chambers . Offices in: London, Bristol, Manchester, and The Hague