Mr James Strachan KC > Chambers of Charlie Cory-Wright KC and Richard Harwood KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
39 Essex Chambers Offices
39 Essex Chambers
81 CHANCERY LANE
LONDON
WC2A 1DD
England
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Mr James Strachan KC
Position
Areas of practice include: public and administrative; planning and environment; commercial; financial services; local government; civil liberties and human rights; privacy and freedom of information. Notable recent cases include: Orabator v HMP Holloway [2010] EWHC 58 (repatriation of foreign prisoners); R (Smith) v Land Registry [2010] EWCA Civ 2000 (adverse possession of highways); R (U) v SIAC [2010] EWHC 813 (bail in SIAC); R (KB) v Secretary of State for Justice [2010] EWHC 15 (prisons and YOI); Guildford BC v Sec of State for Communities [2009] EWHC 3531 (greenbelt extensions); MetroConstruction v LB Barnet [2009] EWHC 2956 (conservation area designations); Brown v Carlisle City Council [2009] EWHC 2519 (EIA); S & Marper v UK [2008] ECHR 1581, ECtHR (retention of fingerprints and DNA);Capel Parish Council v Surrey County Council [2009] EWHC 350 (EU Waste Directive and waste incinerator); Home Secretary v AR [2008] EWHC 3164 (Prevention of Terrorism Act Control Order); WK v Home Secretary and A v Croydon [2009] EWHC (age assessments); Heffernan v Rent Service [2008] UKHL 58, [2008] 1 WLR 1702 (locality for housing benefit); South Cambridgeshire v First Secretary of State [2008] EWCA Civ 1010 (greenbelt and travellers); Jeffery v First Secretary of State [2007] EWCA Civ 584 (discontinuance orders); West Midlands International Airportv Secretary of State for Communities and LocalGovernment [2008] EWHC 2309 (airport expansion); Heather Moor & Edgecomb v Financial Ombudsman Service [2008] EWCA Civ 642 (ombudsmanand human rights); Burney v Burns Anderson [2007] 4 All ER 246 (ombudsman and pensions); R v London Borough of Bromley ex p Barker [2007] 1 AC 470, HL & ECJ (environmental impact assessments); R(IFG) v Financial Ombudsman Service [2005] EWHC 1153 (powers of ombudsman); R(X) v Chief Constable of West Midlands Police [2004] EWCA Civ 1068 (criminal record disclosure); A v West Yorkshire Police [2004] UKHL 21, [2004] 2 WLR 1209; Goodwin v UK [2002] 35 EHRR 18 (rights of transsexuals and Article 14); R (Adriano) v Surrey County Council [2003] Env LR 24 (incinerator permission); Evans v First Secretary of State [2004] Env LR 1523 (striking out of s288 proceedings); Associated Newspapers, News International, Guardian, Telegraph and BBC v Home Secretary, AD and LL (anonymity in control orders) [2005] EWHC Admin.
Career
Called 1996, Middle Temple; QC 2013; General’s ‘A’ Panel of Treasury Council 2008 (following B Panel 2004-08 and C Panel 2000-04) and to Welsh Assembly Government Panel of Counsel. Publications include ‘Crown Proceedings’ Atkins Court Forms Vol 13 (2008); ‘The Right to Privacy’ Your Rights (Liberty 2008); ‘The Right to Privacy in English Law’ [2002] EHRLR 129; ‘Privacy Postponed’ [2003] EHRLR Special Issue; ‘Magistrates’ in Human Rights and Judicial Review (Butterworths 2001).
Memberships
COMBAR; PEBA; ALBA.
Education
Oxon (MA); College of Law (Diploma of Law, Commendation); BVC (outstanding) 1995 Harmsworth Major Entrance Exhibition (Middle Temple).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Environment
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2James Strachan KC – 39 Essex Chambers ‘James is a very impressive silk, thoughtful and smooth in his presentation. He can disarm even the most hostile judge.’
London Bar > Administrative law and human rights
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4James Strachan KC –39 Essex Chambers ‘James is a very impressive silk. Thoughtful and smooth in his presentation, he can disarm even the most hostile judge.‘
London Bar > Financial services regulation
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2London Bar > Planning
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 139 Essex Chambers is a ‘premier set‘ for planning matters, demonstrating a ‘variety of seniority and a breadth of knowledge‘. Its members display ‘real strength in depth across the board‘, advising on rural development, urban regeneration, housing development and community infrastructure, as well as attending local plan examinations and appearing at both large and small-scale planning inquiries. The set has broad expertise across the transport sector from roads, airports and seaports to railways, tramways and bus ways, and various members, including Richard Wald KC, James Strachan KC and Jonathan Darby continue to be involved in the HS2 railway project. Strachan KC is also acting for Luton Airport on its expansion, leading Victoria Hutton, and with John Steel KC representing Luton Borough Council. Richard Harwood OBE KC appeared in the Supreme Court, acting in Swindon BC v SSHCLG, a leading case on the meaning of highway, the scope of planning conditions and the interpretation of a planning permission. Christiaan Zwart successfully promoted the development of The Brick Veil Mosque in Preston over a two week inquiry; the application for planning permission was called-in by the Secretary of State as it raised National Policy, listed building and neighbourhood plan issues.
London Bar > Energy
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4James Strachan KC –39 Essex Chambers ‘James is the full package as a barrister: brilliant on the law, vigorous on the details, clear on paper and awe-inspiring in court.’