Benjamin Hawkin > Chambers of Adrian Keeling KC and Jonathan Jones KC > Birmingham, England > Barrister Profile

Benjamin Hawkin

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Work Department

 Immigration & asylum; Public law & judicial review

Position

Ben practises in immigration & asylum, mental health, prison law and public law, with a particular emphasis on human rights issues. He has appeared at every level of the tribunal and court system, representing victims of human rights violations, leaders of political groups, high-ranking military officers, diplomats, terrorists, financiers and long term serving prisoners.

He is ranked as a Leading Junior in The UK Legal 500, which noted that “He wins near-impossible cases by identifying new arguments“ (2016) and has “specialist knowledge of a range of areas including asylum, deportation and entry clearance” (2015).

Ben has been involved in a number of groundbreaking cases in the Higher Courts, including R (Q and Others) v SSHD [2003] EWCA Civ 364 (challenging the controversial withholding of benefits from asylum seekers), R (Iran) and Others v SSHD [2005] EWCA Civ 982 (the leading case on material errors of law) and ZH (Tanzania) v SSHD [2011] UKSC 4 (the landmark Supreme Court ruling on the rights of children and British citizens).

He is also a member of Amicus, and took part in its work on the Kenny Richey case.

Career

Called to the Bar 1998

Memberships

• Administrative Law Bar Association

• Amicus: Assisting Lawyers for Justice on Death Row
• Bar Pro Bono Unit
• Extradition Lawyers Association
• Human Rights Lawyers Association

Education

• LL.B (Hons) London School of Economics (1994-97)
• Bar Vocational Course, Inns of Court School of Law (1997-98)