Pete Weatherby KC > Garden Court North Chambers > Manchester, England > Barrister Profile
Garden Court North Chambers Offices
3RD FLOOR, BLACKFRIARS HOUSE,PARSONAGE
MANCHESTER
M3 2JA
England
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Pete Weatherby KC
Work Department
Criminal defence and appeals
Inquests and public inquiries
International law
Prison law
Public law (judicial review)
Position
Pete is a human rights barrister who practices domestically in public inquiries, inquests, criminal, public, prison and police law.
He is a both a trial and appellate lawyer.
Pete has appeared at all domestic court levels and before the European Court of Human Rights, including the Grand Chamber. He specialises in cases involving miscarriages of justice, freedom of expression, extradition and ‘terrorism’, and he has a particular expertise in statutory interpretation.
Pete led the team representing 22 of the bereaved Hillsborough families at the new inquests, and continues to act for them in a number of matters, including their campaign to get the Public Authorities (Accountability) Bill 2017 (‘Hillsborough Law’) enacted. He was one of the drafters of the Bill which seeks to provide a lasting legacy and prevent what happened to the families happening to others.
Since the conclusion of the Hillsborough inquests, Pete has appeared for the partner of Anthony Grainger at the Public Inquiry into his death (a police shooting), and represented 80 of the victims of the Grenfell disaster during phase one of the Inquiry, and more recently he appeared for bereaved victims of the Manchester Arena bombing outrage at the inquests.
He currently leads the team representing the Covid Bereaved Families for Justice group in the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
Career
Pete was founding member of Garden Court North Chambers and, although he has always practised from Manchester, he is also a door tenant at Garden Court. Pete is a member of the Executive of the Bar Human Rights Committee.
Languages
English
Memberships
- Member of the Executive of the Bar Human Rights Committee;
- Liberty; and
- Inquest Lawyers Group.
Education
BSc (Hons)
Lawyer Rankings
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Administrative and public law (including civil liberties and human rights)
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Claimant set Garden Court North Chambers ‘is very dedicated to social justice’ and its members handle a wide variety of public law cases concerning human rights, immigration and asylum, inquests and public inquiries, housing, discrimination, community care, prison law and social welfare. The barristers also regularly represent vulnerable individuals and community groups. Public law specialist Pete Weatherby KC represented the family of Yousef Makki during the inquest into his death and the subsequent judicial review regarding the failure of the coroner to reach a proper conclusion. Tom Royston has a nationally notable practice in litigation concerning benefits payments, and he successfully argued in AM v SSWP that an individual should be able to seek to obtain backdated Universal Credit at any time, rather than only at the time of their first application. Anna Morris KC was appointed to silk in the 2023 round.
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Crime (general and fraud)
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Pete Weatherby KC – Garden Court North Chambers ‘Pete has an imaginative intelligence which he uses to explore the legal landscape. It is not that he pushes boundaries, he sets where they are. His advocacy style is thoughtful and forthright.’
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Inquests and inquiries
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Pete Weatherby KC – Garden Court North Chambers ‘Pete is fearless in his pursuit of the truth for his clients. He is extremely clear sighted in how to put his case, and he identifies key issues and ensures that they are pursued through the examination of witnesses and legal submissions; Pete is the go-to advocate for any bereaved family in an inquest or inquiry.’