Northern Circuit
Garden Court North Chambers has an administrative law and human rights practice notable for the breadth and depth of its skills and experience, with specialties in human rights elements of large public inquiries, representing children and vulnerable individuals, and in EU, immigration and asylum law. Pete Weatherby KC is a highly experienced public and human rights law specialist, and Anna Morris KC leads in cases regarding the civil obligations of local authorities and has been recently instructed in an inquiry into individuals impacted by the Covid-19 vaccine. The set also has a remarkable depth of juniors: Tom Royston appears regularly in a range of courts – with a track record of work in appellate work – regarding social security appeals.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Profile
Work Department
Court of Protection
Public Law
Public Law
Position
Tom Royston specialises in immigration, housing, mental capacity and social security law.
He won a Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year award in 2017, was shortlisted as The Legal 500 Regional Junior of the Year in 2019, and as The Legal 500 Public Law Junior of the Year, and Chambers UK Bar Award Human Rights and Public Law – Junior in 2023. Tom was a Times Lawyer of the Week in 2020, and has been listed for some years in Band 1 of both Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500.
He has appeared eight times in the UK Supreme Court, and has experience of international litigation in the CJEU and ECSR. Most of his work is in tribunals, the county court and the Administrative Court.
Tom is often instructed in test cases about systemic problems with how the state treats individuals.
Career
Before coming to the Bar in 2012, Tom worked with the Citizens Advice Bureau.
As a barrister he has particular expertise with unlawful eviction, capacity issues, and cases raising disability discrimination defences and counterclaims. He deals with a mixture of judicial review and statutory appeals.
Languages
English
Memberships
- Tom sits on the Bar Council’s Civil (Public) Panel.
Education
MA (Cantab);
GDL (Distinction);
BPTC (Outstanding)
Content supplied by Garden Court North Chambers
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The set as a whole are incredible and are passionate about defending human rights.'
- 'Garden Court North is a niche set of Human Rights Lawyers who will all fight for the rights of their clients. They are able to offer a service for whatever legal issue is at hand and can readily offer alternatives with equal seniority or skill set.'
- 'A very strong chambers for inquests, civil actions against public authorities and related work - one of our go-to chambers in this area.'
- 'One of the top human rights chambers in the country.'
- 'Clerks are welcoming, supportive and very capable. They consistently go the extra mile.'
- 'Always efficient and helpful'