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.
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Work Department
Criminal defence and appeals
Inquests and public inquiries
International law
Prison law
Public law (judicial review)
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)
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'