Wales and Chester Circuit
30 Park Place Chambers is ‘able to handle almost any matter irrespective of the complexity or nature of the case involved’, and have a highly experienced and specialised administrative law team that is regularly instructed by the Welsh government and other large administrative bodies on complex human rights matters. ’Very responsive and excellent to deal with’, Christian Howells is an experienced public law practitioners who has led on some of the most prominent recent judicial reviews across Wales, with a workload spanning two precedent-setting cases concerning the application of the new Quality Duty on NHS Wales and the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018. Rebecca Harrington has advised a number of health boards on cases concerning powers and duties concerning deaths in care and provision for those with care needs and asylum seekers.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Mentions
Profile
Position
Christian J Howells is a public law specialist. He is on the Counsel General for Wales’ B Panel and the Attorney General’s Regional B Panel. He is ranked in the Legal 500 as a leading junior in public law, described as “tenacious with a very sharp intellect”. He has extensive experience in the higher courts, including the Administrative Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He is instructed on behalf of claimants, local authorities, the Home Department, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Defence and several charities. So far in 2018:
He appeared in the Supreme Court and overturned the Court of Appeal’s reasoning relating to the best interests of the child and deportation under s117C(5) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 in IT (Jamaica) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2018] UKSC 53, [2018] 1 WLR 5273;
He successfully challenged Northamptonshire County Council’s decision to close 21 libraries in R (WX) v Northamptonshire County Council [2018] EWHC 2178 (Admin);
He is instructed on behalf of 300 Welsh and Northern Ireland victims in the Infected Blood Inquiry;
He acted for the claimant in a claim against the Welsh Ministers challenging the lawfulness of the policy on funding further education for young people with learning difficulties; R (DJ) v Welsh Ministers [2018] EWHC 2735 (Admin).Permission to appeal has been granted.
Career
Called 2007; Inner Temple. Wales Circuit Representative on the Young Barristers’ Committee of the Bar Council 2009-10.
Memberships
Wales Circuit representative; Young Barristers’ Committee to the Bar Council, 2009-2010.
Education
University of Bristol (LLB Law (Hons)).
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The clerks are expertly led by Philip Griffiths. The civil team clerk Kayleigh Jefferies is brilliantly responsive and will always look to find a solution for you.'
- '30 Park Place are the largest set in Cardiff with a very varied set of Counsel, able to handle almost any matter, irrespective of the complexity or nature of the case involved.'
- 'Excellent strength in depth, the clerks will ensure that they can assist whenever they can particularly if there is an urgent application, communication is good.'
- 'Chambers has a good team of barristers in this field with a thorough range of experience.'
- 'Excellent service from the clerks. They are all very friendly and good to work with. They understand the demands on solicitors and are accommodating.'