Public and Administrative Law
The increasing workload and regulatory activities of local authorities and other statutory bodies have created a rapidly growing demand for specialist legal support in this complex field. Our Public and Administrative Law Practice Group provides highly experienced expert advice and specialist advocacy in all courts from magistrates’ court to the House of Lords.
Our advocates appear for clients at public inquiries, tribunals, local licensing committees and other bodies including the Lands Tribunal and Special Educational Needs Tribunals.
We act for individual, corporate and business clients, as well as a range of departments of local government at county, borough and district level. We also receive instructions via direct professional access from planning consultants, chartered surveyors and others and understand the working practices of fellow professionals.
We also undertake prosecution and defence work in the criminal courts.
To make our service as cost-effective as possible, we are happy to appear in court without an instructing solicitor or other professional present when appropriate and where the Bar Code of Conduct permits.
This group covers all areas of Administrative Court work including judicial review and statutory review, public inquiries, tribunals and boards, the Human Rights Act 1998, local authorities, regulatory offences and coroners.
Specialist teams exist for Planning and Environmental, Licensing, Regulatory Enforcement and Crime, Trading Standards, Health & Safety, Education and Housing.
Recommendations
Chambers UK 2012
Agriculture & Rural Affairs: Leslie Blohm QC remains a hugely admired figure on the Western circuit. His traditional agricultural practice includes tenancy disputes, landed estates issues and village greens work. He is “meticulously prepared and extremely persistent in his advocacy,” according to sources.
Licensing: Roy Light is a well-known expert on licensing law who is praised by sources for the energy and enthusiasm he brings to his work. Noted as “a good academic lawyer, who is always worth instructing,” he is “very good at dealing with difficult clients.” Light regularly acts in enforcement cases, and handles licensing applications for public authorities and independent operators. Recently, he achieved successful results on behalf of a number of hotel owners, a national restaurant chain and a major sporting venue. One impressed solicitor notes: “We use him when the consequences of otherwise failing would be catastrophic for the client.”
Chambers UK 2011
Agriculture & Rural Affairs: Leslie Blohm QC continues to attract a wealth of praise for his commitment and contribution to the sector. He is admired for his expertise in village green applications and landlord and tenant law. Market commentators commend his “polished advocacy skills” and his “gentle and calm manner that instils client confidence.
Licensing: Roy Light has nearly 20 years’ experience in all areas of licensing. He represents a variety of clients, including supermarket chains, petrol companies, breweries, nightclub operators, gaming machine manufacturers, national stadiums and local and police authorities. He recently appeared at the High Court in Hall & Woodhouse Brewery v Poole BC, a landmark case on the liability of breweries for breach of licence conditions at tenanted public houses. Light is described as “a skilled cross-examiner with an encyclopaedic knowledge of licensing law, who provides clear, sound advice.”
Legal 500 2011
St John’s Chambers’ Peter Wadsley, who “brings clear and concise thinking to the table”, and David Fletcher are recommended for planning matters. Professor Roy Light is an “excellent licensing advocate”, whose “well-honed communication skills warrant particular mention”.
Legal 500 2010
St John’s Chambers’ Peter Wadsley is the leading planning junior on the circuit. David Fletcher has particular expertise in traveller cases and “is an excellent lawyer, and a good team-builder”. Professor Roy Light is highly rated for his licensing expertise.
