Public law & judicial review

Bringing public law challenges is a key area of chambers’ work.  1MCB  Chambers’ multi-disciplinary public law team draws on its expertise in immigration, housing, community care, education, crime, and prison law in order to represent individuals where there has been an unlawful exercise of power.

The public law and judicial review team has barristers at all levels of call.  Its work ranges from emergency and out-of-hours High Court applications to cutting-edge challenges to public authorities’ provision of care and support.

Some of 1MCB Chambers’ recent public law work includes:

  • Advising on a claim against a local authority’s refusal to use its powers under section 17 of the Children Act to circumvent the ‘benefits cap’ and avoid making a family homeless;
  • Parallel litigation against the Home Office, local authority, Department for Work and Pensions and social landlord when a lost passport caused a client to lose all benefits entitlement;
  • Challenging the CPS’ decisions to prosecute young people;
  • Claims against the police, for example decisions to caution where there was insufficient evidence, or for disclosure of information;
  • Claims against the Independent Police Complaints Commission;
  • Immigration judicial reviews: decisions of the Home Department, Entry Clearance Officers, the First Tier Tribunal, and the Upper Tribunal; decisions to remove, to reject applications as “fresh claims”, and to refuse permission to appeal; actions for unlawful detention.