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Band 3
Band 3
Band 4
About
Provided by Antonia Benfield
Practice Areas
Antonia is an established practitioner in the fields of immigration, public law and community care. She specialises in asylum law and children’s rights and has extensive expertise in age assessment and asylum support challenges, and unlawful detention claims. She is well-placed to undertake cross-cutting work in the fields of asylum and children’s rights.
Antonia acted in country guidance cases in respect of Eritrea (MST and Others (national service – risk categories) Eritrea CG [2016] UKUT 443 (IAC)) and Sri Lanka (KK & RS (Sur place activities: risk) Sri Lanka CG [2021] UKUT 130 (IAC)). She has extensive experience in strategic litigation and policy challenges including:
• Protection proceedings brought by Tamil refugees on Diego Garcia against the Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).
• R (ECPAT UK) v Kent CC & SSHD [2023] EWHC 1953 (Admin) – challenge to cap on UAS children taken into care and instead placed in Home Office commissioned hotels.
• R (MA & HT) v SSHD [2022] EWHC 98 (Admin) – challenge to lawfulness of policy governing age assessment of UAS children at Kent Intake Unit.
• R (NB & Ors) v SSHD [2021] EWHC 1489 (Admin) – challenge to adequacy of Napier Barracks as asylum support accommodation.
Career
Antonia regularly designs and delivers training for solicitors, law centres and charities. She is a trustee of West London Welcome and legal advisor to Counterpoints Arts. She was a finalist in the LALY Awards for Barrister of the Year in 2023.
Professional Memberships
ILPA
ALBA
HRLA
BHRC
Chambers Review
UK Bar
Antonia Benfield is an impressive junior whose practice covers public law, immigration and community care. She frequently acts for claimants in age assessment matters.
Antonia Benfield is an up-and-coming junior barrister with a growing immigration and asylum practice. She is particularly experienced in immigration cases that involve family members of EEA nationals and third-country removal claims. Other strengths include representing vulnerable individuals, including those with mental health conditions, in complex asylum claims.
Antonia Benfield is renowned by peers for her strong advocacy and knowledge in the areas of public law, immigration and asylum. She acts for vulnerable claimants, including individuals with mental health issues and asylum seekers. Age assessment and unlawful detention claims feature heavily in her practice.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"She is really fantastic - extremely committed and brilliant at drafting. She really cares about clients."
"She is an excellent advocate."
"Antonia is very responsive as well as clear in her advice and on what evidence is needed. She thinks strategically and provides very helpful guidance and support."
"Antonia is very good and very accessible."
"Antonia is very good with strategy and her primary focus is the client. She knows the facts of the case inside-out and her level of detail is strong."
"Antonia is a very good team player and very collaborative. She is clearly a leader in age assessment challenges so can provide a lot of strategic advice as well as being calm and persuasive."
"Antonia provides very detailed advice. She is always at the end of the phone or an email and is generally great."
"She is really fantastic - extremely committed and brilliant at drafting. She really cares about clients."
"She is an excellent advocate."
"Antonia is very responsive as well as clear in her advice and on what evidence is needed. She thinks strategically and provides very helpful guidance and support."
"Antonia is very good and very accessible."
"Antonia is very good with strategy and her primary focus is the client. She knows the facts of the case inside-out and her level of detail is strong."
"Antonia is a very good team player and very collaborative. She is clearly a leader in age assessment challenges so can provide a lot of strategic advice as well as being calm and persuasive."
"Antonia provides very detailed advice. She is always at the end of the phone or an email and is generally great."
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