Practice Areas
Francis is a top-rated junior in public and election law and also practises in employment and commercial law.
Francis acts in high profile judicial reviews. These have included challenging the 1st lockdown R(Dolan) v Secretary of State, 2020 decided by the Court of Appeal) as well as election law cases relating to the EU referendum.
He has advised the Home Secretary about the Metropolitan Police and the Communities Secretary about a local government matter; and acts for local authorities in community care, mental health and capacity (in the High Court and Court of Protection) and planning cases.
Francis acts in election petitions and prosecutions for election offences; and advises candidates, political parties, corporations and third-sector organisations on compliance with election law. Recent clients include Facebook, Zach Goldsmith, Sean Bailey, Sam Tarry MP, Craig Mackinlay MP and ‘Mainstream’. Francis acted for the successful petitioners in the landmark Tower Hamlets election petition in 2015 (Erlam v Rahman, ‘a tour de force’: Commissioner Mawrey QC).
Francis acts for employers and employees before the employment tribunal and in professional discipline cases. He has a particular focus on freedom of speech and philosophical belief discrimination cases. Reported cases include White v GMC (2021) and Adil v GMC (2023).
‘Lawyer of the Week’, Times, 2015
Nominated as ‘barrister of the year’ Lawyer Magazine awards, 2016.
Publications
In Protection of Freedom of Speech (June 2021, Foreword by Lord Sumption).
Regularly writes as a legal commentator, including for the Daily Telegraph, Times and Independent.
