Garden Court Chambers

Heads of Chambers: Rajiv Menon KC, Stephen Simblet KC, Grace Brown

Director of Clerking: Colin Cook

Deputy Director of Clerking: Lisa O'Leary

Senior Crime Team Practice Managers: Tommy Bentley & Rebecca Meads

Senior Civil Liberties & Housing Practice Manager: Tim Hempsted

Civil Liberties & Housing Practice Manager: Joe Fraser

Senior Public Law and Social Welfare Practice Manager: Gavin John

Family Practice Manager: Kevin McCarthy

Immigration Practice Manager: Harriet Massie

THE CHAMBERS

Garden Court Chambers is a number one ranked barristers’ chambers committed to fighting injustice, defending human rights and upholding the rule of law. We advise solicitors, members of the public, organisations and businesses across the UK and around the world.

Our motto, ‘Do right, fear no one’, embodies our longstanding ethos: we are dedicated to fighting your corner, no matter how powerful the opponent.

Garden Court has a proud history of winning ground-breaking cases of constitutional importance. Our legal challenges have overturned great injustices in many landmark decisions.

Equally, our barristers fight hard for clients in countless cases that don’t hit the headlines, but are nonetheless vital for defending the rights of those we represent.

We are the largest barristers’ chambers in London with over 200 leading barristers, including 30 KCs. We offer clients an unrivalled breadth and depth of inter-disciplinary expertise.

Awards

Between 2015 and 2024, Garden Court’s awards include:

• Outstanding Contribution to Diversity & Inclusion, Finalist, Chambers Bar Awards 2024
• Family Law Silk of the Year, Finalist, Family Law Awards 2024
• Immigration Set of the Year, Winners, Legal 500 Bar Awards 2024
• Court of Protection Set of the Year, Winners, Legal 500 Bar Awards 2024
• Public Law Junior of the Year, Winner, Legal 500 Bar Awards 2024
• Clerk of the Year, Winner, Legal 500 Bar Awards 2024
• Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards (Winners in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019 and 2015 and finalists in 2017 and 2016)
• LGBTQ+ Champion of the Year Winner & shortlisted in DE&I: Rising Star of the Year, Legal 500 UK ESG Awards 2024
• John Collins Pro Bono Excellence Award & Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year, Finalists, Bar Pro Bono Awards 2024
• Advocate of the Year (Highly Commended) & shortlisted for ‘Woman of the Year’, 'Race Equality Initiative of the Year' & 'Social Mobility Initiative of the Year', Women & Diversity Awards 2024
• 'Outstanding in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion' and 'Social Mobility Award', Winners in both categories,Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards 2024
• Immigration Set of the Year, Winners, Legal 500 Bar Awards 2023
• Human Rights Law Award, Winner, Forty Under 40 Awards 2023
• Halsbury Rule of Law Award, Highly Commended, LexisNexis Awards 2023
• Family Law Barrister of the Year, Finalist, Family Law Awards 2023
• Barrister of the Year, Finalist, Inspirational Women in Law Awards 2023
• Crime Set of the Year, Legal 500 Bar Awards (Finalists 2023, 2016 and 2017, winners 2015)
• Public Law Set of the Year, Winners, Legal 500 Awards 2022
• Outstanding Contribution to Diversity & Inclusion, Finalist, Chambers Bar Awards 2022
• BSN Lawyer of the Year, Winner, UK Diversity Legal Awards 2021
• Human Rights and Public Law Silk of the Year, Finalist, Chambers Bar Awards 2021 and 2019
• Crime Set of the Year, Finalists, Chambers Bar Awards 2021
• Outstanding Contribution to Diversity & Inclusion, Winners, Chambers Bar Awards 2020 and 2019
• Silk of the Year, Winner, Women in Law Awards 2020
• Crime Silk of the Year, Legal 500 Bar Awards 2019
• Public Law Set of the Year, Finalists, Legal 500 Awards 2017
• Human Rights and Public Law Set of the Year, Winners, Chambers UK Bar Awards 2016
• Outstanding Achievement Award, Winners, Modern Law Awards 2016

Types of work undertaken: Administrative and public law; civil liberties and human rights (claims against the police and public authorities; immigration detention civil claims; inquests and inquiries, and prison law); social welfare; Court of Protection; community care law, criminal defence; education; employment and discrimination law; environmental law; extradition law; family law (Children law, financial remedies and international family law); fraud; housing law; immigration law (asylum and human rights, business and private); mental health law; planning law; property law; protest rights, regulatory law; Romani Gypsy and Traveller rights; welfare benefits, children's rights law, commercial & business ethics.

Garden Court International provides advice, representation and training to clients worldwide on best practice in criminal law and procedure, international human rights and humanitarian law.

Garden Court Mediation provides an alternative dispute resolution service in all types of civil disputes.

Many Garden Court Chambers’ barristers are eligible to accept work directly from lay clients as part of the public access scheme.