About Us

Our services

Doughty Street Chambers was set up in 1990 by a group of independent-minded barristers, aiming to break the mould of traditional chambers by moving out of the Inns of Court and setting new standards of professionalism and excellence in the legal world.

While at the forefront of many cutting-edge domestic and international human rights cases and long recognised as a leader in the field of civil liberties and human rights, we operate across a whole range of different areas of law: Administrative & Public Law, Contract, Criminal Law (approximately 50% of all DSC work), Education, Employment and discrimination, Environment, Housing and social welfare, Human rights, Immigration, Media and defamation, Mental Health, Medical law, Prisoners' rights.

We are committed to publicly funded casework and are available to undertake private and contractual casework, CFAs, Treasury Solicitor work, mediation, consultancy work, CPS work, as well as subsidised and pro bono work.

Members of Chambers travel all over the country to provide legal services in the Magistrates' Courts, Crown Court, High Court and County Courts. We also appear in the Court of Appeal, Divisional Court, House of Lords and the Privy Council. Several members of Chambers also have rights of Audience in jurisdictions around the world.

There are currently 90 members of Chambers servicing the work coming into Chambers supported by a staff of 24 divided into three teams (Clerking & Aged Debt, Administration & Marketing, Finance) and line-managed by the Chief Executive who has overall responsibility for quality services.

Our premises comprise four buildings in Doughty Street which are equipped with five dedicated conference rooms, a seminar room for meetings and training courses, access and facilities for people with disabilities, and video/telephone conferencing. Conferences and meetings are usually organised during office hours (8.30am - 6.30pm) but special arrangements can be made on request. We have recently acquired extra premises at 53/54 Doughty Street which will provide exciting new opportunities early 2007.

Our values

Chambers is firmly committed to equal opportunities, publicly funded work, and social and human rights. It accepts briefs and instructions regardless of the background or circumstances of the client and in line with Bar Council policy and procedures.

Chambers prides itself on providing an accessible, sensitive and quality service which ensures that it is well placed to meet the needs of vulnerable clients.

The values that define us can be summarised as a commitment:

• to human rights - that includes a recognition that the poorest citizen is not made equal to the richest corporation simply by according them the same rights and is part of a liberal tradition of defending freedom and citizens' rights irrespective of the popularity of the cause or the client;
• to an undisputed reputation for excellence, providing a service that is efficient, responsive and at a price our customers are prepared to pay; and
• to ensuring that principles of equality, respect and diversity are embodied both in the service we provide to our clients and in the recruitment, training and support policies we promote.

We are currently Chambers and Partners' Human Rights Chambers of the Year. Members of Chambers Phillippa Kaufmann and Edward Fitzgerald QC were also awarded Human Rights Junior and Silk of the Year. A former winner of Chambers of the Year Award and the Bar Pro Bono Award, Doughty Street Chambers has been accredited as an Investor in People since 2000 and achieved Quality Mark for the Bar in 2003.