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Finnian specialises in public law, employment and discrimination, and climate justice.

Finnian practises across public and civil law, and is regularly instructed in matters concerning immigration and asylum, community care, discrimination, whistleblowing, and climate litigation. He regularly appears as sole and led counsel in the Administrative Court, Upper Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and first instance Tribunals, and has appeared led in the Court of Appeal. He is described in Chambers and Partners 2026 as “an exceptionally talented technical lawyer” who “provides an excellent service” and “always gives solid and practical advice”.

Before coming to the bar, Finnian worked as a legal caseworker at United Voices of the World, a trade union predominantly representing low-paid and precarious migrant workers. Prior to this, he was the Judicial Assistant to Lord Justice Singh, and spent a summer with Advocates Abroad providing asylum interview preparation support to refugees at the Vial Refugee Camp in Chios, Greece. In addition, Finnian has taught European Union law to undergraduates at the London School of Economics and worked as a research assistant for Professors Jeff King and Laura Hoyano. He has worked for a number of NGOs, including Reprieve, the Women’s Inclusive Team, Amicus, and the South African Legal Resources Centre.

Public and Administrative Law

Finnian is frequently instructed in judicial review matters, with a particular focus on immigration and community care. He acts in urgent and complex proceedings as sole counsel and as a led junior, and has appeared at all levels up to the Court of Appeal. Recent work includes:

  • Acting unled for the successful Claimant in CLT v Hounslow [2026] EWHC 162 (Admin), in which the Administrative Court found that the Defendant had unlawfully failed to treat the Claimant as a “looked after child” since his father’s death in 2020, see here and here.
  • Successfully representing around 40 Gazan students with full scholarships at UK universities in their claims against the Home Office and Foreign Office for failing to adopt an expedited system for predetermination and evacuation. All 40 students have been evacuated to the UK alongside their dependants (led by Sonali Naik KC, Maha Sardar and Maria Moodie), see here and here.
  • Acting on behalf of a group of 10 women who make allegations of bullying and misogynistic conduct against an Employment Judge, challenging the refusal of the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office to investigate their complaints (led by Charlotte Kilroy KC), see here. Permission has been granted on all grounds, see here.
  • Acting for the intervener (Asylum Support Appeals Project) before the Court of Appeal in SSHD v Asylum Support Tribunal [2025] EWCA Civ 1654, a case concerning the jurisdiction of the AST to consider appeals in “deemed withdrawal” cases (led by Michael Spencer).
  • Acting for the Claimant in R (Kate Thomas) v Judicial Appointments Commission [2024] EWCA Civ 665 in her challenge against the JAC’s refusal to share or provide a gist of adverse comments used against her in rejecting her application for a judicial role (led by Tony Vaughan), see here.
  • Working with Greenpeace UK on successful judicial review proceedings challenging the grants of consent for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields, see here.
Immigration

Finnian is regularly instructed in matters covering all areas of asylum and immigration law, as well as in nationality cases concerning naturalisation and registration. He primarily acts in judicial review proceedings, but is also instructed in statutory appeals and damages claims. Recent work includes:

  • Acting for ASN, a Palestinian woman, in her successful judicial review challenges to the Home Office’s failure to predetermine her family reunion application, and her linked claim against the Foreign Office for refusing to assist her evacuation (led by Sonali Naik KC). Finnian has since acted in a number of Entry Clearance appeals on behalf of applicants in Gaza.
  • Acting in a policy challenge to the SSHD’s interpretation of the causation test under s.4L British Nationality Act 1981. Permission was granted by Morris J and the matter will now proceed to a full hearing.
  • Acting for BSO, a Palestinian teenager, in a linked case challenging the Foreign Office’s refusal to provide diplomatic support to assist his evacuation from Gaza, and challenging the Home Office’s refusal to grant him a visa. Appeared in the Administrative Court before the SSHD and FCDO withdrew their decisions (led by Charlotte Kilroy KC and Michelle Knorr), see here.
  • Acting for RM and others, a Palestinian family seeking to join their daughter/sibling in the UK, in a successful challenge to the Home Office’s refusal of applications for entry clearance because they were unable to give biometrics in Gaza (led by Charlotte Kilroy KC and Michelle Knorr), see here.
  • Successfully acting for a Baloch climate activist whose asylum claim arose from threats to their family after they criticised the Pakistani government at a major climate change summit.
  • Representing numerous clients in relation to their claims for damages arising from detention at Manston House.
  • Representing the Frontline Migrant Healthcare Workers Group within Module 6 of the Covid Inquiry (led by Amanda Weston KC, Piers Marquis and Annabel Timan).
Community Care

Finnian is regularly instructed in judicial review matters concerning adult social care, children’s social care and the leaving care regime. He also frequently acts in asylum support and age assessment matters. Recent work includes:

  • Acting unled for the successful Claimant in CLT v Hounslow [2026] EWHC 162 (Admin), in which the Administrative Court found that the Defendant had unlawfully failed to treat the Claimant as a “looked after child” since his father’s death in 2020, see here and here.
  • Acting on behalf of several Claimants challenging the Home Office’s policy of requiring recipients of leave to remain to move on from their asylum accommodation within 28 days of the grant of leave (led by Laura Dubinsky KC), see here.
  • Acting on behalf of a group of 245 severely disabled individuals who were unlawfully migrated onto Universal Credit from “legacy benefits” challenging the DWP’s scheme designed to remedy that unlawful process, following R (TP and AR) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2022] EWHC 123 (Admin).
  • Persuading Nottingham City Council to concede that an 18-year-old Claimant (whose abuse from family members had been ignored over several years) was a “former relevant child” under s.23C Children Act 1989 after proceedings were issued.
  • Securing mandatory interim relief for the accommodation of a destitute failed asylum seeker who was bailed into homelessness and had no residence condition under Schedule 10 Immigration Act 2016.
Employment and Discrimination

Finnian has experience across the full spectrum of employment and discrimination law, specialising in particular in climate-related whistleblowing. He is frequently instructed in complex group claims, and in matters with an international element. Recent work includes:

  • Acting for Saima Mohsin in her successful response to the appeal in Bhatti v CNN [2025] EAT 63, in a case concerning territorial and international jurisdiction (led by Paras Gorasia), see here.  
  • Acting on behalf of numerous high-profile journalists, former journalists and “freelancers” at the Guardian and Observer in respect of claims arising out of their transfer to Tortoise Media, led by Claire Darwin KC.
  • Acting for a climate whistleblower in her claims against a major advertising company in relation to greenwashing, see here.  
  • Persuading a Tribunal that Hackney Council had directly discriminated against a claimant on the grounds of disability after a five-day hearing. Also succeeded in claims for failure to make reasonable adjustments, unfair dismissal, and discrimination arising from disability, securing an award for £98,307.98, see here.
  • Successfully securing a full 90-day protective award on behalf of over 700 Unite the Union workers made redundant in the printing industry, see here.
  • Appearing in the Employment Appeal Tribunal in a race harassment claim (led by Paras Gorasia).
Environmental and Climate Justice

Finnian accepts instructions in Environmental and Climate Justice. He is regularly instructed in climate matters that intersect with other areas of his practice, including in public law and civil claims. 

Recent work includes:

  • Working with Greenpeace UK on judicial review proceedings challenging the grants of consent for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields, see here.  
  • Drafting amicus submissions sent to the Inter-American Court on Human Rights as part of its Advisory Opinion on the Climate Emergency and Human Rights, instructed by the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), Global Action Plan, and Kyklos (alongside Ben Cooper KC, Louise Willocx, and Toby Fisher), see here.
  • Acting for an advertising worker in her Employment Tribunal claims against a multinational advertising agency for suspending her after she made allegations of greenwashing about them.
  • Acting for a former advertising worker in relation to forthcoming High Court proceedings concerning the enforceability of a settlement agreement which interferes with his climate activism regarding greenwashing.
  • Acting for a Baloch climate activist whose asylum claim arose from threats to their family after they criticised the Pakistani government at a major climate change summit (judgment pending).
  • Advising a group of local landowners in relation to the environmental and climate impacts of a local waste processing plant.
  • Delivering training and webinars on climate-related issues, including on climate whistleblowing and climate migration.