Barristers in this team have a wealth of experience in community care and health law as well as bringing cross-disciplinary expertise in discrimination, mental health, mental capacity, immigration, prisons, education, housing, freedom of information, social security, EU and human rights law. 

This enables us to handle the enormous range of legal disputes that arise in relation to the provision of community care or health services including: assessments of needs; provision of suitable services; direct payments or individual budgets; age assessments; eligibility for care services generally, whether of adults, asylum-seekers and migrants, children leaving care or prisoners; provision of healthcare services and essential medication (such as the Herceptin litigation); closure or reorganisation of services (day centres, residential homes or hospital provision); charging for services; and disputes between public authorities as to their respective responsibilities to provide community care or healthcare services.

We field barristers at all call bands and we advise and appear at all levels of the courts and tribunals, including in judicial reviews and the Court of Protection, as well as in the European Court of Human Rights.  We regularly make emergency applications for interim relief in the Administrative Court. We provide advisory services and assist in mediations and other forms of dispute resolution including complaints processes, and our team includes trained mediators. We can draw on the resources of other specialist teams within Chambers as necessary: Housing and Social WelfareMental Health, Court of Protection, Clinical NegligenceImmigration, Prisons and Public Law.


The public law team have an established rota system whereby counsel are available every day to undertake out of hours judicial review applications.

The rota system can be accessed through the clerks on 07713 168999

For further details on the rota or any other client care issues, please contact the clerks.

Practice Manager, Rachel Finch r.finch@doughtystreet.co.uk

Practice Assistant, Emily Norman e.norman@doughtystreet.co.uk


For more information about our Children's Rights Group, please click here.

For more information about our work in this area, please contact Sian Wilkins or Rachel Finch from our practice management team.