Judicial Review and Public Law Disputes

Our experienced public law litigation and judicial review lawyers take a strategic and pragmatic approach to achieving effective results.

Overview

Our specialist team of public law and commercial judicial review lawyers are well-known for their strategic thinking and sensitive approach to resolving disputes in administrative and public law and in their handling of often high profile litigation including judicial review proceedings. For many clients a public law dispute is often a complex mix of legal, commercial and political factors centred around issues of fairness and justice. Litigation is very much a last resort but often rapid decisions and the assistance of the court are required to preserve an existing state of affairs before irreversible damage is done.

We have an acknowledged track record in representing both public sector bodies making regulatory, policy or award decisions as well as the businesses or individuals affected by such decisions. Our specialist team is proficient in acting within tight timescales by drawing on their established sector and industry experience to put administrative decisions in context, resolve disputes and, if necessary, draw out the key issues for the courts. We have a strong track record in particular in transport and energy related judicial review proceedings.

We represent applicants, respondents and interested parties in judicial review and public law cases.

We provide practical and jargon-free public law advice relating to central and local government decisions, as well as decisions made by statutory or industry regulators and hybrid commercial bodies with public decision-making powers.

Areas of focus

Our expertise in judicial review and public law disputes includes the following:

Judicial Review
Planning
Procurement
Subsidy control
Ombudsman and other public decision-makers
Statutory powers and obligations
EU law compliance
Competition

Experience

Representing Co-operative Group Limited in a judicial review of fines paid to the Competition and Markets Authority.

Acting for the Great Yarmouth Port Authority in a challenge to the application of conditions on the grant of a FEPA licence.

A judicial review regarding a refusal to grant a licence for a hydro power plant to our property developer clients while simultaneously granting permission to the owner of land on the other side of the river.

Representing FirstGroup plc in relation to the judicial review of the Department for Transport's decision to award the West Coast Rail Franchise.

Acting for the Jessie May Trust to judicially review the Department of Health on its decision that the charity was not eligible for a Hospice at Home Grant.

Acting on behalf of Eurostar International in regulatory appeal proceedings before the bi-national Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission.

Acting on behalf of FirstGroup plc in respect of a Supreme Court test case in respect of disability rights and equality law concerning access to wheelchair spaces on buses.

Advising interested parties in judicial reviews brought by third parties against rail franchise specification and award decisions taken by the Department for Transport

Acting on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in its defence of a £120 million+ damages claim arising from the procurement of an approximately £6 billion contract for decommissioning of 12 nuclear power stations.

Judicial review of an executive Agency for failure to consult before publishing abstraction limits.

Acting for rail operators involved as Interested Parties in an attempted Judicial Review brought by the combined Rail Unions challenging direct Awards and the East Coast rail Franchise process.

Meet the team