News & Events
News & Events
We are delighted to share that thirteen of Outer Temple’s barristers have been included in the 2026 Pro Bono Recognition list for volunteering their time (25 hours or more) to provide free legal assistance to individuals, charities and community groups. Now in its third year, the List, published annually, recognises solicitors, barristers, chartered legal executives, trade mark attorneys, patent attorneys and registered foreign/European lawyers who provided 25 hours or more pro bono legal assistance over the last year. The initiative is supported by the Law Society, the Bar Council, CILEX and all the major pro bono organisations under the aegis of the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Committee. Pro Bono Recognition List 2026 The following members have been recognised in the…
News 21 Apr, 2026
On 7th April 2026, Carin Hunt, led by Alex Haines of 4 Pump Court, appeared before all seven judges of the World Bank Group (WBG) Administrative Tribunal (WBAT) on behalf of the Applicant client. The case, filed in 2022, was brought on the basis that the effect of an internal WBG Staff Rule is indirectly discriminatory on grounds of sex and adversely affects women international civil servants of a certain category grade. The principle of indirect sex discrimination, which is established in several jurisdictions, has not yet been developed in International Administrative Law which is the applicable law to International Organisations including the WBG. Alex led Carin against the Respondent, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which was represented by the…
News 20 Apr, 2026
Helen Pugh has been published in the April 2026 edition of Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law on “Not your key, not your coin”: the private key and ownership. Ownership, possession and control of an asset have long been intertwined in the public’s consciousness. Albeit implicitly recognising that a possessory title can be displaced by a superior legal title, the old adage “possession is nine-tenths of the law” remains a popular refrain carrying more than a grain of truth. Following a series of high-profile collapses of crypto custodians in “the crypto winter”, a digital equivalent has emerged: “not your key, not your coin”. In this article, Helen considers the private key and its role in legal analysis of…
External Publications, News 20 Apr, 2026
Professional Associate at Outer Temple Chambers, Oliver Agha has been published in IFN’s April 2026 edition (Volume 23, Issue 15). His article is titled ‘The crisis Islamic finance was built to solve – and cannot’. Islamic Finance News (IFN) is a subscription-based publication journal, published weekly, which provides exclusive and comprehensive coverage of the global Islamic financial markets through in-house analysis and expert external contributions. Oliver Agha is a frequent contributor to the publication. The modern financial order is a monument to excess. Global debt now approaches US$350 trillion, built not on production or genuine value creation but on the compounding of obligation – debt layered on debt, governments borrowing to fund consumption, the costs deferred to those least able to bear…
External Publications, News 16 Apr, 2026
Outer Temple Chambers will be once again taking part in this year’s London International Disputes Week (LIDW26) taking place from 1st to 5th June 2026. London International Disputes Week will be returning for it’s 7th year, with this year’s theme being “Tradition, trust and transformation in international dispute resolution”. The week will begin with International Arbitration Day and an opening reception on Monday 1st June 2026, and conclude on Friday 5th June 2026. The event is aimed at delegates from around the world to network, learn and discuss at one of the largest global gatherings of the international disputes community. Outer Temple’s Joshua Ray will be joining a panel session on Thursday 4th June 2026 from 2:00pm to 3:30pm. He…
Naomi Cunningham and Charlotte Elves have been published in Counsel Magazine in article titled ‘Sharing The Advocacy’. In this article, Naomi and Charlotte suggest that giving junior counsel a speaking role should be seen not only as a development opportunity but as something that can genuinely benefit the client. Drawing on their personal experience working together in lengthy employment tribunal hearings, they suggest that sharing advocacy can improve focus, reduce fatigue, and strengthen the overall quality of representation. The article explains that advocacy is often already shared behind the scenes, with juniors helping to draft submissions and prepare cross-examination even when they do not speak in court. Naomi and Charlotte describe how role-playing a witness examination in advance helped refine…
External Publications, News 13 Apr, 2026
We are delighted to announce that James Leonard KC has been nominated Pro Bono KC of the Year at the 2026 Bar Pro Bono Awards for his pro bono work in the landmark case of Buzzard-Quashie v Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police [2025] EWCA Civ 1397. The Bar Pro Bono Awards, celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, recognise and celebrate the remarkable pro bono achievements of the Bar in England and Wales. Each year, the awards shine a light on the exceptional pro bono work carried out by barristers. The 2026 Bar Pro Bono Awards ceremony will be taking place on Tuesday, 19th May at Inner Temple, London. James Leonard KC has been shortlisted for Pro Bono KC of the…
News 8 Apr, 2026
Outer Temple Chambers is pleased to share that Courtney Step-Marsden has returned from maternity leave. Courtney will continue to practice on her core areas including Employment Law, Court of Protection, Education, Private Client, Regulatory and Commercial work. She looks forward to working with her current and new clients on her return. The team at Outer Temple Chambers is pleased to welcome Courtney back to practice, and we also wish her a very warm welcome back to Chambers. Find out more Courtney Step-Marsden’s core practice includes Employment Law, Court of Protection, Education, Private Client, Regulatory and Commercial work. Much of Courtney’s practice stems around disabilities, which is a particular interest of hers. In the Employment Tribunal, she has extensive experience representing claimants and respondents in discrimination proceedings, often with a particular focus on the…
News 7 Apr, 2026
We are delighted to announce that Outer Temple Chambers and our team of barristers have once again been ranked as leaders in commercial law in the Middle East by Legal 500 EMEA 2026. Legal 500 EMEA have announced their 2026 results, and we are thrilled to share that we have once again been ranked as a Tier 1 Set in the ‘Middle East: The English Bar: Commercial’ guide. Legal 500 EMEA has described Outer Temple Chambers as a set with ‘a wide range of expertise and considerable intellectual heft’ among its members. These rankings reflect competency in providing expert advisory and advocacy services and facilities for Contract and Commercial, Construction, Financial, Regulatory, Taxation and Trusts, Employment, and Arbitration work in the region. Outer Temple Chambers and its members have been…
News 27 Mar, 2026
Harry Lambert’s article analyses AI-Associated Delusions, the Attachment Economy, and the Limits of Liability. This article, a must read for Product Liability practitioners, reflects on ‘Product Liability In the Digital Age.’ In recent months, the darkest consequences of AI companionship have breached the mainstream consciousness. What began as warnings from unheeded academics or outlier psychologists has tragically materialized in high-profile US litigation, where bereaved parents are suing developers over chatbots that allegedly aided and encouraged teen suicides. These catastrophic edge cases have rightly dominated the headlines. But while trans-Atlantic litigation focuses on the extreme, a quieter, statistically monumental crisis is unfolding largely unchecked—one that threatens a much broader swath of society. As Dr. Zak Stein and a growing chorus of…
News 26 Mar, 2026
Elaine Palser and Helen Pugh, instructed by RPC and CMS Cameron McKenna respectively, acted successfully for the first and second trustees in bankruptcy (T-in-B) respectively in the recent High Court decision of McFadzean v Martinez [2026] EWHC 426 (Ch). A former bankrupt sought the court’s leave to sue her two former trustees in bankruptcy for alleged negligence in the sale of a substantial French property. The judgment considers the test for leave to bring a claim against a trustee pursuant to section 304 of the Insolvency Act 1986 where the proposed claim is brought by a former bankrupt and where the trustees have already had their release. Whilst the court will weigh up all the relevant factors in each case,…
News 25 Mar, 2026
Sarah Crowther KC will be speaking at the 17th National RISCI Conference 2026 on Friday 27th March 2026 at The Stones Hotel, High Post, Salisbury. The Respiratory Information for Spinal Cord Injury (RISCI) aims to review and improve the respiratory management of people with spinal cord injury at each level, from the immediate time period post injury, across the rehabilitation journey and through and beyond discharge to lifelong management. This conference, supported by Aspire Law, is aimed at multi-disciplinary groups working within Spinal Cord Injury Centres, Trauma Centres and other hospitals with an interest in the respiratory management of acute or chronic spinal cord injured patients. The full day Conference will take place from 8:45am, beginning with registration and refreshments, and…
News 24 Mar, 2026
