News & Events

Public Law

Follow

Report into abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre between 1961 and 1987 published

Report into abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre between 1961 and 1987 published

On 12 November 2025, the Prisons & Probation Ombudsman published his report following an independent investigation into failings at the Medomsley Detention Centre between 1961 and 1987. The report catalogued a shocking record of systemic sexual and physical abuse of young detainees in the centre and examined the circumstances in which two detainees died whilst incarcerated at the Detention Centre. The report concluded that Neville Husband, a member of staff at the Detention Centre “was possibly the most prolific sex offender in British history”. The report also found that victims who sought to report abuse were ignored, dismissed, threatened or punished. The report led to a formal apology from the UK Government. The inquiry was established in settlement of a…

News 14 Nov, 2025

'Neurotechnology & The Law: Inquests' - Harry Lambert published in the New Law Journal

‘Neurotechnology & The Law: Inquests’ – Harry Lambert published in the New Law Journal

Barrister at Outer Temple Chambers and founder of the Centre for Neurotechnology & Law, Harry Lambert, has been published in New Law Journal’s latest article, where he explores the impact of Neurotechnology on inquests. This is the first consideration of neurotech and inquests ever, worldwide. The growing ubiquity of wearable technology and the rapidly advancing field of neurotechnology are generating an unprecedented flood of neural data, which could have profound implications for coronial law. Advances in neurotechnology could soon allow coroners to analyse brain activity to determine intent, cause, and sequence of death—redefining how inquests are conducted. Harry Lambert reports, “As neurotechnology increasingly embeds itself in everyday life, the coroner’s court faces a new frontier—where neural data could illuminate the mysteries…

External Publications, News 13 Nov, 2025

OTC receives outstanding set of rankings in the Legal 500 UK 2026 Guide

OTC is delighted with an outstanding set of rankings in the Legal 500 UK 2026 Guide

The Legal 500 UK 2026 rankings have been announced and Outer Temple Chambers is delighted to share the highlights from this year’s rankings including 2 Top Tier rankings amongst our 10 set recommendations, and over 140 individual rankings. We are proud to share that we have been recognised as a Top Tier Set in Crypto & Blockchain Assets and Pensions once again this year. These coveted Tier 1 badges sit amongst our set rankings for excellence in ten practice areas which includes some of our flagship teams; Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury, Employment and Financial Services Regulation. This is in addition to our Tier 1 Commercial ranking in the Middle East rankings. These set rankings couldn’t have been achieved without the…

News 7 Oct, 2025

Alex Line successfully represents local authority in important High Court case R (LW) v London Borough of Islington

Alex Line successfully represents local authority in important High Court case R (LW) v London Borough of Islington

Alex Line successfully represents local authority in important High Court case confirming that the First-tier Tribunal (HESC) is a suitable alternative remedy to judicial review In R (LW) v London Borough of Islington [2025] EWHC 703 (Admin), following a rolled-up hearing, the High Court has confirmed that the First-tier Tribunal (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber), which deals with statutory appeals under the Children and Families Act 2014 concerning EHC Plans, is a suitable alternative remedy to judicial review. Kate Grange KC (sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge) emphasised the extremely high threshold which must be crossed in order to persuade the High Court to entertain a judicial review claim in circumstance where a statutory right of appeal exists.…

News 28 Mar, 2025

Leading Junior Harry Lambert Joins Outer Temple Chambers

Leading Junior Harry Lambert Joins Outer Temple Chambers

Outer Temple Chambers is delighted to welcome leading health and technology Junior, Harry Lambert, to the team. Harry Lambert joins Outer Temple Chambers in February, further expanding our stable of innovative barristers shaping the law in the fields of product liability, personal injury, clinical negligence, human rights, and related group litigation. His passion for technology and emerging trends provides for a unique and unrivalled practice touching on the interplay between tech and health. He is particularly well known for his dynamism in the world of emerging medical tech, founding the Centre for Neurotechnology & Law, and authoring a 12 Part Series on Neurotechnology and The Law which has garnered much academic acclaim. It has been translated into several European languages…

News 25 Feb, 2025

Alex Line successfully represents the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office in judicial review claim about complaints concerning Court of Appeal judges

Alex Line successfully represents the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office in judicial review claim about complaints concerning Court of Appeal judges

In Gregory & Stroilov v (1) Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (2) Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman [2025] EWHC 201 (Admin), Dove J refused permission for the Claimants to proceed with their judicial review claim. Alex Line represented the First Defendant, against whom five of the six judicial review grounds relied on were against. The First Claimant is the father of Indi Gregory, who was terminally ill and tragically passed away in 2023 following the implementation of a care plan permitting the withdrawal of life support treatment. That decision was sanctioned by the High Court (Peel J) against whose decision an appeal was made. Permission to appeal was refused by the Court of Appeal by Peter Jackson LJ, King LJ and…

News 4 Feb, 2025

Outer Temple Chambers welcomes two new junior barristers

Outer Temple Chambers welcomes two new junior barristers

We are delighted to welcome Jessica Franklin and Sapandeep Singh Maini-Thompson to Outer Temple Chambers as new junior tenants. Jessica Franklin and Sapandeep Singh Maini-Thompson joined the Outer Temple team in October, further bolstering our junior cohort of specialists to fulfill ever-growing demand. Jessica Franklin joined the Bar in 2021 after a successful career in advertising and marketing. She now specialises in personal injury law and employment law. Jessica’s employment practice is particularly focused on discrimination, unfair dismissal and whistleblowing claims. She has a particular interest in personal injury claims brought in the Employment Tribunal and she has been instructed in claims involving not only psychiatric injuries but also physical injuries arising out of discrimination.  Her personal injury practice extends to…

News 22 Oct, 2024

Chambers & Partners award Band 1 Set status to Outer Temple Chambers

Chambers & Partners award Band 1 Set status to Outer Temple Chambers

Chambers and Partners UK Bar 2025 have today launched their 2025 Guide and we are delighted to share the highlights from this year’s rankings, including two Band 1 awards for our Pensions Law team and Travel Law team. We are delighted to share the news that Outer Temple Chambers has yet again been awarded 9 set rankings in the 2025 Chambers & Partners UK Bar Guide and over 110 individual rankings. In what is our best set of rankings ever, our individual rankings see 12 new entries and 16 elevations, whilst we are delighted with two new Band 1 set rankings. A huge congratulations to all of our barristers and clerks for another year of excellent results. A particular thank…

News 17 Oct, 2024

James Leonard KC represents the RNLI in a high profile Inquest in Bournemouth

James Leonard KC represents the RNLI in high profile inquest in Bournemouth

James Leonard KC represented the RNLI in a high profile inquest after the deaths of a 12 and 17 year old who drowned after an “intense” rip current at Bournemouth Beach in March 2023. Following an Inquest, Dorset senior coroner Rachael Griffin said she was satisfied nothing further could have been done to prevent their deaths following the “unexpected anomaly of nature”. She praised the “brave, prompt and determined intervention” of the lifeguards on duty, without which “more lives would undoubtedly have been lost”. James Leonard KC represented the Royal National Lifeboat Institution whose general manager, Peter Dawes stated, “Sunnah and Joe followed all the safety advice on the beach but still lost their lives – this is a stark…

News 15 Oct, 2024

Judgment handed down in Buckley v the Attorney General in which Josh Hitchens appeared

Judgment handed down in Buckley v the Attorney General in which Josh Hitchens appeared

The Supreme Court of St Helena has handed down judgment in the constitutional case of Buckley v the Attorney General in which Josh Hitchens acted for the Plaintiff. Mr Buckley was a remand prisoner detained in HMP Jamestown, a prison which has been repeatedly condemned as inadequate and unsuitable. At the end of trial, the Defendant conceded that the unsafe conditions within the prison violated the Defendant’s positive obligations under the Plaintiff’s Constitutional right to life. In his judgment, the Chief Justice endorsed that concession, and also found that the conditions in the prison breached Mr Buckley’s constitutional rights to be free from inhuman or degrading treatment, to dignity, and his constitutional rights as a remand prisoner. The judge accepted…

News 11 Oct, 2024

London Bar Legal 500 Rankings 2025

Another stellar set of rankings for OTC in the Legal 500 2025 Guide

The Legal 500 2025 rankings have just been announced and Outer Temple Chambers is delighted with another year of excellent results including a Tier 1 Pensions ranking We are proud to announce that we have been recognised as a Top Tier Set in Crypto & Blockchain Assets again, as well as achieving a Top Tier Set ranking in Pensions. These Tier 1 rankings mean we are now ranked for excellence in nine practice area rankings with 73 individual members ranked across 27 practice areas. A huge congratulations to all of our barristers and clerks within these teams for another year of excellent results. A particular thank you to all our clients and colleagues for taking the time to provide references.…

News 2 Oct, 2024

Alex Line successfully represents the Secretary of State for Justice in ‘closed to open’ prison conditions judicial review claim

Alex Line successfully represents the Secretary of State for Justice in ‘closed to open’ prison conditions judicial review claim

In R (Williams) v Secretary of State for Justice [2024] EWHC 2144 (Admin) Alex Line, instructed by the Government Legal Department, successfully represented the Defendant before Hugh Mercer KC (sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court), who dismissed the claim. The Claimant is serving an indeterminate prison sentence having been found guilty of serious sexual offences against children. The case concerned a decision of the Parole Board, who recommended that he be released from closed to open prison conditions. The final decision on this issue is reserved to the Secretary of State for Justice, who declined to follow the Parole Board’s recommendation, and determined that Claimant should remain in closed conditions due to risk that he would abscond.…

News 16 Aug, 2024

Portfolio Builder

Select the expertise that you would like to download or add to the portfolio

    Download    Add to portfolio   
    Portfolio
    TitleTypeCVEmail

    Remove All

    Download


    Click here to share this shortlist.
    (It will expire after 30 days.)