Source: https://www.blackstonechambers.com/barristers/michael-fordham/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 02:21:28+00:00

Document:
Michael Fordham QC is one of the UK's leading public lawyers, with a broad practice that spans civil liberties, environmental law and immigration, with a particular focus on EU & competition law. He represents claimants, defendants and interested parties and acts across the entire range of public law.
He is author of a leading practitioner textbook, consultant editor of a practitioner journal and a College Lecturer at Oxford University. As a junior barrister Mike was a member of the Attorney General’s 'A' Panel and was recognised as “the undisputed star of the junior judicial review Bar” when, aged 32, being ranked in the Top 40 barristers under 40 in all fields (Legal Business). He has been Lawyer of the Week (The Times) and has argued more than forty cases in the Supreme Court (previously the House of Lords).
Mike has written legal opinions relied on by: the Constitutional Affairs Committee (legal aid reform; asylum and judicial review); the Work and Pensions Committee (health and safety enforcement policy); and the All-Party Working Group on Rendition (extraordinary rendition). An article Mike wrote in 2003 led to the Law Commission’s 2006-2009 working and consultation papers on monetary remedies against public authorities.
In 2016 he was one of three subject matter experts from Europe on immigration detention who appeared before the Human Rights Committee of the Council of Europe. As Fellow of the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law Mike was lead author on Bingham Centre reports on immigration detention (2013) and judicial review reform (2014). He is a Recorder sitting in the Crown Court, a Deputy Judge of the Upper Tribunal, and a Deputy High Court Judge.
Mike is recognised by both leading independent legal directories and has been included in the Chambers and Partners 2019 list of Star Individuals in three practice areas. In December 2013 he was ranked as one of Chambers UK's Top Silk Bar 100, in their inaugural listing of the top barristers practising at the Bar of England & Wales, with a "breathtaking" quality of written work and advocacy skills.
Mike is a public law specialist acting for claimants, public authority defendants and third party interveners across the entire range of public law work; including work for and against regulatory authorities.
Acting for the claimant on the lawfulness of legal aid residence test. The Supreme Court has allowed PLP’s appeal with judgment awaited.
Acting for the regulator on the auditors’ judicial review of FRC decision and guidance as to disciplinary action.
Acted for the claimant on vires of industrial training levy order.
Acted for the claimant on notification and time limits in GMC process.
Acted for one of the claimants on constitutionality of retrospective removal of statutory right to an acquittal.
Acted for Association of Project Management on lawfulness of allegedly anti-competitive recommendation for grant of Royal Charter.
Acted for the claimants on whether proportionality is a freestanding ground for judicial review at common law and whether there is a human rights obligation to set up further inquiry into the 1948 massacre during the Malayan Emergency.
Acted for the Attorney General on rectifying the construction of a statutory compensation scheme.
Acted for the Association of British Insurers on whether the bill was ultra vires the Welsh Assembly’s devolution powers.
This is a judicial review of Ofcom’s annual licence fees for mobile phone operators, invoking public law and EU law. Mike Fordham QC acts for Vodafone.
This is a judicial review, using public law and human rights (Article 1 Protocol 1), to prevent deportation of a fraudulent former employee risking further damaging criminality from his country of origin. Mike Fordham QC acts for the claimant.
This is a judicial review of the Government’s expedited decision-making process for children stranded in France after the demolition of the Calais Jungle camp, invoking public law, human rights (Article 8) and EU law (Dublin III). Mike Fordham QC acts for the claimant charity.
This is a judicial review of Ofcom’s auction rules for mobile phone spectrum allocation, invoking public law and EU law. Mike Fordham QC acts for Vodafone.
This was a judicial review of an Ofgem decision regarding connection works charging. Mike Fordham QC acted for Scottish Hydro Electric and Southern Electric.
Mike has appeared in leading EU law cases at all levels. He also has considerable experience in competition law and is regularly instructed in competition law cases.
Acted for UNHCR on EU-law compatibility of Dublin returns to Italy.
Acted for SSE on EU law compatibility of changes to electricity transmission cost recovery.
Acted for the Law Society on EU law-compatibility of licensing fees charged by a local authority.
Acted for SSE in an appeal against price controls for electricity distribution companies.
Mike regularly appears in leading human rights cases. He was Human Rights Lawyer of the Year in 2005.
Acted for the claimants on the jurisdictional reach of ECHR Art 1 in shooting cases, and the scope of ECHR investigative duties in handover and unlawful detention cases.
Acted for the claimants on whether Article 8 provides a duty to allow children in the Calais jungle entry to the UK.
Acted for the claimants on breaches of Article 2 and 3 investigative duty and delay issues.
Acted for the claimant on whether there was a breach of Art 2 duty of investigation into British soldiers’ deficient equipment in Iraq.
This is a judicial review of the Government’s deport-first approach to out of country appeals, based on human rights grounds (Article 8). Mike Fordham QC acts for Bail for Immigration Detainees.
This was a judicial review by four vulnerable Syrian boys stranded in the Calais Jungle, invoking human rights (Article 8). Mike Fordham QC acted for the claimants.
This is an immigration appeal which involves the scope of the power to grant immigration bail, invoking public law and human rights (Article 5). Mike Fordham QC acts for Bail for Immigration Detainees.
Mike has a fearless reputation for cutting-edge arguments in leading asylum and immigration cases. He has for years been Lead Counsel for UNHCR interventions in the UK Supreme Court. He was Lead Author of the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law’s 2013 book on Immigration Detention: Safeguarding Principles.
Acted for BID and Medical Justice on immigration detention of those with mental illness.
Acted for the claimant W on to correct approach to totally without merit certification.
Acted for the claimants on whether there had been unjustified denial of British citizenship to family of suspected terrorist.
Acted for the appellant L1 on citizenship deprivation and exclusion while British citizen on holiday abroad.
Acted for UNHCR on refugee exclusion following historic serious crime.
Mike is a specialist in environmental judicial review.
Acted for Solar Century on whether energy policy changes were incompatible with legitimate expectations of solar power providers.
Acted for Drax and Infinis on the lawfulness of removal of renewable electricity levy exemption.
Acted for Breyer on whether damages are recoverable under the Human Rights Act 1998 after a consultation paper threatened unlawful action impacting on solar suppliers.
Acted for Infinis on the legality of exclusion from accreditation for issue of renewables obligation certificates to electricity generators and just satisfaction for violation of property rights under ECHR Article 1P.
Mike has a vast experience in bringing and defending judicial review cases involving local government decision-making and policy-making.
Acted for Morrisons Plc on legality of grant of planning permission for a supermarket development).
Mike has appeared in several leading cases concerning police powers and human rights.
Acted for the claimant on legality of the police obtaining and retaining personal information of those attending a demonstration.
Acted for the claimants on legality of the police ‘kettling’ of peace-camp demonstrator.
Mike began life at the Bar as a commercial barrister and now specialises in commercial public law cases.
Acted for the Levy Board on whether customers of betting exchanges subject to horserace betting levy.
Additionally, Mike has written more than 50 published articles in legal journals. His Judicial Review Handbook has been cited with approval at all levels of the Courts including in the House of Lords/Privy Council: Boddington  2 AC 143, 170E; Burkett  UKHL 23 at ; ProLife  UKHL 23 at ; Cullen  UKHL 39 at ; Tweed  UKHL 53 at ; Sharma  UKPC 57 at ; Bahamas Hotel Maintenance  UKPC 4 at .
Mike won the Human Rights Lawyer of the Year in 2005 For outstanding dedication and pro bono commitment to the development of human rights in a range of areas. For an incredibly high standard of legal skill in opposing unjust ASBOs, defending the rights of protesters and, in particular, for highlighting UK accountability for torture and deaths in detention in Iraq. In 2006, Mike was 3rd (behind two commercial QCs) in Barrister of the Year.
Mike acts pro bono in numerous interventions and in his work for the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law. In 2006 he won the Sydney Elland Goldsmith Bar Pro Bono Award. He was nominated for that award by the UNHCR, Friends of the Earth, the Refugee Legal Centre, the Public Law Project and Baker & McKenzie LLP, for his outstanding contribution to pro bono work.
Chairman of the Bar Stephen Hockman QC said: Michael Fordham has a long-standing commitment to pro bono work and dedicates a very high proportion of his time to it. He brings the same care and commitment as to his other work, and his friendly and informal manner helps to set at ease those involved in a particular case. Michael’s contribution to the development of law and legal policy is undoubted, and he is a deserving recipient of this award.

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