Prison law

Garden Court North Chambers has significant expertise in prison law. Our prison law barristers appear in adjudications and regularly undertake parole board hearings at prisons throughout the country. We undertake representation before lifer, parole, and recall panels, Categorisation of prisoners (in particular Category A prisoners) and calculation of sentences, and we provide written advice on all aspects of prison law.

We also have significant expertise in undertaking judicial reviews in this area and civil actions against the Home Office.

Our members have been involved in some of the highest profile prison law cases, including:

  • R (Haney, Kaiyam, Massey and Robinson) v SSJ [2014] UKSC 66 (Supreme Court held that all indeterminate prisoners must be given a reasonable opportunity to rehabilitate themselves and demonstrate their suitability for release);
  • Noone v SSJ [2010] UKSC 30 (calculation of release dates and HDC entitlement);
  • R (Guittard) v SSJ [2009] EWHC 2951 (discretion to transfer to open prison without a hearing)
  • R v Round & Dunn [2009] EWCA Crim 2667 (consecutive sentences and HDC);
  • R (Mohammed Ali) v SSJ[2009] EWHC 1732 (reasons for escape risk classification to be provided);
  • R (Lowe) v Governor of Liverpool Prison [2008] EWHC 2167 (re-categorisation decisions); and
  • SSJ v James and Lee [2009] 2 WLR 1149 UKHL 22 (release of IPP prisoners and provision of course).

Other important prison law cases undertaken include:

  • Ezeh & Connors v UK [2004] 39 EHRR 1 (regarding Article 6 in prison adjudications);
  • R on the application of Middleton v Sec of State Home Dept [2004] 2 AC 182 (leading case on application of Article 2 to Inquest proceedings and the ambit of neglect verdicts);
  • R v Gov of Brockhill Prison, ex parte Evans (No.1) [1997] 2WLR 236 (calculation of remand time);
  • R v Brockhill Prison, ex parte Evans (No 2) [2000] 3WLR 843 (leading false imprisonment case); and
  • R v Stocker [2003] 2 CrAppR(S) 54, CA, and R v Bingham [2004] (cases on the relationship between remand time, administrative recall and Section 116 orders).

Although Chambers is in Manchester, our prison law barristers frequently travel to courts across England and Wales. If you would like to know more about our prison law work please contact the Practice Management Team on 0161 817 6377 or at gcn@gcnchambers.co.uk.

 

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