Public Law & Human Rights
Oliver is recognised as a leading junior for Administrative Law and Human Rights in the Legal 500 and for Administrative and Public Law in Chambers & Partners. He is described as “an excellent barrister to work with”, “incredibly approachable and hard-working” and “very responsive, always on top of his game, incisive and collaborative”.
Oliver has been instructed on public law and human rights cases before the High Court, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. He has also recently drafted chapters for a leading practitioner’s textbook on judicial review and the operation of the Human Rights Act 1998, to be published shortly.
Very responsive, always on top of his game, incisive and collaborative
Legal 500Oliver is an excellent barrister to work with. He is incredibly approachable and hard-working.
Chambers & Partners
R (Evans) v Care Quality Commission
[2025] EWHC 2015 (Admin)
challenge to the first registration of a private provider of cross-sex hormones to 16-17 year old children (led by Tom Cross KC).
R (ALR) v Chancellor of the Exchequer
[2025] EWHC 1467 (Admin)
human rights challenge to the Government’s private school fees VAT policy on behalf of parents of special needs children (led by Tom Cross KC).
R (EBB) v Gorse Academies Trust
[2025] EWHC 1983 (Admin)
wide-ranging challenge to use of isolation rooms at a high-performing Academy Trust (led by Jason Coppel KC and Hannah Slarks).
R (United Medical Associates Professionals) v NHS England (ongoing)
whether NHS England can make changes to the roles of Physicians Associates (led by Jonathan Auburn KC). Oliver successfully represented NHS England as sole counsel defending the application for an interim injunction.
R (Emeraldshaw Ltd) v Sheffield Magistrates’ Court
[2025] EWCA Civ 1601
whether a commercial landlord was liable to pay non-domestic business rates despite granting a tenancy to a charity. Oliver made submissions on the public law issues to the Court of Appeal.
R (Gould) v Devon County Council
[2025] EWHC 96 (Admin)
on appeal to the Court of Appeal – whether a local authority had had regard to mandatory considerations in a service closure decision (led by Jonathan Auburn KC).
R (AB) v Bristol City Council
[2025] EWHC 893 (Admin)
challenge to a £90 million ‘safety value agreement’ between the Department of Education and a local authority to cover SEND overspends (led by James Goudie KC, leading Rita Dias).
R (NN) v Michaela Community School
[2024] EWHC 843 (Admin)
Whether the Michaela Community School’s ban on prayer rituals is compatible with pupils’ right to freedom of religion (led by Jason Coppel KC and Tom Cross).
R (Worcestershire County Council) v Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
[2023] UKSC 31
Successful Supreme Court appeal concerning which local authority is required to provide mental health aftercare services where a person moves areas (led by Andrew Sharland KC).
R (Lister) v Secretary of State for Education
AC-2024-LON-001359
Challenge to the Department for Education’s high-profile draft guidance to schools on gender questioning children (led by Jo Clement KC and Tom Cross).
Crowter v United Kingdom
App no. 32192/23
ECtHR challenge on behalf of disability rights campaigners against s.1(1)(d) of the Abortion Act 1967 (led by Jason Coppel KC).
R (Fire Brigades Union and British Medical Association) v HM Treasury
[2023] EWHC 527 (Admin)
Judicial review by trade unions under article 6 ECHR and on domestic public law grounds to the operation of the cost control mechanism in public sector pension schemes (led by Nigel Giffin KC).
R (Ingold) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
[2023] EWHC 3207 (Admin)
Challenge to the operation of the Child Maintenance Service (led by Sir James Eadie KC, First Treasury Counsel).
Barking and Dagenham LBC v Persons Unknown
[2022] EWCA Civ 13
Whether final injunctions can be granted against gypsies and travellers who are unknown and unidentified at the time of the injunction (assisting Nigel Giffin KC).
Attorney General for Bermuda v Ferguson
[2022] UKPC 5
Whether the constitutions of Bermuda and the Cayman Islands provide a right to same-sex marriage.
R (Elan-Cane) v Secretary of State for the Home Department
[2021] UKSC 56
Judicial review challenge to the lack of a non-binary ‘X’ gender option on UK passports.
Re McQuillan
[2021] UKSC 55
Judicial review challenge to the lack of an article 2 ECHR compliant investigation into deaths and ill-treatment occurring during the Troubles.
R (Majera) v Secretary of State for the Home Department
[2021] UKSC 46
Whether the Home Secretary was permitted to override a defective court order.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill & European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill
[2021] UKSC 42
Devolution references concerning certain provisions of two Scottish Bills are outside the competence of the Scottish Parliament.
R (AB) v Secretary of State for Justice
[2021] UKSC 28
Challenge to the placement of children in solitary confinement at a Young Offenders Institution.
R (SC) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
[2021] UKSC 26
Article 14 ECHR challenge to the two-child benefit cap.
R (Begum) v Secretary of State for the Home Department
[2021] UKSC 7
Challenge to the decision to deprive Shamima Begum of her UK citizenship.
R (Friends of the Earth) v Heathrow Airport Ltd
[2020] UKSC 52
Challenge to the third runway at Heathrow Airport.





