Clerked by: Mark Ronson Gary Smith
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Shem practises across all areas of administrative and public law, with a particular specialism in planning, local government, licensing and regulatory law. He acts for both developers and local authorities. He has acted in a range of public inquiries and hearings, judicial review proceedings, enforcement appeals and local authority prosecutions. He has experience in a variety of areas from planning applications (including those with particular focuses on permitted development rights, amendment applications, changes of use, discharge of conditions, s.106 agreements and listed buildings) to village green applications, compulsory purchase orders and development consent orders. With prior experience assisting NGOs, he is also well placed and regularly acts in cases involving human rights matters, especially in relation to the exercise of local authority powers and governance including emergency powers and obtaining injunctions. Shem also regularly acts in licensing appeals.
Shem successfully completed a specialist planning and public law pupillage at King's under the supervision of Jonathan Easton and John Hunter. Before joining Chambers, Shem specialised in judicial review at masters level.
Shem is on the Attorney General’s Panel of Junior Junior Counsel, is direct access qualified and part of Advocate’s Pro-Bono Pledge.
Year of Call: 2021
Shem has a particular specialism in planning and environmental law. He acts for both developers and local authorities. He is also direct access qualified and accepts instructions from members of the public.
Shem regularly acts in public inquiries and hearings, including enforcement notice appeals. He has experience in a variety of areas from large residential, industrial and employment scheme appeals, to permitted development rights, lawful development certificates, amendment applications, changes of use, discharge of conditions, s.106 agreements, listed buildings, village green applications, compulsory purchase orders and development consent orders. He also assists with written representations, including CIL appeals.
Shem regularly acts for local planning authorities in both the Magistrates and Crown Court, prosecuting planning and environmental offences including breach of enforcement notices, temporary stop notices, breach of condition notices, tree preservation orders and untidy land notice appeals.
Shem has experience successfully obtaining injunctions, including against persons unknown, and is regularly instructed to advise and act in judicial review proceedings. He is also well versed in dealing with cases which involve human rights issues.
Shem practises in all areas of public and administrative law. He regularly acts for and advises local authorities. He is also a member of the Attorney General’s Panel of Junior Junior Counsel, and is direct access qualified and therefore accepts instructions from the public.
Shem has a wide range of experience, including in landmark national inquiries, where he is currently involved in the ongoing UK Covid-19 Inquiry. He also regularly advises and represents both local government and private clients in claims for judicial review. He is particularly well-placed to do so with an academic background specialising in judicial review.
Shem has successfully secured injunctions, including for anti-social behaviour and against persons unknown in a variety of contexts. He is well placed, with a background advising NGOs, to assist with cases involving human rights considerations. In light of this, he has experience advising across the range of local authority powers and governance, including in relation to the public sector equality duty and equality laws, emergency powers, housing and even data protection.
Shem regularly acts for and advises local authorities in relation to housing, taxi and premise licence cases. He is also direct access qualified and therefore accepts instructions from the public.
Shem has considerable experience in both Magistrates and subsequent Crown Court appeals in relation to taxi licence appeals. He is well placed to assist local authorities having also acted as a legal advisor to sub-committees.
Memberships
The Planning and Environment Bar Association (PEBA)
The Constitutional and Administrative Bar Association (ALBA)
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
Northern Circuit
Education
Barrister Training Course – Distinction, BPP London Holborn
LLM Master of Laws – Distinction, University College London
LLB Law with Another Legal System (Hong Kong), University College London
Awards
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple Ashworth Scholarship, Exhibition Award and Duke of Edinburgh Award
BPP Advocacy Scholarship
UCL Deans Scholarship
OUP-ICCA National Moot Competition Champion
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Mark Ronson
Gary Smith
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