Practice Summary

James Maurici was called to the Bar in 1996 and has practised since then in: planning; environmental law and public law. He has extensive experience of appearing in the Higher Courts as well as at inquiries and in front of other tribunals. For more detail of recent work in each of these categories see cases and inquiries. James works for a wide range of public sector clients, private clients and public interest groups.

Planning

James' planning practice encompasses all aspects of planning both at inquiries and in the Higher Courts. His practice also encompasses compulsory purchase and compensation, highways, rights of way and village greens.

His recent cases include acting for the Government on High Court Challenges to Heathrow Runway 3 (Hillingdon v Secretary of State for Transport) Eco-Towns (Bard v SSCLG), Stansted G1 (Barbone & Ross v SSCLG and SST) and the Doon Street tower (English Heritage v. SSCLG).

Environmental Law

James' environmental law practice is wide-ranging, covering matters such as habitats and species protection, air quality, waste, access to environmental information, statutory and common law nuisance and all aspects of environment impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment and environmental permitting. He has a particular expertise in climate change and emissions trading. Recently he has been involved in advising the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme. 

He regularly appears in the European Court of Justice and Court of First Instance on environmental matters. Recent cases include Case C-495108 Commission v UK, Case T-183/07 Poland v Commision and Case T-263/07 Estonia v. Commission (EU Emissions, Trading), C-247/06 Commission v Germany (Environmental Impact Assessment and waste recovery); C-188/07 Commune de Mesquer v Total France SA (on the sinking of the Erika) and C-14/06 European Parliament v Commission and C-295/06 Denmark v Commission (on the use of DecaBDE in polymeric applications).

Public Law

His public law practice includes social security, education, regulatory, local government (including local government finance), EU law and all aspects of human rights law. He has appeared in a number of high profile public law cases including: R (Sharon Shoesmith) v Ofsted and Others; R (Bradley and others) v Secretary of State for Work & Pensions; Ken Livingstone v Adjudication Panel for England; R v. Bow Street Magistrate, ex p. Pinochet Ugarte (No. 2) and the Alconbury litigation.

James is co-editor of Judicial Review.

Professional Memberships

He is a member of the Administrative Law Bar Association, the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association, the Planning and Environment Bar Association, the Human Rights Lawyers Association, the United Kingdom Association for European Law, the Compulsory Purchase Association and the Bar European Group. In June 2008 James was elected to the Council of the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association.

Recommendations

In Chambers & Partners 2010 James received recommendations in four areas of law:

• In administrative & public law: “Instructing solicitors describe James Maurici as "absolutely first-class," and his profile continues to grow among the juniors. His practice includes public law, environmental challenges, planning and human rights.”
• In Environmental law: “James Maurici is "a star performer on the fast track to success." His expertise encompasses pollution, EIA proceedings, waste and statutory nuisance. Areas of special interest to him include climate change and emissions trading, and he notably appeared on behalf of the Environment Agency in a pioneer case involving a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2005 appeal against a civil penalty notice. Maurici is considered "exceptionally good" when acting on his own, and “almost unbeatable” when led by David Elvin QC.”
• In Local Government Law: “He is highly sought after as is James Maurici, a well-established name in local government circles. Maurici is one of the Bar's "brightest sparks and has an amazingly sharp intellect." His practice covers local government powers and finance, social security and, most notably, planning”.
• In Planning Law: “At junior level, James Maurici really stands out amongst his peers. An outstanding talent when it comes to cases involving highways and village greens, "he's tenacious and has a fantastic degree of knowledge at his fingertips." Recently, he has been representing the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in a number of separate planning cases, including challenges to his client's policy in relation to the Prime Minister's proposal for ten new eco-towns.
  

In Legal 500 (2009) James Maurici is rated as a leading junior in all four areas of law. In Administrative & Public Law (including local government) "James Maurici offers 'encyclopaedic knowledge of case law and first-class advice', in planning it says that he is "hard working, intelligent and always up for the fight". while in Environment it is said that "James Maurici is regularly instructed by the Government on environment cases." James is also rated in EU law.

He has regularly featured in the list of top-rated junior planning barristers in the annual Planning Magazine Law Survey and in the most recent is also listed in the top 10 rated juniors for Housing and Mixed use schemes and for Development Plans.