03 10 2024
Upper Tribunal clarifies law on the application of the EU principle of proportionality to the…
Harriet is described in the leading legal directories as a “talented advocate” and an “extremely strong practitioner” who is “exceptional in mastering large volumes of material (including complex technical evidence)” and whose work is “of the highest quality”. Her submissions are “superb – detailed and compelling” and “watertight”. She has an “immense work ethic, and is confident and conscientious” and “her attention to detail and recall of facts is incredible”. In 2020, Harriet was nominated for Advocate’s Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year.
Harriet has experience acting for an array of clients, including individuals, charities, large corporations, district councils, and government. Harriet acts for both claimants and government in her public law work. In her inquest work, Harriet acts for bereaved families, government departments and other interested persons, as well as acting as counsel to the inquest.
Harriet is regularly instructed in high-profile and sensitive matters, as well as cases involving a national security element. She has been instructed in cases in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
Notable recent and current instructions include:
Prior to coming to the Bar, Harriet worked as the stagiaire to Judge Christopher Vajda at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.
Harriet is an experienced and highly sought after public law practitioner. She is frequently instructed in high profile judicial review claims in the Administrative Court, both led and unled, and she acts in appeals before the Upper Tribunal, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. She acts for claimants, defendants and intervening parties, and represents detained clients through Bail for Immigration Detainees. Harriet developed her strong interest in public law whilst working as the stagiaire to Judge Christopher Vajda at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg before coming to the Bar. Harriet accepts instructions in a broad range of public law cases including cases concerning: national security law, human rights law, welfare and social security law, immigration law (including unlawful detention), European Union law, healthcare law, education law and disciplinary law.
Notable recent and current instructions include:
Harriet is an experienced and highly sought after public inquiry and inquest practitioner.
She is recognised for her inquest and public inquiry work as a ‘Tier 1 Rising Star’ (Legal 500, 2023 & 2024) and a leading junior (Band 4) in Chambers and Partners (2024), having previously been an ‘Up and Coming’ junior in Chambers and Partners (2023). She is a member of the Attorney-General’s C-panel of counsel.
Harriet is described in the leading legal directories as being an “extremely strong practitioner” with “significant experience in major inquests” who is “steeped in the law” of inquests and inquiries. She is “exceptional in mastering large volumes of material (including complex technical evidence), and her research skills are second to none”. In addition, “her written submissions are superb – detailed and compelling” and “watertight”. Her work is “of the highest quality” and “her attention to detail and recall of facts is incredible. She has an immense work ethic, and is confident and conscientious”. She is also a “talented advocate, having great attention to detail and providing great submissions”.
Harriet has extensive experience as counsel to inquiries and counsel to inquests, as well as experience acting for core participants and interested persons. She has appeared in many of the major public inquiries and inquests over the past five years. Harriet acts for bereaved families, government departments and other interested persons, as well as acting as counsel to the inquest and inquiry.
Notable recent and current instructions include:
In addition, Harriet has been instructed in a number of inquests concerning deaths in prisons. This work has involved a consideration of issues such as the management of prisoners at risk of suicide and self-harm, drug control measures, healthcare within prisons and internal prison communication systems. Harriet appears in Article 2 and jury inquests.
Given her public law and inquest experience, Harriet is ideally placed to advise and act in judicial review and statutory review (Section 13 of the Coroners Act 1988) challenges to coronial decisions. Harriet recently acted for a successful Claimant in a judicial review claim challenging the conclusion of an inquest (press coverage here).
Harriet accepts instructions in all aspects of education law, including:
Harriet is building a broad practice across planning and environmental law, spanning a full range of court, inquiry and advisory work. She is particularly interested in the intersection between planning and environmental law and public law.
Harriet accepts instructions, both led and unled, in all areas of planning law, advising individuals, local authorities, planning consultants and land agents across a wide range of matters. She is a member of the Attorney-General’s C-panel of counsel.
Harriet accepts instructions from clients at all stages of the planning process, from pre-application through to court challenge. Harriet has acted as sole counsel in planning and enforcement appeals, including appeals involving traveller sites and human rights issues. In addition, Harriet has significant experience in drafting skeleton arguments and pleadings in High Court judicial review proceedings.
Harriet is currently instructed in a number of judicial review claims concerning the funding of cladding remediation work under the Building Safety Fund. In addition, from 2018 – 2022, Harriet acted for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry which enabled her to develop a detailed understanding of the construction industry and the relevant regulatory and testing regimes.
Harriet is a member of the Planning & Environmental Bar Association, as well as the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association. She recently delivered a talk on topical issues in planning reform which concerned the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill and the National Planning Policy Framework.
Harriet is building a broad practice across planning and environmental law, spanning a full range of court, inquiry and advisory work. She is particularly interested in the intersection between planning and environmental law and public law.
Harriet is a member of the Planning & Environmental Bar Association, as well as the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association.
Landmark's barristers often work at the intersection of our core practice areas; bringing a wide range of skills, knowledge and experience to bear on a particular dispute or issue facing a client.
Our focus is always on achieving the best possible outcome for our client. By viewing the client's objectives in a holistic way - and not purely through the lens of one rigidly-defined legal area - we deliver the best possible advice and representation in complex matters that engage multiple specialist areas of law.
Whether it's providing support as an individual cross-practice barrister or a cross-disciplinary team of Landmark counsel, we are able to draw on an outstanding array of complementary skillsets and knowledge bases. This often achieves a better result than instructing multiple barristers from different specialist sets. This also improves the quality of client care through increased levels of communication, quicker response times, and a coordinated approach to clerking and fees, made possible by our team-based cross-practice approach.
Please contact our practice management team for more information.
Harriet has a busy and varied costs practice. She acts in all aspects of cost litigation and litigation funding, both as sole counsel and led.
Harriet has experience in costs law cases in both the High Court and Senior Courts Costs Office, as well as the County Court. Harriet has acted in claims concerning significant sums of costs: recently, she acted for the Lord Chancellor before a Divisional Court in a challenge to an order made by a Crown Court judge concerning the recovery of private prosecution costs out of public funds which totalled just under £6 million.
Harriet acts in detailed assessment hearings and has experience dealing with a wide range of costs issues including the cost consequences of Part 36 offers, qualified one-way costs shifting, and wasted costs. Harriet has particular experience in costs budgeting, fixed costs and RTA portal cases as a result of her early years of practice, when she undertook personal injury law work.
Harriet has written a number of articles on costs litigation and her articles on JLE (A Child) v Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2019] EWHC 1582 (QB) and X v Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust (Unreported, Sheffield County Court, 25/02/19) were published in the Personal Injury Law Journal.
Public Inquiries and Inquests
Education
Energy and Utilities
EU Law post-Brexit
High Court Planning
Highways and Public Rights of Access
Human Rights and Civil Liberties
Housing and homelessness
Immigration
International
Judicial Review
Local Government including Local Government Finance
National Security
NHS, Health and Community Care
Procurement and Subsidy Control
Protest Law
Social Security
Commercial/Retail
Development Consent Orders
Development Contribution: Section 106 and CIL
Development Plans and other planning policy
Energy
Environment
Green Belt
Heritage
Highways, Footpaths and Rights of Way
Infrastructure
Minerals and Waste
Neighbourhood Planning
Planning Appeals, Inquiries and Hearings
Planning Crime
Planning Enforcement and Injunctions
Planning Judicial and Statutory Reviews
Residential
Aarhus Convention and Environmental Justice
Air Quality
Climate Change and Emissions Trading
Ecology and Biodiversity
Energy
Environmental Assessment (Environmental Outcomes)
Environmental Enforcement
Environmental information
Environmental Regulation
Habitats and Species
Nuisance
Pollution and Contaminated Land
Protection of the Countryside
Utilities
Waste
Water
Wildlife
Costs Litigation
EU Law post-Brexit
Local Government
Public Interest Litigation
I would recommend her as an extremely strong practitioner who is great at getting into submissions; her work was of the highest quality."
cases
03 10 2024
Upper Tribunal clarifies law on the application of the EU principle of proportionality to the…
news
17 06 2024
Landmark Chambers' barristers feature in the 2024 Pro Bono Recognition List
cases
17 06 2024
Harriet Wakeman successfully defends Building Safety Fund appeal in the Court of Appeal
blog
12 06 2024
Inquests and Inquiries Update – April - May 2024
Public and Administrative Law
blog
16 04 2024
Update on the Article 2 investigative duty in inquests: R. (on the application of Parkin) v HM…
Public and Administrative Law
news
06 03 2024
Opening Hearing of the Cranston Inquiry
inquiry
06 02 2024
The Dawn Sturgess Inquiry
blog
23 01 2024
Case Note: R. (on the application of Bryan) v HM Coroner for Buckinghamshire [2024] EWHC 26…
Public and Administrative Law
Appointed to the Attorney General’s C Panel of Junior Counsel
Inquests and Public Inquiries, Chambers and Partners, 2024
Inquests and Public Inquiries, Chambers and Partners, 2024
Inquests and Inquiries, Legal 500, 2024
Inquests and Public Inquiries, Chambers and Partners, 2023
Inquests and Inquiries, Legal 500, 2023
Contact our friendly and helpful Practice Managers for more information about our barristers and services or to make an enquiry.