Practice Overview
Rebecca read 'Law with Law Studies in Europe' (French Law) at Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, obtaining an upper second class. She spent her third year studying at Universite Pantheon-Assas (Paris II).After finishing her degree she completed the Bar Vocational Course at Cardiff University and was classed as outstanding. Rebecca was also awarded the Baron Dr. Ver Heyden de Lancey Prize by Middle Temple for her particularly high result in the Bar exams.
Rebecca has quickly developed a busy practice in family law, dealing with all private law applications, injunctions, ancillary relief and cohabitee disputes.
She has also established a strong practice in the field of immigration and asylum acting regularly for Appellants before the Immigration and Asylum Chamber in both the First and Upper Tier, and thereafter on further appeals to the Court of Appeal or judicial review applications.
In addition to judicial review applications relating to immigration and asylum, Rebecca advises and represents Local Authorities in judicial review proceedings challenging decisions in relation to children and adult social services and education.
She also regularly undertakes instructions in the field of personal injury and contract law and is happy to accept instructions on a CFA basis.
Education
• BA (Hons) Law with Law Studies in Europe
• BVC (Outstanding) Cardiff University
Memberships
• Public Law Associations
Notable and Reported Cases
Rebecca represented three separate Appellants (all adult dependents of former Gurkha soldiers) in relation to their applications for settlement in the UK on the basis of (1) an extra-statutory policy issued by the Secretary of State for the Home Department applicable to adult dependents and (2) their right to respect for family life under article 8(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights (1950). Importantly the Upper Tribunal held that family life will usually exist for the purpose of article 8(1) if financial dependency is established between an adult child and parent. Moreover, whilst contrived dependency would not carry any weight in an Article 8 assessment, dependency did not necessarily have to be of necessity rather than choice.
Rebecca, led by Richard Drabble QC, represented two Appellants, who were again adult dependents of former Gurkha veterans. This case concerned the correct interpretation of the same extra-statutory policy considered in Pun and others. The Court of Appeal confirmed that the policy was discretionary and it was not the case that settlement would be granted simply upon satisfaction of the first, plus one other, of the factors enumerated in the policy.