Edward was successful in this year's King's Counsel competition. He will be appointed as King's Counsel on 18 March 2024.
"Edward has both great gravitas and the ability to see a case very clearly. He speaks with authority and the court listens to him."
Chambers & Partners 2023
Edward is the head of the specialist Court of Protection team in his Chambers that has seen an exponential growth since its inception in late 2015. Edward has been listed in the Legal 500 for some time and is now a band 3 junior and noted as a ‘confident and articulate advocate’. He deals with the broad spectrum of COP work: from welfare to finances and cases involving consent to medical treatment. Edward is instructed by the Official Solicitor and government departments through his recent appointment to the Attorney General’s Panel of Counsel (Civil B).
The COP team in his Chambers (under his leadership) has now been listed as the number 2 chambers in the list of approved London Chambers for the London Alliance of Local Authorities.
In the past year Edward has appeared in cases mainly against silks/leading juniors and have been involved in significant and important cases in this jurisdiction. The DCJ for East London has invited Edward to prepare an advisory note for all London local authorities on the appropriate mechanism for the transfer of cases from the Family Court to the Court of Protection.
My work
CCG v. AF [2020] EWCOP 16: Mostyn J
Against leading silks a withdrawal of artificial nutrition case. This case was the first ever trial in England and Wales to be conducted by skype and received interesting comment. Edward acted for the local authority.
HS v. [2020] Cobb J and Lieven J
Acting for HS by her deputies. An application for approval of a course of IVF for a protected Chinese national and consequential visits to China by the Deputy.
ST v. CCC: High Court
Acting for CCC. Listed before a s.9 COP judge. Intractable and complex dispute relating to the local authority obtaining access to assess ST whose family are refusing access to him. The case is on-going and is likely to be transferred to the High Court in due course to make orders under the inherent jurisdiction. An important case testing the limits of the local authority’s powers to assess P when family members are not compliant.
VM v. Surrey
Acting for P through the OS. This case is on-going and concerns VM who had her property removed from her by her sons. The case not only involved difficult decisions about the placement of VM but also involved detailed submissions from the OPG as to the extent of the COP’s jurisdiction to set aside a property transfer if this was relevant to VM’s placement. The case is on-going.
LBB v. NB [2017] EWCOP 34
Acting for Father of P. Intractable dispute between the family and the OS and the LA. Each side has differing views of the need for independence of P who is severely disabled but retains some capacity. A important case with the OS instructing leading Counsel and further listing in the High Court before Hayden J. The case has widespread importance for (a) to what extent are the views of family members considered in a hierarchy of importance of views and (b) how best to accommodate the views of P who has been heavily influenced by family members.
RE YW [2016 EWCOP 18]
Acting for a Respondent. Authority on the appointment of panel deputy and determination of best interests in light of a family dispute. Instructed on a direct access basis. It is authority for (a) the importance of medical evidence establishing capacity to make decisions as to finance and (b) the analysis the Court will undertake when considering whether the costs of a deputy are appropriate set against a wide family dispute. Put shortly: whether a panel deputy should be appointed in all cases of family dispute.
What my clients say
- "Ed provides clear expert advice, both on paper and in person. He is hugely energetic and always on the ball". Partner, Bolt Burdon Kemp Solicitors
- "I found Ed both personable and knowledgeable, and he was able to act with the kind of decisiveness and speed that you want when you place your trust in a barrister. The law often seems an unfathomable beast but Ed guided us to an ideal solution. I would be more than happy to recommend Ed to people seeking expert legal counsel". RP, Director, City Financial Services Firm
- "Ed is efficient, thorough and precise with an eye for detail and the enviable ability to separate out and quickly identify which issues go to the heart of a matter and then to investigate and deal with them proactively." Partner, GLP Solicitors