Steven Kovats KC

Year of Call 1989 Silk 2010

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Steven Kovats KC

Year of Call 1989 Silk 2010

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Profile

Steven Kovats KC is a public law specialist who, prior to taking silk, was on the Attorney General’s A Panel for civil litigation. Steven’s practice covers all aspects of public law. His clients include central and local government and other public bodies as well as private persons. He has particular expertise in immigration law, criminal justice and human rights and he has acted in high profile cases in all these areas, including 13 cases in the House of Lords or Supreme Court, over 75 cases in the Court of Appeal, as well as cases in Luxembourg and Strasbourg. He appears regularly in courts and tribunals at all levels.

Cases

House of Lords & Supreme Court Cases

  • R (Noone) v Secretary of State for Justice [2010] UKSC 30 1 WLR 1743 (prisons)
  • R (G) v Southwark LBC [2009] UKHL 26 [2009] 1 WLR 1299 (children)
  • R (James, Lee, Walker) v Ministry of Justice [2009] UKHL 22 [2010] 1 AC 553 (prisons)
  • ZT (Kosovo) v Home Secretary [2009] UKHL 6 [2009] 1 WLR 348 (immigration)
  • Chikwamba v Home Secretary [2008] UKHL 40 [2008] 1 WLR 1420 (immigration)
  • R (Clift) v Home Secretary [2006] UKHL 54 [2007] 1 AC 484 (prisons)
  • R v Longworth [2006] UKHL 1 [2006] 1 WLR 313 (sentencing)
  • R (R) v Durham Constabulary [2005] UKHL 21 [2005] 1 WLR 1184 (sentencing)
  • R (Green) v Police Complaints Authority [2004] UKHL 6 [2004] 1 WLR 725 (disclosure)
  • R (Daly) v Home Secretary [2001] UKHL 26 [2001] 2 AC 532 (prisons)
  • R v Home Secretary ex p Simms [2000] 2 AC 115 (prisons)
  • R v Home Secretary ex p Francois [1999] 1 AC 43 (sentencing)
  • R v Gloucestershire County Council ex p Barry [1997] AC 584 (community care)

European Cases

  • C-357/98 R v Home Secretary ex p Yiadom [2000] ECR I-9265 (immigration)
  • C-268/99 Jany v Staatssecretaris van Justitie [2001] ECR I-8615 (immigration)
  • C-235/99 R v Home Secretary ex p Kondova [2001] ECR I-6427 (immigration)
  • Bensaid v UK [2001] 33 EHRR 205 (immigration)
  • Szuluk v UK (2009) 50 EHRR 227 (prisons)
  • Clift v UK, application 7205/07 (2010) (prisons)
  • Nilsen v UK, application 36882/05 (2010) (prisons)

Significant Cases

  • R (Tigere) v Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills [2014] EWCA Civ 1216 (student loans)
  • R (Miranda) v Home Secretary [2014] 1 WLR 3140 (DC) (terrorism)
  • R (Bancoult) v Foreign Secretary (No.3) [2014] 1 WLR 2921 (CA) (marine protected area)
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Recommendations

‘Steven is an assertive advocate.’

Chambers and Partners, 2026

‘Steven puts his arguments across with great force.’

Chambers and Partners, 2025

‘He has all bases covered. He is all over the detail, from the high level to the minutiae. He has great presence in court. Clients love him.’ ‘Concise and to the point. Judges like him because he doesn’t take points without merit.’

Chambers and Partners, 2017

‘A top performer in administrative and public law, with unrivalled experience.’

Legal 500, 2016

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