Profile
Christopher accepts instructions across all Chambers’ practice areas with a focus on public law, planning and environmental law, and costs and litigation funding. He is a member of the Attorney General’s C Panel of Counsel. He has a busy court and advisory practice and regularly appears, both led and unled, in the High Court, County Court, Court of Protection, and planning inquiries.
Christopher is ranked as a Rising Star in the Legal 500, 2025 in Planning and has been ranked as one of the top 20 junior planning barristers under 35.
Christopher is a contributing author to the White Book, Costs and Funding supplement and is a contributing expert to Lexis Nexis PSL in the fields of planning and costs law.
He is a member of ALBA, PEBA, UKELA, and PIBA.
Christopher is willing to accept pro bono instructions in appropriate cases.
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Elliott Hurrell
Director of Clerking
Additional Information
Christopher previously worked for the Legal Aid Practitioner’s Group as an assistant to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Legal Aid where he helped draft the 2021 Westminster Commission on Legal Aid’s inquiry report on the “Sustainability and Recovery of the Legal Aid Sector”. Christopher served as the elected chair of Amnesty International UK’s National Conference and AGM from 2018-2021. Christopher also worked as a research assistant to Professor Dame Hazel Genn and co-authored a chapter on Lady Hale’s access to justice in, “Justice for Everyone – the Jurisprudence and Legal Lives of Brenda Hale,” Cambridge University Press, 2022.
Additional Information
Christopher previously worked for the Legal Aid Practitioner’s Group as an assistant to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Legal Aid where he helped draft the 2021 Westminster Commission on Legal Aid’s inquiry report on the “Sustainability and Recovery of the Legal Aid Sector”. Christopher served as the elected chair of Amnesty International UK’s National Conference and AGM from 2018-2021. Christopher also worked as a research assistant to Professor Dame Hazel Genn and co-authored a chapter on Lady Hale’s access to justice in, “Justice for Everyone – the Jurisprudence and Legal Lives of Brenda Hale,” Cambridge University Press, 2022.
Contact Us
Elliott Hurrell
Director of Clerking
Areas Of Expertise
Christopher has a busy planning and environment practice, is ranked as a ‘Rising Star’ in the Legal 500 2025, and has been ranked as one of the top 20 junior planning barristers under 35. He acts for a range of clients including Central and Local Government, landowners, developers and individual claimants. Christopher is frequently instructed to advise on planning and environmental matters and has experience appearing at planning inquiries, and in the High Court on planning appeals and judicial reviews. He is a headnoter for the Property, Planning and Compensation reports and is a co-editor of Chambers’ Planning, Environment and Property Newsletter.
His work in practice includes:
- Advising the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government regarding implementation of the NPPF.
- Being instructed as sole counsel for a local planning authority in a four-day enforcement inquiry relating to four joined planning enforcement appeals covering an extensive 8.5ha site in the green belt.
- Sitting as the legal advisor to a local authority’s planning committee.
- Acting for an appeallant in an appeal against an enforcement notice alleging the unauthorised change of use from a C3 Dwellinghouse to a C4 House in Multiple Occupation.
- Being led by Richard Wald KC to advise local authorities on their powers in relation to restricting advertising of ‘high carbon’ products.
- Being led by Richard Wald KC to advise a local authority in relation to proposals to dock an asylum barge in their area.
- A two day judicial review before Mr Justice Eyre, led by Daniel Stedman Jones, acting for the Claimant where the Defendant Local Authority’s Environmental Impact Assessment was found to be unlawful on rationality grounds R (Pennine House Limited) v Bradford MDC [2024] EWHC 608 (KB).
- Being led by Daniel Stedman Jones in a statutory review of a refusal by the Welsh Ministers to grant planning permission for a solar farm on best and most versatile agricultural land.
- Acting for a local authority in a four-day rights of way inquiry.
- Regularly working with a local authority to advise on rights of way related issues.
Christopher is particularly interested in construction and property law and was led by David Sawtell in an adjudication arising from the delivery of ~£10m of defective metalwork.
During pupillage, Christopher worked on a range of commercial and construction matters including:
- Assisting Paul Darling KC and David Hopkins in the drafting of a skeleton argument seeking permission to appeal against a refusal to award summary judgment on enforcement of adjudication award.
- Conducting research for David Sawtell on the Building Safety Act 2022.
- Advising on the validity of a deed executed by only one party.
- Drafting a skeleton argument opposing an application to set aside a statutory demand.
Christopher has a broad public law practice with experience workling for central and local government bodies, campaign groups and individual claimants.
His work in practice includes:
- Working with Jonathan Seitler KC advising a local authority on potential public law challenges to the tabling of a commercial offer to purchase a significant parcel of land.
- Acting on behalf of a claimant, led by Duncan Sinclair, in a judicial review of a decision taken by a Suitably Qualified Person appointed by the Secretary of State under the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002. The case was concluded by consent after permission was granted.
- Acting on behalf of a claimant public limited company, led by Duncan Sinclair, in a judicial review of a decision by Ofgem.
- Acting as junior counsel, led by Katherine Apps KC and Daniel Laking, in a judicial review claim brought by APIL challenging elements of the fixed costs reforms. The case was concluded by consent.
- Advising the Department for Environment Farming and Rural Affairs on the implementation of secondary legislation under the Animals (Penalty Notices) Act 2022.
- Drafting pleadings in judicial review claims for several Government departments
- Assisting in reviewing environmental legislation for a Government agency.
Christopher has a broad civil liabiltiy practice and appears regularly in the County Court in fast track and multi-track claims. He is frequently instructed to draft pleadings and advise on claims including on settlement, and enforcement methods in relation to orders for costs and damages following trial.
His experience includes:
- Advising a number of Government departments on claims brought against them.
- Extensive experience of employers’ liability, public liability, and highways act claims.
- Acting for both claimants and defendants in the full range of civil liability proceedings in the County Court.
Christopher has an extensive costs and litigation funding practice. He is regularly instructed on costs matters on behalf of Claimants and Defendants in the Senior Courts Costs Office, High Court, and County Court. Christopher is a contributing author to the White Book, Costs and Funding supplement and worked closely with a London law firm’s costs team for ~2 years advising on, and drafting pleadings and witness statements in relation to costs and funding issues.
Christopher is well placed to assist in cases where his specialisms overlap, for example in recovery of costs following a planning appeal, and detailed assessments arising out of public or planning law proceedings
His experience includes:
- Acting for the successful Class Representative in Alex Neill Class Representative Limited v Sony [2023] CAT 73, led by Nicola Greaney KC, the first decision to address the validity of a PCR’s funding arrangements following the Supreme Court’s judgment in Paccar. Christopher assisted in preparing submissions on the enforceability of the PCR’s revised funding arrangements, and consequential submissions relating to the costs of the proceedings [2024] CAT 13.
- Acting as junior counsel, led by Katherine Apps KC and Daniel Laking, in a judicial review claim brought by APIL challenging elements of the fixed costs reforms. The case was concluded by consent.
- Drafting points of dispute and advising the Paying Party in costs proceedings in the Supreme Court.
- Frequently being instructed to represent receiving and paying parties at Detailed Assessment.
- Extensive experience drafting replies to points of dispute.
- Appearing in the Family Court to oppose the making of a non-party costs order against a mental health charity.
Christopher regularly appears as sole counsel in the Court of Protection on the welfare pathway. He acts for a range of parties including local authorities, P’s relations, integrated care boards, and the Official Solicitor. Christopher has also appeared in the High Court on Court of Protection, and related, matters including deprivation of liberty applications under the High Court’s inherent jurisdiction.
