Harriet Wakeman

Public and Administrative

Harriet is regularly instructed in judicial reviews and appeals raising complex and novel issues of public law. She is frequently instructed in high-profile and sensitive litigation, often involving issues of constitutional importance or of significant public interest. Her practice encompasses all areas of public law including national security, immigration, human rights, healthcare, education, social security and EU law. She has appeared before the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court and Upper Tribunal.

Harriet has particular expertise in cases concerning the interpretation of the Withdrawal Agreement across a wide range of public law contexts, as well as deprivation of citizenship appeals, and she has been instructed in many of the leading cases in these areas.  

Prior to joining the Bar, Harriet was the stagiaire to Judge Christopher Vajda at the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg. She is a member of the Attorney General’s B Panel of Counsel. Her writing on public law has been published in the Judicial Review journal and she also recently co-authored a chapter on Article 3 ECHR within the Human Rights Law and Practice textbook (Lexis Nexis, 1st Edition 2025).

Notable recent and current instructions include:

• Secretary of State for the Home Department v Kolicaj [2025] UKSC 49: Successfully appeared before the Supreme Court (led by David Blundell KC) in this appeal concerning procedural fairness in deprivation of citizenship appeals.
• R (Imam) v London Borough of Croydon [2023] UKSC 45: Successfully represented the charity Crisis (led by Justin Bates KC) in an intervention before the Supreme Court which concerned the nature of the duty owed by local authorities to homeless people.
• Onuzi v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 1337, Chaudhry v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 16 and Daci v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 18: Appeared for the successful Secretary of State in three significant deprivation of citizenship appeals before the Court of Appeal (led by David Blundell KC / Julia Smyth KC) concerning the application of the Supreme Court’s decision in R (Begum) v Special Immigration Appeals Commission [2021] AC 765.
• Withdrawal Agreement/EU law litigation: Acted in a number of the leading cases concerning the interpretation of the Withdrawal Agreement and EU law in the wake of Brexit, including Vargova v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWCA Civ 31, Molnar v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWCA Civ 31 (led by Julia Smyth KC) and R (AT) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2023] EWCA Civ 1307 (led by Jason Coppel KC).
• Channel Rescue, Freedom from Torture and Ors v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2022] EWHC 517 (Admin): Acted (led by David Blundell KC) in judicial review proceedings challenging the Secretary of State’s “pushback” policy in respect of migrant vessels crossing the English Channel.
• Immensa laboratory PCR test litigation: Acted (led by Samantha Broadfoot KC) in judicial review proceedings concerning errors in Covid-19 PCR testing at the Immensa laboratory in Wolverhampton.

Public Inquiries and Inquests

Harriet has been instructed in many of the most significant public inquiries and inquests of the past decade, acting both as Counsel to the Inquiry and for core participants and interested persons.

She is recognised as a leading junior for public inquiries and inquests by Chambers and Partners (2026, 2025, 2024) and Legal 500 (2026, 2025) having previously been an ‘Up and Coming’ junior in Chambers and Partners (2023) and a ‘Tier 1 Rising Star’ (Legal 500, 2023 & 2024).

Harriet has extensive experience working within, and leading, teams of counsel in complex, high-profile and sensitive inquiries and investigations. She has questioned witnesses, drafted opening and closing statements, prepared Rule 9 requests, advised on and drafted Rule 10 requests and warning letters, drafted evidence proposals, and advised on issues including national security, legal professional privilege and metadata redaction. She has also designed and overseen large-scale disclosure review exercises involving thousands of documents, including complex technical evidence, ensuring disclosure is conducted efficiently, proportionately and cost-effectively.

Her work has included:

• Counsel to the Southport Inquiry. Press coverage here.
• Counsel to the Brook House Inquiry.  Press coverage here.
• Counsel for His Majesty’s Government in the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry. Press coverage here.
• Counsel for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Press coverage here.
• Counsel for the Department of Health and Social Care in the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
• Counsel for the Department for Transport in the Cranston Inquiry.
• Counsel for the Inquiry in the ‘Bugaled Breizh’ Inquests. Press coverage here.

Harriet also has substantial experience in coronial law. She has acted in numerous inquests, including Article 2 inquests and inquests concerning deaths in prison and police custody. Her work has involved issues including the management of prisoners at risk of suicide and self-harm, healthcare in prisons, drug control measures and prison communication systems.

Drawing on her combined public law and coronial expertise, Harriet advises on judicial reviews and applications under Section 13 of the Coroners Act 1988. She has successfully acted in judicial review proceedings challenging the conclusion of an inquest (press coverage here).

Harriet publishes a regular public inquiry and inquest update for instructing solicitors and clients. To receive the update, please contact Harriet.

Harriet is described in the public inquiry and inquest sections of the leading legal directories as being an “extremely strong practitioner” with “significant experience in major inquests” who is “exceptional in mastering large volumes of material (including complex technical evidence)”. In addition, “her written submissions are superb – detailed and compelling” and “watertight”.

Education

Drawing on her extensive public law practice, Harriet advises and represents individuals, local authorities and government departments in education law matters. She is instructed in judicial reviews and statutory appeals arising in the education context, as well as cases engaging human rights and discrimination issues.

Harriet accepts instructions across a broad range of education law matters, including:

• school admissions, exclusions and academy matters;
• Ofsted and regulatory issues;
• discrimination claims involving schools and higher education institutions;
• special educational needs and disability (SEND), including appeals before the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal;
• disputes concerning responsibility for SEND provision; and
• judicial reviews arising from education and SEND decisions.

EU Law post-Brexit

Harriet has particular expertise in public law cases involving EU law and the interpretation of the Withdrawal Agreement. Her practice encompasses EU law issues arising across immigration, social security and citizens' rights. Harriet is recognised for her expertise in issues including the Withdrawal Agreement and assimilated EU law.

Prior to joining the Bar, Harriet was the stagiaire to Judge Christopher Vajda at the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg.

She has acted in a number of the leading appellate cases concerning the interpretation of the Withdrawal Agreement and EU law following Brexit, including Vargova v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWCA Civ 31, Molnar v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWCA Civ 31 (led by Julia Smyth KC) and R (AT) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2023] EWCA Civ 1307 (led by Jason Coppel KC).

Harriet is available to advise on the interpretation and application of the Withdrawal Agreement and assimilated EU law across the full range of public law disputes.

Immigration

Harriet acts across all areas of immigration and nationality law. She has appeared before the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and Upper Tribunal, and has particular expertise in deprivation of citizenship appeals and in immigration cases involving the interpretation of the Withdrawal Agreement and EU law.

She is recognised as a leading junior for immigration law by Chambers and Partners and Legal 500. The legal directories describe her as providing "sterling service and superb analysis", as "exceptional", with drafting skills that are "quite exceptional", and as the "counsel of choice for complex cases".

Her expertise includes deportation, appeal rights, deprivation of citizenship, nationality (including good character) and sponsorship matters.

Notable recent and current instructions include:

• Secretary of State for the Home Department v Kolicaj [2025] UKSC 49: Successfully appeared before the Supreme Court (led by David Blundell KC) in this appeal concerning procedural fairness in deprivation of citizenship appeals.
• Onuzi v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 1337, Chaudhry v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 16 and Daci v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 18: Appeared for the successful Secretary of State in three significant deprivation of citizenship appeals before the Court of Appeal (led by David Blundell KC / Julia Smyth KC) concerning the application of the Supreme Court’s decision in R (Begum) v Special Immigration Appeals Commission [2021] AC 765.
• Withdrawal Agreement/EU law litigation: Acted in a number of the leading cases concerning the interpretation of the Withdrawal Agreement and EU law following Brexit, including Vargova v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWCA Civ 31, Molnar v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWCA Civ 31 (led by Julia Smyth KC) and R (AT) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2023] EWCA Civ 1307 (led by Jason Coppel KC).

Planning

Harriet practises across planning and environmental law, with particular expertise in disputes raising public law issues. Drawing on her extensive public law experience, she is regularly instructed in planning judicial reviews and statutory reviews before the High Court.

Her recent planning and environmental law work has included:

• Private Bills: Instructed by the City of London Corporation in relation to the City of London (Markets) Bill concerning the repeal of legislation relating to Billingsgate Market and the London Central Markets (led by Richard Turney KC).
• Protected landscapes: Instructed (led by Heather Sargent) in one of the first legal challenges to consider the enhanced duties to further the purpose of protected landscapes, introduced by s.245 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023.
• Planning Inquiries: Acted (led by James Maurici KC) for the developer in a four-week planning inquiry concerning a six-storey building with basement in central London.
• Advisory work: Advised on the meaning of a “town” or “village” for the purposes of the National Planning Policy Framework and the Green Belt Planning Practice Guidance.
• Court of Appeal: R (Redrow Homes Ltd) v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities [2024] EWCA Civ 651: Successfully defended (led by Tom Richards KC) an appeal challenging the award of approximately £30 million of government funding for the remediation of life-threatening fire safety defects at two high-rise developments in Birmingham.

Harriet accepts instructions from clients at all stages of the planning process, from pre-application through to inquiries and court proceedings. Harriet has acted as sole counsel in planning and enforcement appeals, including appeals involving traveller sites and human rights issues.

Harriet is a member of the Planning and Environmental Bar Association and the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association. She regularly delivers talks on topical planning and environmental law issues.

Environment

Harriet practises across planning and environmental law, with a particular interest in environmental disputes raising public law issues. Drawing on her extensive public law experience, she advises and acts in judicial reviews and statutory challenges involving environmental law.

Harriet was recently instructed (led by Heather Sargent) in one of the first legal challenges to consider the enhanced duties to further the purpose of protected landscapes, introduced by s.245 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023.

Harriet is a member of the Planning & Environmental Bar Association, as well as the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association.

Cross-practice

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.

EU Law post-Brexit

Public Interest Litigation

Energy