020 7242 4986 or 0333 240 0591 London | Birmingham | Cardiff
Alex's broad practice focusses heavily on public law and human rights, with an emphasis on social housing, planning and licensing, but also includes aspects of commercial and information law.
Alex advises, drafts and regularly appears in both the civil and criminal courts for central and local government and private clients. His work with senior members of Chambers has given him experience of appellate litigation at Court of Appeal and Supreme Court level.
Clients value Alex's analytical ability and forensic approach to the issues. He is often instructed to appear, unled, against far more experienced barristers. As one instructing solicitor has commented:
"Alex conducted a complex planning case with calmness, thoroughness and politeness. His closing submissions were excellent and unravelled some complex issues that enabled the court to understand the case much better. I have no doubt that his advocacy was a significant reason for our success. I shall be instructing Alex again and have already recommended him to others."
7th April 2020
18th March 2019
In this article published by LexisNexis, Wayne Beglan and Dr Alex Williams discuss Humber Landlords Association v Hull City Council [2019] EWHC 332 (Admin), [2019] All ER (D) 62 (Mar), a case of practical importance to all public authorities engaged in the drafting or revision of policies.
The judgment serves as a stark reminder of the court's central role in interpreting the policy and, in turn, the primacy of the policy itself. It demonstrates that claimants who rely less on the words of the policy and more on individual council officers' summaries of it are unlikely to advance their cases very far.
You can read the article in full here.
News: Public Law and Judicial Review
Obiter remarks now binding: Court of Appeal (radically) alters doctrine of precedent
4th May 2020
Last week a five-judge Court of Appeal handed down R v Barton and Booth [2020] EWCA Crim 575. The decision establishes that R v Ghosh [1982] QB 1053, on dishonesty....Case: Planning and Environment
Planning enforcement orders, time limits and self-certification
16th April 2020
Introduced into the TCPA 1990 by the Localism Act 2011, planning enforcement orders (PEOs) are a powerful tool for local planning authorities (LPAs) seeking to enforce against breaches of planning....Case: Public Law and Judicial Review, Planning and Environment
12th July 2019
The case The Secretary of State has recently dismissed Acorn Braintree Ltd's appeal concerning a proposal for up to 1600 dwellings and associated development on approximately 56.5ha of land on the....Case: Public Law and Judicial Review, Housing, Property, Local Government
High Court upholds Council’s enforcement policy on private sector landlords
12th March 2019
R (Humber Landlords Association) v Hull City Council [2019] EWHC 332 (Admin)
....News: Public Law and Judicial Review, Local Government
New recommendations for councillors from Committee on Standards in Public Life
5th February 2019
On 30 January 2019, the Committee on Standards in Public Life published its long-awaited report on local government ethical standards, reflecting evidence obtained via a consultation exercise carried out from....News: Planning and Environment
Response to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee's inquiry on fracking
24th April 2018
Some of our planning barristers have responded to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee's inquiry into planning guidance on fracking. You can read the response here. Our barristers have extensive experience in....020 7242 4986 or 0333 240 0591
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