Ruchi Parekh

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Ruchi has a broad public law practice with particular expertise in planning and environment, information, local government and election law. She is ranked as a leading junior in both environment and planning law (Legal 500), as well as “up and coming” in data protection law (Chambers & Partners). She was recognised in The Planner’s Women of Influence in 2023 – one of only two barristers to feature on the list. Ruchi was also named in the 2023 ENDS Report’s Power List of the most influential environmental professionals in the UK. She is a member of the Attorney General’s C Panel of Counsel.

Ruchi also has experience in a range of related areas including education, licensing, and housing law.

She is regularly instructed by public bodies, including central and local government, NGOs, private clients and community groups.

Ruchi has an LLM from Harvard Law School, where she was awarded a Public Service Fellowship, and an LLB (First Class Honours) from the London School of Economics, where she won several prizes including two for best overall performance in the year. Ruchi was awarded the Stephen Chapman Scholarship from Inner Temple.

Ruchi’s previous experience includes human rights litigation in domestic courts in eastern Europe and southern and eastern Africa, and the European Court of Human Rights, while working at Interights. She provided advice and training to NGOs and has conducted workshops in Ukraine and Georgia on international human rights standards.

Prior to coming to the bar, Ruchi worked as a legal officer at JUSTICE for two years, where she led the civil justice program. Her work included co-authoring Delivering Justice in an Age of Austerity (with Sir Stanley Burnton) on the reform of the civil courts and tribunals.

Ruchi was an Associate Editor of New York University Law School’s legal blog, Just Security, and a Teaching Fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies. She has also worked with Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic and the Constitution Unit (UCL).

Expertise

Public Law and Judicial Review
Ruchi has a broad administrative and public law practice, and regularly advises and represents both public bodies and private clients in this area. Her experience spans environment, planning, local government, information, education, housing, licensing and election law. She is a member of the Attorney General’s C Panel of Counsel.

Ongoing and recent notable cases include:
- Representing the claimant group challenging the grant of development consent for the Sizewell C nuclear power station (with Dr Ashley Bowes, led by David Wolfe KC)
- Representing the community group challenging the ‘Jet Zero Strategy’, the Government’s plan to achieve net zero in the aviation industry (led by Estelle Dehon KC)
- R (CDE) v Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council [2023] EWHC 194 (Admin): the first High Court ruling on the interaction between the Public Sector Equality Duty and licensing of sexual entertainment venues (led by Josef Cannon).
- Moss v Kingston-upon-Thames RBC [2021] EWHC 1032 (Admin): Leading authority establishing that the right of inspection in respect of local authority accounts is not limited by reference to the time or cost of compliance (led by Ranjit Bhose KC).
- Taylor v Slough BC [2020] EWHC 3520 (Ch): Successfully defending an appeal against a possession order, focused on the Public Sector Equality Duty and the issue of ‘late compliance’ in a social housing context.
- Kingston-upon-Thames RLBC v Moss [2020] EWCA Civ 1381: Test case (on behalf of a consortium of London boroughs) challenging the decision in Jones v London Borough of Southwark on water re-selling (led by Ranjit Bhose KC).
- Christian Peoples Alliance v The Electoral Commission (2019) (Case no. E40CL201): Successfully defending a statutory appeal against the imposition of discretionary monetary penalties for failures to comply with statutory requirements during the 2017 General Election.
- Upson v Mitchell [2019] EWHC 3517 (QB): Successfully defending an election petition which sought to challenge the validity of a town council election result.
- Kitchener-Pope v Governing Body of Peacehaven Community School [2019] EWHC 2666 (Admin): Representing the successful Academy Trust in defeating a judicial review claim challenging the decision to convert a school into an academy.
- Powell v Dacorum BC [2019] EWCA Civ 23: Leading appellate ruling on the context-specific nature of the Public Sector Equality Duty (led by Andrew Lane).
- R (Peters) v Haringey LBC [2018] EWHC 192 (Admin): Successfully defending the lawfulness of the Haringey Development Vehicle, in the first High Court ruling on the scope of ‘commercial purpose’ in the context of the ‘general power of competence’ (led by Ranjit Bhose KC).
Ruchi is able to advise public body clients at all stages of decision-making, including in relation to equality impact assessments and the proper discharge of its public law duties.

She was part of the Cornerstone team advising the Department of Media, Culture and Sport on the implementation of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation into domestic law. She was also part of the legal team for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea ahead of the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Planning and Environment
Ruchi has a broad planning law practice spanning judicial reviews, statutory appeals and planning inquiries. She is regularly instructed by central and local government, NGOs, developers and resident groups across the full range of planning, environment and highway matters. She is ranked as a leading junior in Legal 500 in both environment and planning law.

Ruchi’s experience includes large residential and retail schemes as well as nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs). She has particular expertise in matters related to climate change and renewable energy. She has advised on various issues, including policy interpretation, affordable housing requirements, neighbourhood development plans, enforcement, section 106 agreements, and the Public Sector Equality Duty (which has played an increasingly important role in planning law in recent years).

Recent and ongoing court cases include:
- Representing the claimant group challenging the grant of development consent for the Sizewell C nuclear power station (with Dr Ashley Bowes, led by David Wolfe KC)
- Representing the community group challenging the ‘Jet Zero Strategy’, the Government’s plan to achieve net zero in the aviation industry (led by Estelle Dehon KC)
- Armstrong v SSLUHC [2023] EWHC 176 (Admin): Leading authority on the scope of s.73 TCPA 1990 and whether it extends to a “fundamental variation” of the original planning permission.
- R (Addison) v Southwark LBC [2022] EWHC 3211 (Admin): Challenging the redevelopment of Dulwich Hamlet Football Club, which would result in the loss of a well-loved community pitch.
- R (Thurston Parish Council) v Mid Suffolk DC [2022] EWCA Civ 1417: Successfully defending outline planning permission for a 210-dwelling scheme, in a key judgment emphasising the distinction between the interpretation and application of planning policy (led by Tom Cosgrove KC).
- R (SPVRG Ltd) v Pembrokeshire CC [2022] EWHC 143 (Admin): Successfully defending a s.73 permission for a holiday caravan park (led by James Findlay KC).
- R (Ewans) v Mid Suffolk DC [2021] EWHC 511 (Admin): Successfully defending outline planning permission for a 300-dwelling development outside the established village settlement boundary (led by Tom Cosgrove KC).
- R (Chapman) v West Suffolk DC CO/4455/2020. Defending a judicial review challenge against the alleged failure to properly assess impacts on designated heritage assets.
- R (Powell) v Herefordshire Council CO/3109/2018. Representing local residents in successfully quashing planning permission for residential development where the planning authority had been misled about the weight to be attributed to an emerging neighbourhood plan.
- Representing a highway authority in a dispute over the highway status of a highly contested parcel of land (led by James Findlay KC).
Recent and ongoing Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) include:
- Sunnica solar farm in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire (representing the host local planning authority).
- Sizewell C nuclear power station (with Dr Ashley Bowes) (representing the local community group).
- East Anglia ONE North and TWO offshore windfarms (with Michael Bedford KC) (representing the host county council).
Recent inquiries and hearings include:
- Two-week inquiry successfully resisting retail development in the setting of a conservation area (led by Richard Ground KC).
- Representing a local authority, in support of the Environment Agency, in resisting redevelopment on a site known for historic groundwater pollution.
- Resisting an extension to a chapel to provide a new crematorium, with a focus on the proper interpretation of national policy on the extension of buildings in the Green Belt.
- Acting in numerous appeals against enforcement notices as well as refusals of lawful development certificates.
Information Law
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Ruchi is experienced in information law and is regularly instructed to advise and represent both private clients and public bodies in this field. Recent notable cases include Ittihadieh v 5-11 Cheyne Gardens RTM Co Ltd & Ors (Court of Appeal) (led by Philip Coppel KC) on the scope of the subject access request provisions in the DPA 1998.

Ruchi has advised a number of clients – including local authorities, private companies and sole traders – on preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and can provide bespoke training in this area.

She frequently advises local authority clients on issues arising from requests for information (under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as well as the Environmental Information Regulations).

Ruchi was also part of the Cornerstone team advising the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on the implementation of the GDPR into domestic law.
- NEW BRIEFING – Local authorities post COVID-19. All you need to know01 Jul 2020

Ruchi is exceptional: her writing is excellent, she's extremely approachable and is sensible. She's someone to watch in the future.
Chambers UK Bar (2023)

A diligent barrister with impressive planning expertise, she has an exceptional command of the law, is extremely strategic, and gives clear, comprehensive advice.
Legal 500 (2023)