Estelle Dehon KC Recognised in The Lawyer’s Hot 100
Planning and Environment, Public Law and Judicial Review

We are delighted to announce that Estelle Dehon KC has been named in The Lawyer’s prestigious Hot 100 list, celebrating her exceptional contributions to public law and environmental litigation.
Estelle’s citation calls her “the Bar’s answer to David Attenborough”, which reflects her recent case highlights and her wider work, including founding Cornerstone Climate in 2023 and co-chairing the Bar Council’s Climate Crisis Working Group. Her recent work highlights include:
- Finch v Surrey County Council: In June 2024, the Supreme Court handed down this landmark judgment, the first climate change case at this level in the UK to consider the climate impacts of fossil fuel development and also a key case on the importance of public participation in environmental decision-making. Estelle appeared for the successful appellant, alongside Marc Willers KC and Ruchi Parekh. Estelle was interviewed about the case on Channel 4 News.
- Cumbria Coal Mine Challenge: Estelle, with Rowan Clapp, successfully represented South Lakeland Action on Climate Change in challenging the controversial coal mine in Whitehaven, Cumbria. In September 2024, the High Court quashed the planning permission on four grounds, including the failure to have regard to the impact of a decision to grant permission for a new coal mine on the ability of the United Kingdom to perform its leadership role in promoting international action to address climate change.
- Lincolnshire Oil Drilling Challenge: Following the Supreme Court’s judgment in Finch, Estelle, with Lois Lane, secured a decision in July 2024 quashing planning permission for an oil drilling project in Lincolnshire, reinforcing the imperative of thorough environmental assessments.
- Net Zero Buildings and Energy Efficiency Standards: Estelle has been advising local authorities across Essex and London on developing planning policies to support low and zero carbon buildings and has authored several public advices on local energy efficiency standards. She has been involved for some time with architects and others advocating for whole life carbon assessments, including as a member of the cross-disciplinary group Don’t Waste Buildings.
- Renewable energy and the Grid: Estelle advises developers and others on renewable energy schemes, including on securing permission for large battery storage developments. She gave both written and oral evidence to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee on the need for reform and flexibility in upgrading the National Grid.
- Environmental Principles: Estelle is representing the environmental charity and think tank Green Alliance in its intervention in the first Court of Appeal case to consider the UK government’s post-Brexit environmental duty, which requires ministers to consider environmental principles in policy-making International work. Estelle also regularly advises and represents environmental regulators, including the Office for Environmental Protection and the Environment Agency.
- International work: Estelle undertakes a range of international work for environmental NGOs, including Opportunity Green and Transport and Environment. She has advised on options for taxing fossil fuels at UK and EU level; provided legal input into briefing papers concerning taxation of aviation fuels and has provided open advice on obligations under the Paris Agreement to address international aviation and shipping emissions.
Estelle’s inclusion in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 is a testament to her unwavering dedication to environmental justice and her impactful advocacy in public law. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to her on this well-deserved recognition.
For more information on Estelle Dehon KC’s work and expertise, please visit her profile on Cornerstone Barristers’ website.