Charlotte Kilroy KC is expert in a wide range of areas of public law, civil law and human rights law. She has diverse experience including in cases concerning asylum, national security, competition law, professional discipline, community care, education, and undercover policing.

She has extensive expertise in bringing judicial review challenges to systems and policies, and has been involved in many of the leading cases on procedural fairness, natural justice and access to court including Al Rawi, Bank Mellat, and Medical Justice. She also acts in claims in tort and human rights against the police and the security services.

She appears in a wide variety of courts and tribunals, and is expert in closed material procedures in the High Court, Special Immigration Appeals Commission and the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

Charlotte is currently representing women deceived by undercover police officers into having sexual relationships at the Undercover Policing Inquiry, acting for Asylum Aid in its challenge to the government's Rwanda scheme and, on behalf of the brother of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, challenging the assistance the UK Foreign Secretary has provided in relation to Mr Kanu's extraordinary rendition and arbitrary detention in Nigeria.

Charlotte is highly rated by both leading independent legal directories, the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners, for her work in Administrative & Public Law, Civil Liberties & Human Rights, and Immigration. Recent comments include:

  • "Charlotte is a true fighter in every sense of the word. She is creative in her approach to complex legal issues and is often ready to take on challenges that others deem too difficult. She is brilliant."- Legal 500, 2024
  • "One of the brightest, most brilliant advocates at the Bar. Her legal analysis is completely flawless. Her strategic understanding is incredibly reliable at identifying where you are likely to have the biggest impact with the court."- Chambers & Partners, 2024

Previous comments included

  • "Charlotte has excellent legal drafting skills – she is very precise and considered. Her strategic direction and tactics for seeking settlement are on point."- Legal 500, 2023
  • "A visionary in terms of strategy. She stands out in the field of immigration as one of the best lawyers around." - Chambers UK, 2023
  • "Charlotte exhibits an erudite mastery of the law in her field combined with a strong tactical instinct and good strategic thinking about the claim overall." - Chambers UK, 2023

Experience

Shortlist

Civil Liberties & Human Rights

Charlotte has extensive experience in Civil Liberties & Human Rights Law.

She has appeared in many of the leading cases on constitutional law, access to justice and procedural fairness including:

(1) On attempts to oust judicial review of tribunal decisions, U v SIAC/Cart [2010] 2 WLR 1012

(2) On natural justice and closed material proceedings, Al Rawi [2012] 1 AC 531 and Bank Mellat [2014] AC 700

(3) On access to court, Medical Justice /FB [2022] QB 185 and Medical Justice [2011] 1 WLR 2852;

(4) On procedural fairness Citizens UK [2018] 4 WLR 123, Detention Action v FTT [2015] 1 WLR 5341, Detention Action v SSHD [2014] EWHC 2245

She has since 2012 represented women who were deceived into sexual relationships by undercover police officers. On their behalf she has brought civil claims in the High Court, Human Rights Act claims in the Investigatory Powers Tribunal and is now representing several Core Participants in the Undercover Police Inquiry. She represented Kate Wilson in her landmark human rights claim against the Metropolitan Police and National Police Chiefs Council. See judgment here.

She continues to act for Libyan nationals bringing civil claims against the security services for their complicity in unlawful detention and ill-treatment at the hands of Colonel Qadhafi's security services (see eg Kamoka v Security Services [2017] EWCA Civ 1665), and for individuals appealing to SIAC against the Home Secretary's decision to deport them or deprive them of citizenship on national security grounds (see eg BB v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] EWCA Civ 9).

Charlotte is also representing the brother of Nnamdi Kanu, the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, and a British citizen who is the victim of extraordinary rendition to Nigeria, in a challenge to the steps the Foreign Secretary has taken to assist him (see R(Kanu) v SSFCDA [2002] EWCA 1598 here) and a woman who is bringing a claim against MI5 in respect of her ill-treatment at the hands of an MI5 agent. See BBC article here.

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Immigration

Charlotte is expert in asylum and immigration law.

She has been involved in many of the key systemic challenges to asylum policies. including successful challenges on procedural fairness and/or access to justice grounds to:

(1) The Home Secretary's Removal Notice Windows policy, Medical Justice /FB [2022] QB 185 and Limited Notice of Removal policy in Medical Justice [2011] 1 WLR 2852;

(2) The Detained Fast-Track decision-making and appellate processes in Detention Action v FTT [2015] 1 WLR 5341, and Detention Action v SSHD [2014] EWHC 2245 leading to the demise of the Detained Fast-Track.

(3) The Expedited Process established by the Home Secretary for processing family reunification claims of unaccompanied children from the 'Jungle' in Calais (Citizens UK [2018] 4 WLR 123).

(4)The President of the Upper Tribunal's decision Covid guidance on dispensing with oral hearings of asylum and human rights appeals, JCWI v President of Upper Tribunal [2021] PTSR 800.

She was instrumental in the litigation which led to hundreds of unaccompanied minors being able for the first time to access safe and lawful routes to family reunification with relatives in the UK under EU Regulation 604/2013 (Dublin III) (see ZT(Syria) [2016] 1 WLR 4894, BAA v SSHD [2021] 4 WLR 124, FWF v SSHD [2021] 1 WLR 3781).

She is also expert in proceedings in SIAC and claims raising national security or other public interest issues. Thus she has represented individuals challenging:

(1) Deportation decisions raising national security issues (see eg BB v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] EWCA Civ 9);

(2) Deprivation of citizenship (current);

(3) Decisions to grant restrictive leave when excluded from refugee status (MS v SSHD [2018] 1 WLR 389; G v SSHD [2018] EWCA Civ 2493).

Charlotte is currently representing Asylum Aid in its challenge to the Rwanda scheme on procedural fairness grounds (R (AAA) and (Asylum Aid) v SSHD [2023] HRLR 4 (on appeal)

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Public & Regulatory

Charlotte has extensive experience in public law litigation, with a long track record of success in constitutional challenges, complex claims, and challenges to systems and policies.

She has appeared in many of the leading cases on constitutional law, access to justice and procedural fairness including:

(1) On attempts to oust judicial review of tribunal decisions, U v SIAC/Cart [2010] 2 WLR 1012

(2) On natural justice and closed material proceedings, Al Rawi [2012] 1 AC 531 and Bank Mellat [2014] AC 700

(3) On access to court, Medical Justice /FB [2022] QB 185;

(4) On procedural fairness Citizens UK [2018] 4 WLR 123 and Detention Action v FTT [2015] 1 WLR 5341.


She has been involved in many key systemic challenges to policies, including successful challenges to:

(1) The Home Secretary's Removal Notice Windows policy, Medical Justice /FB [2022] QB 185 and Limited Notice of Removal policy in Medical Justice [2011] 1 WLR 2852;

(2) The Detained Fast-Track decision-making and appellate processes in Detention Action v FTT [2015] 1 WLR 5341, and Detention Action v SSHD [2014] EWHC 2245 leading to the demise of the Detained Fast-Track.

(3) The Expedited Process established by the Home Secretary for processing family reunification claims of unaccompanied children from the 'Jungle' in Calais (Citizens UK [2018] 4 WLR 123).

(4)The President of the Upper Tribunal's decision Covid guidance on dispensing with oral hearings of asylum and human rights appeals, JCWI v President of Upper Tribunal [2021] PTSR 800.

(5) The Home Secretary's published policy on reunification of unaccompanied minors under EU Regulation 604/2013 (see R(Safe Passage) v SSHD [2022] 1 WLR 165).

She is expert in using judicial review in novel contexts to address intractable problems. Thus she was instrumental in the litigation which led to hundreds of unaccompanied minors being able for the first time to access safe and lawful routes to family reunification with relatives in the UK under EU Regulation 604/2013 (Dublin III) (see ZT(Syria) [2016] 1 WLR 4894, BAA v SSHD [2021] 4 WLR 124, FWF v SSHD [2021] 1 WLR 3781).

She also appeared in the leading case on the police's approach to assessing compliance with Article 8 ECHR when issuing Enhanced Criminal Record Certificates (R(L) v Commissioner of Police [2010] 1 AC 410

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Rule of Law

Charlotte has appeared in many of the leading cases raising constitutional and other issues relating to the rule of law.

(1) On attempts to oust judicial review of tribunal decisions, U v SIAC/Cart [2010] 2 WLR 1012

(2) On natural justice and closed material proceedings, Al Rawi [2012] 1 AC 531 and Bank Mellat [2014] AC 700

(3) On access to court, Medical Justice /FB [2022] QB 185;

(4) On procedural fairness and the duty of candour Citizens UK [2018] 4 WLR 123.

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

EU Law

Charlotte is experienced in EU law, and related issues arising following the UK's exit from the EU.

She was instrumental in the litigation which led to hundreds of unaccompanied minors being able for the first time to access safe and lawful routes to family reunification with relatives in the UK under EU Regulation 604/2013 (Dublin III) (see ZT(Syria) [2016] 1 WLR 4894). She was also involved in a series of challenges in the High Court, Upper Tribunal and the Court of Appeal concerning the implementation of Dublin III (see R(Safe Passage) v SSHD [2022] 1 WLR 165, BAA v SSHD [2021] 4 WLR 124, FWF v SSHD [2021] 1 WLR 3781).

She has appeared in competition cases in the CJEU (see Tokai Carbon and others v European Commission (Graphite Electrodes) [2004] 5 CMLR 28; BPB v European Commission [2008] 5 CMLR 18).

In 2021 she brought a successful challenge on behalf of charity Here for Good to the SSHD's guidance on how absences from the UK due to Covid-19 would impact EU citizens making applications for leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS): see https://www.hereforgoodlaw.org/strategic-litigation.  

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Public International Law

Charlotte is experienced in litigation raising issues of international law in the UK courts. She wrote a key opinion on the lawfulness of the prospective invasion of Iraq see http://lcnp.org/global/CNDLegalOpinion.pdf), and acted on behalf of CND in its request to the Divisional Court for an advisory opinion on the lawfulness of the Iraq war: R (CND) v Prime Minister [2002] EWHC 2777.

She has over a period of some years acted and continues to act for Libyan nationals bringing civil claims against the security services for their complicity in unlawful detention and ill-treatment at the hands of Colonel Qadhafi's security services (see eg Kamoka v Security Services [2017] EWCA Civ 1665)

Charlotte is also representing the brother of Nnamdi Kanu, the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, and a British citizen who is the victim of extraordinary rendition to Nigeria, in a challenge to the steps the Foreign Secretary has taken to assist him (see R(Kanu) v SSFCDA [2002] EWCA 1598 here)

Cases

Grid view
List view

Achievements

Education

Magdalen College, Oxford University BA Honours in Classics

Inner Temple CPE Law Award (1996)

Inner Temple Major Scholarship (1997)

News

VAT registration number: 798630670

Barristers regulated by the Bar Standards Board

+44 (0)207 5831770

Clerks

Staff