"He is extremely diligent, studious on the paperwork, and his advocacy has been great."
Hugh Southey has led at all levels up to and including the Supreme Court as well as in the Privy Council, European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. In particular he has led in 26 hearings before the Supreme Court. These hearings have covered topics as diverse and important as European Union citizenship, the system of disclosure of criminal convictions and the extent of the common law right to a fair hearing.
Hugh specialises in public law in a wide range of fields including human rights, immigration, crime, extradition, mental health, terrorism (including TPIMs and the Special Immigration Appeals Commission), inquests, discrimination, privacy and elections. Hugh litigates public law and human rights arguments both in judicial review proceedings and civil claims. Hugh also appears in criminal appeals and Court of Protection matters.
Hugh advises a range of clients including national institutions, corporate clients, trades unions and individuals.
Hugh has litigated and advised in a number of jurisdictions outside England and Wales including Northern Ireland, Ireland, the United States of America, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos.
Hugh is an A-Panel member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Panel of Preferred Counsel.
Hugh is a Deputy High Court Judge and a Recorder who sits in the Crown Court. He is also an Acting Justice of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands and was formerly an Assistant Justice of the Supreme Court of Bermuda.
Hugh is called in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Hugh is an author of Judicial Review: A Practical Guide (LexisNexis) as well as founding editor of the United Kingdom Human Rights Reports.
Since being called to the Bar Hugh has written regularly on public law and human rights. He recently wrote (with Amanda Weston, Jude Bunting and Raj Desai) Judicial Review: A Practical Guide (3rd Edition). He also edited (with Lord Justice Fulford) the United Kingdom Human Rights Reports. He wrote (again with Lord Justice Fulford) A Criminal Practitioners Guide to Judicial Review and Case Stated. He wrote chapters in Human Rights in the Investigation and Prosecution of Crime and Judicial Review: Law and Practice.
16 October 2019 – Justice Human Rights Conference – Human Rights and Criminal Justice
26 September 2019 – IBA Seoul – ‘Stateless children: orphanage tourism’
8 November 2018 – Matrix – Sports immigration following Brexit
24 May 2018 – Human Rights Lawyers Association – Immigration detention
21 March 2017 – Defence Extradition Lawyers’ Forum – Extradition and Immigration Law
Admitted as a solicitor in 1991 but transferred to the Bar in 1996. As a solicitor Hugh headed the immigration and crime department at Glazer Delmar and assisted the firm to become one of the first firms to obtain a Legal Aid franchise.
ILPA, Association of Prison Lawyers, Administrative Law Bar Association, Mental Health Lawyers Association, Human Rights Lawyers Association, Legal Action, Liberty, Justice, Amnesty International.
Hugh is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to my clients, including advice and representation services, Hugh needs to collect and hold personal data. This includes his client’s personal data and the personal data of others who feature in the matter upon which he is instructed. To read Hugh’s privacy notice in full, please see here.
"He is extremely diligent, studious on the paperwork, and his advocacy has been great."
"Hugh is a key player in human rights law. He is completely on top of the facts and knows the case law inside out."
"I think he is just absolutely top-drawer in every respect. A brilliant lawyer who is straight as a die, both with opponents and courts. Ferociously hard-working; a stellar act."
"Hugh is excellent."
"Hugh is an excellent silk and one of the best in the field. He is incredibly knowledgeable about all things immigration related and has unrivalled experience on the claimant side in arguing some of the most cutting edge cases of the day."
"Wonderfully supportive and approachable. Completely on top of the facts and knows the case law inside out."
"I would particularly praise Hugh for his client service. He is always approachable and supportive. He makes the law and litigation exciting." "A thoughtful and clever advocate."
"He's is reliable, efficient and very good with clients. He also understands the benefits of working well with those who instruct him." "He has encyclopaedic knowledge and is a determined advocate."
"He is the go-to barrister for complex multi-party human rights claims."
"Very well liked by solicitors and is instructed in a huge number of cases."
"A go to barrister who gets right to the heart of the issues. Formidable with his opponents."
"Not afraid to take difficult cases and pursue them to the absolute end."
"Hugh is very creative with his ideas and legal arguments and operates at a high level of legal thought. He is always up to date with the latest developments in domestic law but also drawing on developments internationally."
"A go-to barrister who gets right to the heart of the issues. Formidable with his opponents, and excellent with clients. Someone you definitely want on your side."
"One of the leading practitioners in prison law. Vast experience and encyclopaedic knowledge of the cases in that field. An engaging advocate to whom the court will listen."
"An incredibly thorough analyst of material who provides very clear and precise written work."
"Hugh’s breadth of experience in criminal justice issues gives him a unique perspective and very diverse knowledge base."
"He is a very creative lawyer who is fearless, and fights relentlessly for clients. He is very impressive and rated highly." "Produces high-quality work quickly and thoroughly, in a very compelling and persuasive way. He is very experienced and hard-working, and is well respected by the judiciary."
"He is a very creative and fearless lawyer who fights relentlessly for his clients." "Hugh is very sharp, always on top of his brief and is very responsive."
"He's very creative and fearless, and will fight relentlessly for his clients." "The most approachable and down-to-earth silk you will come across."
"He is quite creative and bold in the points he takes."
"An incredibly thorough analyst of material and very clear and precise written work."
"Sharp, responsive and always on top of his brief."
"Brilliant; he is such a specialist in what he does, he’s logical in court and he’s fantastic with the clients."
"He is extremely diligent, studious on the paperwork, and his advocacy has been great."
Chambers & Partners 2024
Contact Hugh: hughsouthey@matrixlaw.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7404 3447
Contact Hugh's Practice Team (Team X): TeamX@matrixlaw.co.uk
Hugh Southey has led at all levels up to and including the Supreme Court as well as in the Privy Council, European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. In particular he has led in 26 hearings before the Supreme Court. These hearings have covered topics as diverse and important as European Union citizenship, the system of disclosure of criminal convictions and the extent of the common law right to a fair hearing.
Hugh specialises in public law in a wide range of fields including human rights, immigration, crime, extradition, mental health, terrorism (including TPIMs and the Special Immigration Appeals Commission), inquests, discrimination, privacy and elections. Hugh litigates public law and human rights arguments both in judicial review proceedings and civil claims. Hugh also appears in criminal appeals and Court of Protection matters.
Hugh advises a range of clients including national institutions, corporate clients, trades unions and individuals.
Hugh has litigated and advised in a number of jurisdictions outside England and Wales including Northern Ireland, Ireland, the United States of America, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos.
Hugh is an A-Panel member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Panel of Preferred Counsel.
Hugh is a Deputy High Court Judge and a Recorder who sits in the Crown Court. He is also an Acting Justice of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands and was formerly an Assistant Justice of the Supreme Court of Bermuda.
Hugh is called in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Hugh is an author of Judicial Review: A Practical Guide (LexisNexis) as well as founding editor of the United Kingdom Human Rights Reports.
Since being called to the Bar Hugh has written regularly on public law and human rights. He recently wrote (with Amanda Weston, Jude Bunting and Raj Desai) Judicial Review: A Practical Guide (3rd Edition). He also edited (with Lord Justice Fulford) the United Kingdom Human Rights Reports. He wrote (again with Lord Justice Fulford) A Criminal Practitioners Guide to Judicial Review and Case Stated. He wrote chapters in Human Rights in the Investigation and Prosecution of Crime and Judicial Review: Law and Practice.
16 October 2019 – Justice Human Rights Conference – Human Rights and Criminal Justice
26 September 2019 – IBA Seoul – ‘Stateless children: orphanage tourism’
8 November 2018 – Matrix – Sports immigration following Brexit
24 May 2018 – Human Rights Lawyers Association – Immigration detention
21 March 2017 – Defence Extradition Lawyers’ Forum – Extradition and Immigration Law
Admitted as a solicitor in 1991 but transferred to the Bar in 1996. As a solicitor Hugh headed the immigration and crime department at Glazer Delmar and assisted the firm to become one of the first firms to obtain a Legal Aid franchise.
ILPA, Association of Prison Lawyers, Administrative Law Bar Association, Mental Health Lawyers Association, Human Rights Lawyers Association, Legal Action, Liberty, Justice, Amnesty International.
Hugh is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to my clients, including advice and representation services, Hugh needs to collect and hold personal data. This includes his client’s personal data and the personal data of others who feature in the matter upon which he is instructed. To read Hugh’s privacy notice in full, please see here.
"He is extremely diligent, studious on the paperwork, and his advocacy has been great."
"Hugh is a key player in human rights law. He is completely on top of the facts and knows the case law inside out."
"I think he is just absolutely top-drawer in every respect. A brilliant lawyer who is straight as a die, both with opponents and courts. Ferociously hard-working; a stellar act."
"Hugh is excellent."
"Hugh is an excellent silk and one of the best in the field. He is incredibly knowledgeable about all things immigration related and has unrivalled experience on the claimant side in arguing some of the most cutting edge cases of the day."
"Wonderfully supportive and approachable. Completely on top of the facts and knows the case law inside out."
"I would particularly praise Hugh for his client service. He is always approachable and supportive. He makes the law and litigation exciting." "A thoughtful and clever advocate."
"He's is reliable, efficient and very good with clients. He also understands the benefits of working well with those who instruct him." "He has encyclopaedic knowledge and is a determined advocate."
"He is the go-to barrister for complex multi-party human rights claims."
"Very well liked by solicitors and is instructed in a huge number of cases."
"A go to barrister who gets right to the heart of the issues. Formidable with his opponents."
"Not afraid to take difficult cases and pursue them to the absolute end."
"Hugh is very creative with his ideas and legal arguments and operates at a high level of legal thought. He is always up to date with the latest developments in domestic law but also drawing on developments internationally."
"A go-to barrister who gets right to the heart of the issues. Formidable with his opponents, and excellent with clients. Someone you definitely want on your side."
"One of the leading practitioners in prison law. Vast experience and encyclopaedic knowledge of the cases in that field. An engaging advocate to whom the court will listen."
"An incredibly thorough analyst of material who provides very clear and precise written work."
"Hugh’s breadth of experience in criminal justice issues gives him a unique perspective and very diverse knowledge base."
"He is a very creative lawyer who is fearless, and fights relentlessly for clients. He is very impressive and rated highly." "Produces high-quality work quickly and thoroughly, in a very compelling and persuasive way. He is very experienced and hard-working, and is well respected by the judiciary."
"He is a very creative and fearless lawyer who fights relentlessly for his clients." "Hugh is very sharp, always on top of his brief and is very responsive."
"He's very creative and fearless, and will fight relentlessly for his clients." "The most approachable and down-to-earth silk you will come across."
"He is quite creative and bold in the points he takes."
"An incredibly thorough analyst of material and very clear and precise written work."
"Sharp, responsive and always on top of his brief."
"Brilliant; he is such a specialist in what he does, he’s logical in court and he’s fantastic with the clients."