“Toby is a superb lawyer and communicator who gets to to the heart of complex issues extremely quickly, while always retaining a strong sense of strategic purpose and direction”
Toby practices across all areas of public and international law, with particular expertise in environment and human rights. He acts for States, corporations, central and local government, NGOs and individuals.
He has acted at all levels in the UK domestic system up to the Supreme Court, as well as in cases before the International Court of Justice, European Court of Justice, European Court of Human Rights, and Inter-American Court of Human Rights. He has led communications to UN Treaty Bodies and complaints to the National Contact Points of the OECD and to the World Bank’s Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman.
Between 2019 and 2022, Toby was Deputy Director, International Law for the New Zealand Government, where he advised on international environmental law, law of the sea, international human rights and humanitarian law, He led negotiations at the UNFCCC climate change conferences, at the International Seabed Authority, and in other multilateral fora.
Toby is an international lawyer with more than 15 years’ experience as a barrister in London as well as three years as the Deputy Director of International Law for New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He is on the UK Attorney-General’s B panel of public international law counsel.
This page is split into three sections: (i) International Environmental Law/Law of the Sea; (ii) International Human Rights Law; and (iii) International Trade and Investment Law.
International Environmental Law / Law of the Sea
Toby acts in both public and private international law matters. He represents governments, corporations, NGOs and individuals. Notable recent and ongoing instructions include:
Alongside his disputes practice, Toby has a significant advisory element to his international environmental law practice, including recently advising:
As Deputy Director, International Law for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2019 – 2022), Toby was responsible for international law matters relating to climate change, biodiversity, oceans, and Antarctica. Among other things, he:
Toby is member of the ICCA Panel of Experts responsible for devising a draft conciliation annex to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement. He is the author of the chapter on climate change law in Garners Environmental Law and has particular expertise on the operation of carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
International human rights law
Toby practices across both public and private international law. He represents governments, corporations, NGOs and individuals. Notable recent and ongoing instructions include:
Alongside his disputes practice, he has a significant advisory element to his practice, including recently advising:
In his role as Deputy Director, International Law for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Toby led the team responsible for general international law issues, on matters including the use of force, international human rights and humanitarian law, sanctions, counter-terrorism, malicious cyber activity, foreign interference, outer space, extradition, and private international law. Highlights included:
International trade and investment law
Toby acts advise on the full range of international trade and investment law issues. Notable instructions include:
In his role as Deputy Director, International Law for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Toby advised extensively on the overlap between international trade and investment law and international environmental law.
Toby is an environment and planning lawyer and experienced litigator and advocate, with particular expertise in planning, climate change, biodiversity, rivers, oceans and fisheries. He has more than 15 years’ experience as a barrister in London as well as three years as Deputy Director, International Environmental Law for New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He is on the UK Attorney-General’s B panel of public law counsel.
Toby is the author of the chapters on climate change law and emissions trading in Garners Environmental Law and is a member of the Council of the UK Environmental Law Association.
Domestic environment and planning law
Toby’s domestic environment and planning practice is a combination of litigation and advisory work. He regularly acts in planning judicial reviews and section 288 appeals. Recent highlights include:
Toby’s international environmental law practice is set out in detail in the International Law section of this profile. Highlights include acting as:
Toby acts and advises individuals, NGOs, corporates, and government departments on a wide range of public and regulatory law. He is a member of the Attorney-General’s B Panel of counsel. For Toby’s experience in environmental judicial review, see the environmental law section of this profile.
General public law
Toby advises and acts for a range of central government departments as well as for individuals, corporations and NGOs in judicial review proceedings. Recent instructions of note include:
Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies
Toby acts in and advises on judicial review claims relating to the acts of governments of Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. He was involved in long-running litigation on behalf of the Seychelles Chagossians seeking a right of return (see R (Hoareau) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2016] EWHC 2102 (Admin) and R (Hoareau and Bancoult) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2019] EWHC 221 (Admin)). More recently, his instructions include:
Regulatory
Toby advises and acts for individuals, corporates, and regulators in a range of regulatory disputes. Recent matters include:
Immigration
Toby’s immigration practice is focused primarily on unlawful detention and family reunion. Recent cases include:
Education
Toby acts for parents, schools, universities, and Ofsted in education judicial review claims. Recent cases include:
Local Government
Toby regularly advises a range of local government clients on environment and planning, housing, highways, and property disposal matters. He is currently (Feb 2026) engaged in pre-action correspondence on behalf of a local community association challenging
Other
Toby appears in a range of other public law or public law adjacent matters including freedom of information appeals and appeals against decisions of the disclosure and barring service.
Toby is regularly instructed in international group claims arising out of environmental pollution or human rights violations abroad caused by a company domiciled in England and Wales. Recent cases include:
Toby has extensive experience, across multiple jurisdictions, in public inquiries. Previous instructions include:
Toby’s ESG practice draws on his expertise in international human rights and environmental law and his experience advising, and litigating against, companies in the extractives, agribusiness and retail sectors.
He acts for both complainants and respondents in:
Toby has a particular interest in supply chain due diligence, with a focus on risks arising from modern slavery and environmental crime. In 2025, he worked with Jamas Hodivala KC for:
Toby also advises a range of clients on ESG reporting and supply chain risks in the context of evolving domestic, European, and international regulations. Most recently, he has advised on:
Having been New Zealand’s legal advisor through the negotiation of the Article 6.4 mechanism under the Paris Agreement, Toby has particular expertise in carbon markets and advises clients on the risks and opportunities they provide.
Toby advises individuals and corporate entities on the application the UK’s sanctions regimes. He is the co-author of the chapter on sanctions in National Security Law, Practice and Procedure (Ward and Blundell, 2nd ed). As Deputy Director, International Law for the New Zealand Government, he oversaw New Zealand’s implementation of UN Sanctions and its establishment of an autonomous sanctions regime to apply sanctions against Russia.
London School of Economics (Oct 2006 – Jun 2007)
LLM (International Human Rights Law): Distinction
City University, London (Oct 2005 – June 2006)
Graduate Diploma in Law: Distinction
Lord Mansfield Scholar
Selwyn College, Cambridge University (Oct 1998 – June 2001)
BA (Hons) Social and Political Sciences: Double First Class (2nd highest in year)
Cambridge Commonwealth Scholar
Toby is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to their clients, including advice and representation services, Toby needs to collect and hold personal data. This includes their client’s personal data and the personal data of others who feature in the matter upon which they are instructed. To read Toby’s privacy notice in full, please see here.
"Toby Fisher is able to provide really practical and insightful solutions to take our matters forward." "Toby is a very impressive barrister. He's really on top of things and very good to deal with."
"Toby is excellent. He has good judgement, sets clients at ease with his grasp of matters, and makes strong submissions, both in writing and on his feet. He is increasingly becoming one of the go-to barristers in environmental and planning challenges, especially those involving climate change."
"Toby is very intelligent, and hones in on the key legal issues of a case swiftly and confidently."

“Toby is a superb lawyer and communicator who gets to to the heart of complex issues extremely quickly, while always retaining a strong sense of strategic purpose and direction”
Contact Toby: tobyfisher@matrixlaw.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7404 3447
Contact Toby's Practice Team (Team X): TeamX@matrixlaw.co.uk
Toby practices across all areas of public and international law, with particular expertise in environment and human rights. He acts for States, corporations, central and local government, NGOs and individuals.
He has acted at all levels in the UK domestic system up to the Supreme Court, as well as in cases before the International Court of Justice, European Court of Justice, European Court of Human Rights, and Inter-American Court of Human Rights. He has led communications to UN Treaty Bodies and complaints to the National Contact Points of the OECD and to the World Bank’s Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman.
Between 2019 and 2022, Toby was Deputy Director, International Law for the New Zealand Government, where he advised on international environmental law, law of the sea, international human rights and humanitarian law, He led negotiations at the UNFCCC climate change conferences, at the International Seabed Authority, and in other multilateral fora.
Toby is an international lawyer with more than 15 years’ experience as a barrister in London as well as three years as the Deputy Director of International Law for New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He is on the UK Attorney-General’s B panel of public international law counsel.
This page is split into three sections: (i) International Environmental Law/Law of the Sea; (ii) International Human Rights Law; and (iii) International Trade and Investment Law.
International Environmental Law / Law of the Sea
Toby acts in both public and private international law matters. He represents governments, corporations, NGOs and individuals. Notable recent and ongoing instructions include:
Alongside his disputes practice, Toby has a significant advisory element to his international environmental law practice, including recently advising:
As Deputy Director, International Law for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2019 – 2022), Toby was responsible for international law matters relating to climate change, biodiversity, oceans, and Antarctica. Among other things, he:
Toby is member of the ICCA Panel of Experts responsible for devising a draft conciliation annex to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement. He is the author of the chapter on climate change law in Garners Environmental Law and has particular expertise on the operation of carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
International human rights law
Toby practices across both public and private international law. He represents governments, corporations, NGOs and individuals. Notable recent and ongoing instructions include:
Alongside his disputes practice, he has a significant advisory element to his practice, including recently advising:
In his role as Deputy Director, International Law for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Toby led the team responsible for general international law issues, on matters including the use of force, international human rights and humanitarian law, sanctions, counter-terrorism, malicious cyber activity, foreign interference, outer space, extradition, and private international law. Highlights included:
International trade and investment law
Toby acts advise on the full range of international trade and investment law issues. Notable instructions include:
In his role as Deputy Director, International Law for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Toby advised extensively on the overlap between international trade and investment law and international environmental law.
Toby is an environment and planning lawyer and experienced litigator and advocate, with particular expertise in planning, climate change, biodiversity, rivers, oceans and fisheries. He has more than 15 years’ experience as a barrister in London as well as three years as Deputy Director, International Environmental Law for New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He is on the UK Attorney-General’s B panel of public law counsel.
Toby is the author of the chapters on climate change law and emissions trading in Garners Environmental Law and is a member of the Council of the UK Environmental Law Association.
Domestic environment and planning law
Toby’s domestic environment and planning practice is a combination of litigation and advisory work. He regularly acts in planning judicial reviews and section 288 appeals. Recent highlights include:
Toby’s international environmental law practice is set out in detail in the International Law section of this profile. Highlights include acting as:
Toby acts and advises individuals, NGOs, corporates, and government departments on a wide range of public and regulatory law. He is a member of the Attorney-General’s B Panel of counsel. For Toby’s experience in environmental judicial review, see the environmental law section of this profile.
General public law
Toby advises and acts for a range of central government departments as well as for individuals, corporations and NGOs in judicial review proceedings. Recent instructions of note include:
Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies
Toby acts in and advises on judicial review claims relating to the acts of governments of Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. He was involved in long-running litigation on behalf of the Seychelles Chagossians seeking a right of return (see R (Hoareau) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2016] EWHC 2102 (Admin) and R (Hoareau and Bancoult) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2019] EWHC 221 (Admin)). More recently, his instructions include:
Regulatory
Toby advises and acts for individuals, corporates, and regulators in a range of regulatory disputes. Recent matters include:
Immigration
Toby’s immigration practice is focused primarily on unlawful detention and family reunion. Recent cases include:
Education
Toby acts for parents, schools, universities, and Ofsted in education judicial review claims. Recent cases include:
Local Government
Toby regularly advises a range of local government clients on environment and planning, housing, highways, and property disposal matters. He is currently (Feb 2026) engaged in pre-action correspondence on behalf of a local community association challenging
Other
Toby appears in a range of other public law or public law adjacent matters including freedom of information appeals and appeals against decisions of the disclosure and barring service.
Toby is regularly instructed in international group claims arising out of environmental pollution or human rights violations abroad caused by a company domiciled in England and Wales. Recent cases include:
Toby has extensive experience, across multiple jurisdictions, in public inquiries. Previous instructions include:
Toby’s ESG practice draws on his expertise in international human rights and environmental law and his experience advising, and litigating against, companies in the extractives, agribusiness and retail sectors.
He acts for both complainants and respondents in:
Toby has a particular interest in supply chain due diligence, with a focus on risks arising from modern slavery and environmental crime. In 2025, he worked with Jamas Hodivala KC for:
Toby also advises a range of clients on ESG reporting and supply chain risks in the context of evolving domestic, European, and international regulations. Most recently, he has advised on:
Having been New Zealand’s legal advisor through the negotiation of the Article 6.4 mechanism under the Paris Agreement, Toby has particular expertise in carbon markets and advises clients on the risks and opportunities they provide.
Toby advises individuals and corporate entities on the application the UK’s sanctions regimes. He is the co-author of the chapter on sanctions in National Security Law, Practice and Procedure (Ward and Blundell, 2nd ed). As Deputy Director, International Law for the New Zealand Government, he oversaw New Zealand’s implementation of UN Sanctions and its establishment of an autonomous sanctions regime to apply sanctions against Russia.
London School of Economics (Oct 2006 – Jun 2007)
LLM (International Human Rights Law): Distinction
City University, London (Oct 2005 – June 2006)
Graduate Diploma in Law: Distinction
Lord Mansfield Scholar
Selwyn College, Cambridge University (Oct 1998 – June 2001)
BA (Hons) Social and Political Sciences: Double First Class (2nd highest in year)
Cambridge Commonwealth Scholar
Toby is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to his clients, including advice and representation services, Toby needs to collect and hold personal data. Toby’s Privacy Notice contains full details of when, why and how he will store and process personal data. To read his Privacy Notice, please click here.
"Toby Fisher is able to provide really practical and insightful solutions to take our matters forward." "Toby is a very impressive barrister. He's really on top of things and very good to deal with."
"Toby is excellent. He has good judgement, sets clients at ease with his grasp of matters, and makes strong submissions, both in writing and on his feet. He is increasingly becoming one of the go-to barristers in environmental and planning challenges, especially those involving climate change."
"Toby is very intelligent, and hones in on the key legal issues of a case swiftly and confidently."