Olivia Beach has a broad multidisciplinary practice specialising in administrative and public law from a human rights perspective and criminal law. She also has a practice in immigration, actions against the police and has a keen interest in international human rights law.
Olivia is regularly instructed in judicial review matters in a wide range of areas of law including migrant rights, modern slavery, homelessness, and community care law. She has appeared both led and unled in the High Court and has worked across all stages of judicial review proceedings.
Olivia has experience in applications for interim relief and advising on procedural issues, in particular on the issue of costs and drafting written submissions on costs.
She has been praised by instructing solicitors for her “clarity of advice, great attention to details, thorough case preparation and for her ability to work effectively, particularly when it comes to our most sensitive and complex public law challenges”.
Olivia is keen to continue developing her practice in this area, with a particular interest in judicial reviews relating to support of victims of trafficking and unlawful detention.
Some examples of recent cases include:
R (Parul) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2022] EWHC 2143 (Admin) – During her second-six, Olivia acted for the successful claimant in challenging the Secretary of State’s failure to provide accommodation under Section 4(2) Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 within a reasonable period. The Secretary of State’s failure was found to be in breach of the Section 4(2) duty and unlawful. Notably, important guidance was also set out as to the evidence the Court would expect to see from the Secretary of State in similar cases.
R (Davidson) v Cambridge City Council [2023] EWHC 1022 (KB) - Olivia was successful in obtaining interim relief and permission to apply for judicial review in a case concerning a vulnerable client with complex mental health needs, who had made several suicide attempts as a result of the his temporary accommodation provided under Section 188 Housing Act 1996 being unsuitable. The Defendant was required to provide alternative suitable temporary accommodation in accordance with s.188 Housing Act 1996 within 24 hours in the Cambridge area.
R (PBO) v Secretary for the Home Department & Secretary of State for Defence (CA-2022-002307) - Olivia Beach, led by Sonali Naik KC, have been granted permission to appeal by the Court of Appeal on the issue of delay in considering an Afghan client’s application under the ARAP policy. The case has been remitted back to the High Court and is awaiting a substantive hearing date.
R (VS) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (CO/3222/2022) – Olivia acted as sole counsel for the claimant, successfully obtaining permission for judicial review, and as a result, the claimant and her young family were dispersed to adequate accommodation with an interim uplift in financial support.
R (SHY) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (CO/3561/2022) – Olivia acted as sole counsel for the claimant in a challenge to the adequacy of accommodation under Section 95 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Olivia successfully secured interim relief and permission to apply for judicial review and ultimately, the client and their young family were provided with adequate dispersal accommodation.
Banghash v Luton Borough Council (HHJ Bloom, 18 November 2022) - Olivia appeared for the successful appellant in this statutory appeal pursuant to s. 204 Housing Act 1996. The case raised an interesting point in respect of a break in the chain of the causal link between the alleged deliberate act and the intentional homelessness.
Olivia is instructed in various immigration matters, including deportation cases and asylum appeals. She also dedicates the majority of her pro bono work to this area. She has provided advice on immigration cases through Advocate, works with the charity West London Welcome to provide legal advice to asylum seekers on a regular basis, is involved in a project with Lawyers Against Poverty on refugee rights, and provides pro bono advice on a regular basis to Kent Refugee Action Network.
Olivia is regularly instructed to appear in the Magistrates Court, Youth Court and Crown Court. She defends and prosecutes in a wide range of criminal matters, including violent offences, drugs offences, public order offences and financial crime. Some examples of current instructions include junior counsel on a five-handed fraud prosecution, representing a vulnerable young man in a complex Crown Court appeal involving issues of transferred malice, and representing an individual charged with multiple stalking and coercive control offences.
Olivia has a particular interest in representing vulnerable clients and youth clients who often have complex mental health issues and traumatic personal circumstances.
Olivia has a particular interest in international human rights law and during her pupillage, assisted on several international human rights cases, including the case of a British-Iranian person who was formerly detained in Iran unlawfully.
She is keen to continue developing her practice in this area.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Olivia worked as a community care and public law paralegal at Lawstop, working on over 40 judicial reviews for claimants largely concerned with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and the Care Act 2014. Olivia also runs her own voluntary organisation, PLOD Foundation, which provides assistance to the homeless, refugees, asylum seekers and bereaved children. She has previously volunteered with organisations including The Intervene Project and AMICUS ALJ.
LLM, University of Law (Distinction) BPC, University of Law (Very Competent) GDL, BPP University (Commendation) BSc (Hons) Politics with Economics, University of Bath (2:1)
Ann Goddard Pupillage Scholarship, Gray’s Inn, 2022 Marion Simmons BPC Scholarship, Gray’s Inn, 2020 Career Changers Scholarship, University of Law, 2020 Nina Lowry GDL Scholarship, Gray’s Inn, 2019
Winner of the University of Law Bader Ginsburg Moot, 2021 Semi-Finalist of the Gray’s Inn Annual Moot, 2021 Semi-Finalist of the Human Rights Lawyers Association Judicial Review Moot, 2020
Human Rights Lawyers Association
Administrive Law Bar Association
Immigration Law Practitioners Association
Young Legal Aid Lawyers
JUSTICE
Amicus ALJ