Clare Jennings

Director and Head of Public Law and Community Care

E: Clare@goldjennings.co.uk

Clare is Co-Director of the firm and heads up the Public Law Department. Clare represents individuals and non-governmental organisations in judicial review challenges against various state actors. Clare has a particular interest and expertise in bringing strategic challenges that assist not only her individual clients, but also benefits the wider community. Clare specialises in cases raising migrant rights and criminal justice issues.

Clare’s cases

Clare has been instructed in numerous high-profile and cutting-edge cases. Case highlights include:

  • Successful judicial review challenge to the Secretary of State’s blanket and secret policy of seizing mobile phones from asylum seekers arriving by small boat.
  • Representing 2 of the 6 lead Claimants in the successful challenge to the Secretary of State’s use of Napier barracks to house asylum seekers, which established that the barracks were inadequate, that there were not proper procedures for identifying asylum seekers who should not be accommodated at the barracks due to their vulnerability and a breach of Article 5 rights and false imprisonment.
  • Challenges to the lawfulness of the government’s guidance on visits out of care homes for young disabled adults during the covid-19 pandemic.
  • In conjunction with Olivia Halse and Rachel Etheridge, various challenges to the exclusion of disadvantaged children from families with No Recourse to Public Funds from various schemes. Successful cases have led to changes to eligibility criteria so that migrant children can now access Free School Meals; the Healthy Start scheme, free 2-year-old nursery places and an extension of the Pupil Premium scheme.
  • Challenging the government’s failure to make adequate education provision for disadvantaged children during the covid-19 pandemic.
  • Numerous challenges to local authorities in relation to the provision of accommodation and financial support to destitute children and adults with care needs.
  • Various judicial reviews against the police and CPS in relation to protest rights; the lawfulness of arrest and detention; charging decisions; the taking of DNA and finger-prints; DBS disclosure decisions and failures to properly investigate allegations of rape and domestic abuse and Victim’s Right to Review.
  • Challenges in relation to NHS service provision and charging decision.

Awards

Clare and the team she leads are winners of numerous awards:

  • 2022 – Clare was a finalist in the Social Welfare category of the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards.
  • 2021 – the Public Law team that Clare leads won the Legal Aid Team of the Year award at the Legal Aid Lawyers of the Year awards.
  • 2021 – runner up in the Access to Justice award at the Law Society’s Excellence Awards
  • 2021 – runner up in the Small Firm of the Year award at the Law Society’s Excellence Awards
  • 2016 – Winner of the Children’s Rights award at the Legal Aid Lawyers of the Year awards

Recommendations

Clare has been a ranked lawyer in both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for many years.

Legal 500 – 2022

Clare is ranked as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for Administrative and Public Law.

The Legal 500 describe “the ‘simply phenomenal’ team at Gold Jennings is headed up by the ‘dynamite solicitor’ Clare Jennings, whose ‘technical brilliance, strategic oversight and exceptional creativity’ is singled out by clients.  The group is particularly well known for its work on migrant rights, cases against the police, and inquests”.

Chambers and Partners – 2022

Clare is ranked in Band 2 in the Administrative & Public Law: Traditional Claimant category and recognised for her work in claims against local authorities and central government departments on matters concerning migrants’ rights, healthcare and data retention “She’s very creative and always thinking of new ways challenges can be brought. She is keen to press the law and push the frontiers”… “She is very committed to dealing with vulnerable clients”.

Charity

Clare is currently a Trustee and founding member of Project 17, a charity that works to end destitution among migrant children by providing advice and assistance on accessing support from social services.

Clare also regularly advises various charities supporting asylum seekers and migrants on issues affecting their clients.

Clare Jennings

Director and Head of Public Law and Community Care

E: Clare@goldjennings.co.uk

Clare is Co-Director of the firm and heads up the Public Law Department. Clare represents individuals and non-governmental organisations in judicial review challenges against various state actors. Clare has a particular interest and expertise in bringing strategic challenges that assist not only her individual clients, but also benefits the wider community. Clare specialises in cases raising migrant rights and criminal justice issues.

Clare’s cases

Clare has been instructed in numerous high-profile and cutting-edge cases. Case highlights include:

  • Successful judicial review challenge to the Secretary of State’s blanket and secret policy of seizing mobile phones from asylum seekers arriving by small boat.
  • Representing 2 of the 6 lead Claimants in the successful challenge to the Secretary of State’s use of Napier barracks to house asylum seekers, which established that the barracks were inadequate, that there were not proper procedures for identifying asylum seekers who should not be accommodated at the barracks due to their vulnerability and a breach of Article 5 rights and false imprisonment.
  • Challenges to the lawfulness of the government’s guidance on visits out of care homes for young disabled adults during the covid-19 pandemic.
  • In conjunction with Olivia Halse and Rachel Etheridge, various challenges to the exclusion of disadvantaged children from families with No Recourse to Public Funds from various schemes. Successful cases have led to changes to eligibility criteria so that migrant children can now access Free School Meals; the Healthy Start scheme, free 2-year-old nursery places and an extension of the Pupil Premium scheme.
  • Challenging the government’s failure to make adequate education provision for disadvantaged children during the covid-19 pandemic.
  • Numerous challenges to local authorities in relation to the provision of accommodation and financial support to destitute children and adults with care needs.
  • Various judicial reviews against the police and CPS in relation to protest rights; the lawfulness of arrest and detention; charging decisions; the taking of DNA and finger-prints; DBS disclosure decisions and failures to properly investigate allegations of rape and domestic abuse and Victim’s Right to Review.
  • Challenges in relation to NHS service provision and charging decision.

Awards

Clare and the team she leads are winners of numerous awards:

  • 2022 – Clare was a finalist in the Social Welfare category of the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards.
  • 2021 – the Public Law team that Clare leads won the Legal Aid Team of the Year award at the Legal Aid Lawyers of the Year awards.
  • 2021 – runner up in the Access to Justice award at the Law Society’s Excellence Awards
  • 2021 – runner up in the Small Firm of the Year award at the Law Society’s Excellence Awards
  • 2016 – Winner of the Children’s Rights award at the Legal Aid Lawyers of the Year awards

Recommendations

Clare has been a ranked lawyer in both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for many years.

Legal 500 – 2022

Clare is ranked as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for Administrative and Public Law.

The Legal 500 describe “the ‘simply phenomenal’ team at Gold Jennings is headed up by the ‘dynamite solicitor’ Clare Jennings, whose ‘technical brilliance, strategic oversight and exceptional creativity’ is singled out by clients.  The group is particularly well known for its work on migrant rights, cases against the police, and inquests”.

Chambers and Partners – 2022

Clare is ranked in Band 2 in the Administrative & Public Law: Traditional Claimant category and recognised for her work in claims against local authorities and central government departments on matters concerning migrants’ rights, healthcare and data retention “She’s very creative and always thinking of new ways challenges can be brought. She is keen to press the law and push the frontiers”… “She is very committed to dealing with vulnerable clients”.

Charity

Clare is currently a Trustee and founding member of Project 17, a charity that works to end destitution among migrant children by providing advice and assistance on accessing support from social services.

Clare also regularly advises various charities supporting asylum seekers and migrants on issues affecting their clients.