Isabel Buchanan - Blackstone Chambers€¦ · Isabel also taught jurisprudence and property law at the University of Glasgow and equity and trusts and contract law at Birkbeck College,

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+44 (0)20 7583 1770

Blackstone Chambers, Blackstone House, Temple, London, EC4Y 9BW

Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350

Email: [email protected]

Isabel BuchananYear of call: 2015Degree: LLB (Hons) (Glasgow): First Class; MRes (Glasgow): Distinction;

Kennedy Scholar (Harvard); BPTC (BPP): Outstanding, third in yearLanguages: Chinese (Mandarin) (some knowledge), Urdu (some knowledge),

Hindi (some knowledge), Japanese (some knowledge)

Isabel practices across all the main areas of Chambers' work, including public andregulatory, public international law, civil liberties and human rights, employment,commercial, competition and sanctions.

Isabel has acted both led and unled in a range of such matters. Some highlights includeacting for the claimants in a challenge to the fee set by the SSHD for children'sapplications for registration of their citizenship; advising the Equality and HumanRights Commission on its work relating to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry; representing anumber of prisoners, strip searched in contravention of the ECHR, in claims against theSSJ; successfully acting for the claimant in an application for a US$1.5 billion worldwidefreezing order and other injunctive relief; advising the claimant in relation to apotential judicial review challenging the FCO’s failure to act in relation to Britishnationals seeking return from refugee camps in Syria. She pairs her commercialpractice with substantial pro bono and publicly funded work. And she has particularexperience of working - in both a human rights and commercial context - with theapplication of foreign law. Isabel has appeared before the High Court, County Court,First Tier Tribunals (Immigration) and Employment Tribunals. She is member of theEquality and Human Rights Commission's Panel of Counsel and is a member of the BarHuman Rights Committee's Executive.

Before coming to the bar, Isabel worked as a caseworker for Justice Project Pakistan,providing pro bono representation to persons facing the death penalty in Pakistan.Isabel also taught jurisprudence and property law at the University of Glasgow andequity and trusts and contract law at Birkbeck College, University of London. She was alegal panellist and contributor to Protecting Children in Armed Conflict (London: HartPublishing, 2018). She is the author of Trials: On Death Row in Pakistan (London:Jonathan Cape, 2016) which won the Saltire Scottish First Book Award and was anEconomist and Spectator book of the year.

EXPERIENCE

Civil Liberties & Human Rights

Isabel accepts instructions in all areas of civil liberties and human rights work.

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Since starting practice, Isabel has acted both led and unled on matters concerning civilliberties and human rights in both a domestic and international context. Her clientsinclude charities, government departments, the Equality and Human RightsCommission and individual claimants. In addition to publicly funded work, Isabelundertakes substantial pro bono work. Isabel is also a member of the Bar Human RightsCommittee's Executive.

Cases

Prevention of tortureFebruary 2020

Delivering training in Lebanon to two Lebanese Bar Associations on international anddomestic law standards prohibiting torture and the role of human rights lawyers inupholding those standards (with Timothy Otty QC and Natasha Simonsen).

Advising an NGO on the rule of lawMarch 2020

Providing advice to a foreign NGO on the rule of law and the right to property. WithJeffrey Jowell QC and Naina Patel.

Re: Al-M[2019] EWHC 3415 (Fam); [2020] EWHC 67 (Fam); [2020] EWHC 122 (Fam); [2020] EWCA Civ 283

Acted (on issues related to international law and assurances) for Her Royal HighnessPrincess Haya bint Al Hussein (the “Mother”) in family law proceedings that concernedher, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (the “Father”) and theirtwo children. The proceedings concerned a process of fact-finding and the applicationof international law relevant to assurances and human rights. By judgments publishedin March 2020, the High Court found that (i) the Father had been involved in theabduction of one of his daughters from the UK and the forcible return of anotherdaughter to Dubai, and had conducted a campaign of harassment against the Mother;and (ii) no weight could be placed on assurances and waivers of immunity provided bythe Father and the UAE. The Father appealed the decision to publish those judgmentsto the Court of Appeal, which dismissed the appeal. The Father was refused permissionto appeal by the Supreme Court. Led by Timothy Otty QC.

LW and others v Sodexo and SSJ[2019] EWHC 367 (Admin)

Successfully acted (with Jason Pobjoy) for the claimants in a challenge to the SSJ'sfailure to put in place measures to ensure that prison officers in a contracted-out prisonwere adequately trained in the strip searching of female and transgender prisoners.

PRCBC, A and O v SSHD[2019] EWHC 3536 (Admin)

Acting (with Jason Pobjoy and others) for the claimant in a judicial reviewchallenging the legality of the regime imposing a fee for applications bychildren for registration as a British citizen.

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R (Kamoka) v Security Services and Others(2018-2019)

Acting for a group of Libyans said to be members of or affiliated to the LIFG inconnection with their detention in the UK, detention and torture abroad and subjectionto domestic sanctions (with Thomas de la Mare QC and others).

Judicial review claims relating to treatment of prisoners(2019)

Acting for the claimants in a number of cases concerning strip searches in prisons (withJason Pobjoy).

Freedom of Expression and Fair Trial Advice(2019)

Providing advice on the international law applicable to freedom of expression and theright to a fair trial.

Immigration advice(2019)

Providing pro bono advice in relation to an asylum claim.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Beyond Grenfell(2018-2019)

Acting for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, advising and preparingsubmissions on the human rights and equality implications of the Grenfell Towertragedy including, in particular, in relation to the right to life under Article 2 ECHR, theright to adequate and dignified housing, the right to non-discrimination and equality,and children's rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (with JasonPobjoy).

Advice on Convention rights(2018)

Providing advice on the likelihood of violations of Convention rights (and the rule oflaw) in a foreign jurisdiction.

Vilca v Xstrata[2018] EWHC 27 (QB)

Successfully defended a tort claim brought by 22 Peruvian nationals regarding aprotest in Peru. The matter raised issues of foreign act of state, choice of law andcorporate liability for alleged human rights abuses by the Peruvian National Police(with Shaheed Fatima QC and Hanif Mussa).

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Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350


R (Michael Sams) v Secretary of State for Justice(2016)

Acting for the Secretary of State in a judicial review challenging the Secretary of State’sdecision to maintain a prisoner’s Category A status (assisting Ivan Hare).

Application under ss. 790ZF and 790ZG of the Companies Act 2006(May 2016)

Advising an applicant on the convention and charter rights potentially relevant toapplications under ss. 790ZF and 790ZG (assisting Ivan Hare).

Judicial review of immigration decisions(March 2016)

Advising the Secretary of State for the Home Department as to the merits of a judicialreview challenge to an immigration detention decision (assisting Ivan Hare).

R (British Medical Association) v General Medical Council[2016] EWHC 1013 (Admin), [2016] 4 WLR 89

Acting for the General Medical Council in a judicial review challenging rule 6(b) of theSchedule to the General Medical Council (Legal Assessors and Legally QualifiedPersons) Rules Order of Council 2015 as unlawful and in breach of article 6 of theEuropean Convention on Human Rights (assisting Ivan Hare).

R (Vinter) v Secretary of State for Justice and R (Du) v Secretary ofState for Justice(High Court, 2016)

Appearing for the Secretary of State in these cases challenging the Secretary of State’spolicy on release of prisoners with a whole life tariff or (as in Du’s case) a tariff which islikely to extend beyond their lifetime on the basis of Article 5 of the ECHR. The casesfollow the ECtHR’s decision in Vinter v United Kingdom (2012) 55 EHRR 34 (assistingIvan Hare who, in Vinter, appeared with James Eadie QC).

R (Handrien Akram Ismail) v Secretary of State for the HomeDepartment(High Court, 2016)

Acting for the Secretary of State in a judicial review challenging the Secretary of State’sdecision to refuse the claimant’s application for asylum and finding that the claimantcould be returned to Iraq (assisting Ivan Hare).

R (Jordan Cunliffe) v Secretary of State for Justice[2016] EWHC 984 (Admin)

Acting for the Secretary of State in a judicial review challenging the Secretary of State’spolicy of accepting the recommendation of a High Court judge in a detention at HerMajesty’s Pleasure tariff review, the Secretary of State’s decision not to allow theclaimant to make submissions on the High Court judge’s representation, the Secretaryof State’s refusal to review the High Court judge’s decision not to disclose a victimimpact statement (assisting Ivan Hare).

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Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350


Public & Regulatory

Isabel accepts instructions in all areas of public and regulatory work.Since starting practice, Isabel has acted both led and unled on public and regulatorymatters ranging from human rights claims to commercial public law cases. Her clientsinclude regulators, government departments, individuals, NGOs and companies. Inaddition to publicly funded work, Isabel undertakes substantial pro bono work.

Cases



SG v SSHD(August 2019)

Acting for the appellant in her appeal to theUpper Tribunal against rejection of her deportation appeal.

LW and others v Sodexo and SSJ[2019] EWHC 367 (Admin)

Successfully acted (with Jason Pobjoy) for the claimants in a challenge to the SSJ'sfailure to put in place measures to ensure that prison officers in a contracted-out prisonwere adequately trained in the strip searching of female and transgender prisoners.

Anwer v SSHD(September 2019)

Acting for the claimant in an application forpermission to proceed with judicial review following rejection of his claim forasylum.

Xu v SSHD(August 2019)

Acting for the appellant in an appeal againsta deportation order.



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Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350


Judicial review claims relating to treatment of prisoners(2019)

Acting for the claimants in a number of cases concerning strip searches in prisons (withJason Pobjoy).

Advice in relation to a potential judicial review(October 2019)

Advising the claimant in relation to apotential judicial review challenging the FCO’s failure to act in relation toBritish nationals seeking to return from refugee camps in Syria.

Drafting grounds in a judicial review relating to a child’s applicationfor citizenship(August 2019)

Acting for the claimant, a child, in their claim for registration as a British citizen.

Acting for a claimant before the ECtHR(April 2019)

Acting for a claimant bringing a challenge before the ECtHR in relation to the UK’sviolation of Articles 6, 8 and 13 of the ECHR.

Provision of pro bono advice in relation to an application for asylum(May 2019)

Advising anindividual making an application for asylum.





Advice on judicial review(2018)

Advising an overseas entity on susceptibility of certain government decisions to judicialreview (with David Pannick QC).

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Advice on special police services2018

Advising a public body on the legality of charges imposed by the police for the provisionof special police services (with Nick De Marco QC).

Advice on judicial review merits(2017)

Advising a charity on the merits of a potential judicial review claim (unled).

Financial Fair Play Rules arbitration(July 2016)

Acting for a football club in a high profile arbitral challenge to financial fair play rules inEnglish football (assisting Nick De Marco).

R (Michael Sams) v Secretary of State for Justice(2016)

Acting for the Secretary of State in a judicial review challenging the Secretary of State’sdecision to maintain a prisoner’s Category A status (assisting Ivan Hare).

Judicial review of a decision of the Chief Coroner(May 2016)

Advising a claimant in relation to a potential challenge to a decision of the ChiefCoroner relating to the training requirements for coroners (assisting Ivan Hare).

Dr Senthil Gopalakrishnan v General Medical Council[2016] EWHC 1247 (Admin)

Acting for the General Medical Council resisting the appellant’s appeal against thedecision of a Fitness to Practise Panel (assisting Ivan Hare).

Judicial review disclosure(May 2016)

Advising the Secretary of State for Justice as to the extent of disclosure required in ajudicial review claim (assisting Ivan Hare).

Dr Plavelil Abraham George v General Medical Council(5 May 2016, unreported)

Acting for the General Medical Council resisting the appellant’s appeal against thedecision of a Fitness to Practise Panel (assisting Ivan Hare).

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Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350


(1) General Medical Council, (2) Mr Niall Dickson, and (3) Mr SimonHaywood v Dr Ewa Michalak[2016] EWCA Civ 172, [2016] ICR 628

Acting for the appellants in an application for permission to appeal to the SupremeCourt from the Court of Appeal’s finding that the Employment Tribunal had jurisdictionto hear claims brought under the Equality Act 2010 against the General MedicalCouncil (assisting Ivan Hare).

R (British Medical Association) v General Medical Council[2016] EWHC 1013 (Admin), [2016] 4 WLR 89

Acting for the General Medical Council in a judicial review challenging rule 6(b) of theSchedule to the General Medical Council (Legal Assessors and Legally QualifiedPersons) Rules Order of Council 2015 as unlawful and in breach of article 6 of theEuropean Convention on Human Rights (assisting Ivan Hare).

Advice on regulatory policy(April 2016)

Advising the General Medical Council on whether allowing registered doctors to servein the armed forces was compatible with international humanitarian law (assisting IvanHare).

R (Vinter) v Secretary of State for Justice and R (Du) v Secretary ofState for Justice(High Court, 2016)

Appearing for the Secretary of State in these cases challenging the Secretary of State’spolicy on release of prisoners with a whole life tariff or (as in Du’s case) a tariff which islikely to extend beyond their lifetime on the basis of Article 5 of the ECHR. The casesfollow the ECtHR’s decision in Vinter v United Kingdom (2012) 55 EHRR 34 (assistingIvan Hare who, in Vinter, appeared with James Eadie QC).

R (Handrien Akram Ismail) v Secretary of State for the HomeDepartment(High Court, 2016)

Acting for the Secretary of State in a judicial review challenging the Secretary of State’sdecision to refuse the claimant’s application for asylum and finding that the claimantcould be returned to Iraq (assisting Ivan Hare).

Tax judicial review(March 2016)

Advising a potential claimant in a judicial review claim as to possible grounds of reviewand the merits of a claim against HMRC (assisting Ivan Hare).

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Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350


R (Jordan Cunliffe) v Secretary of State for Justice[2016] EWHC 984 (Admin)

Acting for the Secretary of State in a judicial review challenging the Secretary of State’spolicy of accepting the recommendation of a High Court judge in a detention at HerMajesty’s Pleasure tariff review, the Secretary of State’s decision not to allow theclaimant to make submissions on the High Court judge’s representation, the Secretaryof State’s refusal to review the High Court judge’s decision not to disclose a victimimpact statement (assisting Ivan Hare).



Howard Gray Roberts v (1) the Attorney General, and (2) HMI KateFlannery(High Court, 2016)

Acting for Her Majesty’s Inspector in a claim for negligent misstatement (assisting IvanHare).

General Medical Council v Dr Evangelos-Efstathioss Visvardis andGeneral Medical Council v Dr Olufemi Adeogba[2016] EWCA Civ 162

Acted for the General Medical Council in these related appeals concerning thecircumstances in which a Fitness to Practise Panel can proceed in the absence of adoctor and the admissibility of fresh evidence on appeal to the High Court (assistingIvan Hare).

Ikponmwosa Gerald Iza-Iyame v Secretary of State for the HomeDepartment[2016] EWCA Civ 118

Acting for the Secretary of State resisting the claimant’s application for permission toappeal to the Supreme Court (assisting Ivan Hare).

R (States of Guernsey) v (1) Secretary of State for the Environment,Food and Rural Affairs, and (2) the Marine Management Organisation(High Court, 2016)

Acting for the Secretary of State in resisting an application for permission to proceedwith judicial review challenging the Secretary of State’s decision to temporarilysuspend a fisheries management agreement with the States of Guernsey and totemporarily suspend licences issued to fishing vessels of the States of Guernsey(assisting James Segan).

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R (Greenpeace) v Secretary of State for Environment, Food and RuralAffairs[2016] EWHC 55 (Admin)

Acting for Defra in defence of a challenge by Greenpeace to the UK’s allocation methodfor fishing quota and effort, on ground of alleged incompatibility with EU law (assistingJames Segan).

R (Colin McKenzie) v Directors of the Serious Fraud Office[2016] EWHC 102 (Admin), [2016] 1 WLR 1308

Acting for the SFO in a judicial review claim concerning the SFO’s procedure forhandling of documentary evidence potentially attracting legal professional privilege(assisting James Segan).

Fisheries regulation(October 2015)

Advice to a commercial fishing company as to whether EU Regulation 404/2011required the installation of a vessel monitoring system (“VMS”) on-board their vesselsand advice as to the merits of a potential judicial review claim challenging agovernment decision not to grant a licence to vessels without a VMS (assisting JamesSegan).

Advising a foreign public body on an issue of statutory interpretationFebruary 2020

Providing advice to a foreign public body on the scope and effect of freedom ofinformation legislation. With Monica Carss-Frisk QC.

SB v SSHDFebruary 2020

Successfully represented the Appellant (an EU citizen) in an appeal against adeportation made against her.

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Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350


Public International Law

Isabelhas a significant public international law practice which is centred on casesraising issues of international human rights and humanitarian law. Her clientsrange from individuals to NGOs, companies to public bodies. She frequentlyadvises on and acts in cases that concern the application of internationalhuman rights law in both the UK and foreign jurisdictions, and the interactionbetween public international law and domestic law in this jurisdiction. Isabelhas also published in this area. She is the author of Trials: On Death Rowin Pakistan (London, Jonathan Cape). And in 2018 she was a legal panellistand contributing author to Children in Armed Conflict (London, Hart) (ofwhich she worked on four of the book’s eight chapters). Prior to coming to thebar, Isabel spent several years working in Pakistan as a caseworkerwith local lawyers providing pro bono defence representation to death rowinmates.

Cases

Re: Al-M[2019] EWHC 3415 (Fam); [2020] EWHC 67 (Fam); [2020] EWHC 122 (Fam); [2020] EWCA Civ 283

Acted (on issues related to international law and assurances) for Her Royal HighnessPrincess Haya bint Al Hussein (the “Mother”) in family law proceedings that concernedher, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (the “Father”) and theirtwo children. The proceedings concerned a process of fact-finding and the applicationof international law relevant to assurances and human rights. By judgments publishedin March 2020, the High Court found that (i) the Father had been involved in theabduction of one of his daughters from the UK and the forcible return of anotherdaughter to Dubai, and had conducted a campaign of harassment against the Mother;and (ii) no weight could be placed on assurances and waivers of immunity provided bythe Father and the UAE. The Father appealed the decision to publish those judgmentsto the Court of Appeal, which dismissed the appeal. The Father was refused permissionto appeal by the Supreme Court. Led by Timothy Otty QC.



Freedom of Expression and Fair Trial Advice(2019)

Providing advice on the international law applicable to freedom of expression and theright to a fair trial.

[email protected]

+44 (0)20 7583 1770


Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350


Advising a charity on the scope of domestic obligations underinternational human rights law.(January 2020)

Advising a charityon the scope of the UK’s obligations under international human rights law,internationalhumanitarian law and international criminal law in relation to children inarmed conflict.

Acting for a claimant before the ECtHR(April 2019)

Acting for a claimant bringing a challenge before the ECtHR in relation to the UK’sviolation of Articles 6, 8 and 13 of the ECHR.

The Government of the Republic of Turkey v Buyuk, Celik and Ipek(2018)

Support provided to Sir Jeffrey Jowell QC in his giving expert evidence in extraditionproceedings on the rule of law and protection of fundamental rights and constitutionalguarantees in contemporary Turkey. Such evidence was accepted and relied upon bythe Court.



PIAM v Upper Brooks(2018)

Representing investment funds, owned by the Libyan Investment Authority, in 10-daytrial in the Cayman Islands. The case raises a number of complex issues involving theinteraction between the UN, EU, UK and Cayman sanctions regimes and the applicationof private and public Libyan law (with Jason Pobjoy and Dinah Rose QC).

Advice on Convention rights(2018)

Providing advice on the likelihood of violations of Convention rights (and the rule oflaw) in a foreign jurisdiction.

[email protected]

+44 (0)20 7583 1770


Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350


Advice on regulatory policy(April 2016)

Advising the General Medical Council on whether allowing registered doctors to servein the armed forces was compatible with international humanitarian law (assisting IvanHare).

Steve Ferguson v the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago[2016] UKPC 2

Appeared for appellants in an important constitutional appeal from Trinidad andTobago concerning the retrospective repeal of a limitation period for certain criminaloffences (assisting James Segan who appeared with Michael Beloff QC).

Advising an NGO on the rule of lawMarch 2020

Providing advice to a foreign NGO on the rule of law and the right to property. WithJeffrey Jowell QC and Naina Patel.

Prevention of tortureFebruary 2020

Delivering training in Lebanon to two Lebanese Bar Associations on international anddomestic law standards prohibiting torture and the role of human rights lawyers inupholding those standards (with Timothy Otty QC and Natasha Simonsen).

Employment

Isabel has experiencein a range of employment cases and, in particular, advising on employment issuesarising in a public and public international law context. She has acted for both claimantsand respondents. She recently successfully represented a claimant in a three day unfairand wrongful dismissal hearing inthe Employment Tribunal.

Cases

Ongoing proceedings in the Employment Tribunal(Ongoing 2020)

Acting (unled) for the respondent in a discrimination claim.

Advice on potential victimisation claim(September 2019)

Advising aclaimant in relation to the merits of a potential victimisation claim againsttheir employer.

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Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350


Harris v Avocet(August 2019)

Successfully acted (unled) for the claimant in his claim for unfair and wrongfulconstructive dismissal.

TULR(C)A claim(2019)

Advising and acting for a group of claimants bringing a claim in the EmploymentTribunal under s.189 of TULR(C)A in relation to a collective redundancy.

Employment and Sanctions Advice(2018)

Providing advice on the effect of certain sanctions regimes on employment contracts.

Moralez-Perez v Blaser Mills LLP(Employment Tribunal, 2016)

Acting for the respondent in a claim of unfair dismissal and discrimination (assistingNick De Marco).

Mauro Milanese v Leyton Orient Football Club Limited[2016] EWHC 1263 (QB), [2016] EWHC 1161 (QB)

Acting for the claimant in a claim for damages following the termination of theclaimant’s employment contract without notice (assisting Nick De Marco).

Dr Shreedhar Vaidya v Dr Andrew Fergusson(Employment Tribunal, 2016)

Acted for the respondent in direct discrimination, harassment and victimisation claim(assisting Ivan Hare).

(1) General Medical Council, (2) Mr Niall Dickson, and (3) Mr SimonHaywood v Dr Ewa Michalak[2016] EWCA Civ 172, [2016] ICR 628

Acting for the appellants in an application for permission to appeal to the SupremeCourt from the Court of Appeal’s finding that the Employment Tribunal had jurisdictionto hear claims brought under the Equality Act 2010 against the General MedicalCouncil (assisting Ivan Hare).

Unpaid wages High Court claim(February 2016)

Acting for a number of care home workers in relation to their High Court breach ofcontract claim for unpaid wages (assisting Diya Sen Gupta).

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Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350


Concurrent High Court and Employment Tribunal claims(February 2016)

Advising on the interrelation of statutory and contractual claims in the EmploymentTribunal and contractual claims in the High Court (assisting Diya Sen Gupta).

High Court breach of contract claim(January 2016)

Acting for a claimant in a High Court stigma damages claim against a bank (assistingTom Linden QC and Diya Sen Gupta).

High Court team move(December 2015)

Acting for the claimant in a team move case (assisting Paul Goulding QC and Diya SenGupta).

Client confidential information(2015)

Acting for Citibank N.A. defending various claims by former Foreign Exchange tradersarising from their dismissal for sharing client confidential information in BloombergChats. These cases have been widely reported in the press. (Assisting Diya Sen Gupta.)

Commercial

Isabel accepts instructions in all areas of commercial litigation.Since commencing practice, Isabel has acted led and unled on a number of commercialmatters, ranging from small claims to cases involving complex international fraud. Shehas gained particular experience of the intersection between commercial and publiclaw.

Cases

ArcelorMittal USA v Essar Steel[2019] EWHC 724 (Comm)

Claim for enforcement of foreign arbitral award worth in excess of US$1bn involvingapplications for search, freezing and information orders in England and various foreignjurisdictions including the Cayman Islands, Mauritius, the USA and India (with AndrewScott and Tony Peto QC).

Assisting Harish Salve SA(2018-2019)

Assisting Harish Salve SA on matters of English law relevant to ongoing litigation inIndia.

[email protected]

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Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350


Advice on scope of common interest privilege(January 2018)

Advice on the scope of common interestprivilege and its application in the context of a dispute between companies andshareholders.



Vilca v Xstrata[2018] EWHC 27 (QB)

Successfully defended a tort claim brought by 22 Peruvian nationals regarding aprotest in Peru. The matter raised issues of foreign act of state, choice of law andcorporate liability for alleged human rights abuses by the Peruvian National Police(with Shaheed Fatima QC and Hanif Mussa).

Claim against property developer(2017)

Counsel for the Claimant in a commercial property dispute relating to appointment ofdirectors and unjustified enrichment (unled).

Ipswich Town Football Club Company Ltd v the Chief Constable ofSuffolk Constabulary[2016] EWHC 1682 (QB)

Acting for the claimant in a claim in unjust enrichment, challenging the police power tocharge for the provision of policing services under s. 25 of the Police Act 1996(assisting Nick De Marco).

Loanline (UK) Ltd v (1) Mr Barrington McIntosh, and (2) Global SportsMarketing Ltd(High Court, 2016)

Acting for the claimant in a claim for breach of a series of finance agreements (assistingNick De Marco).

Application under ss. 790ZF and 790ZG of the Companies Act 2006(May 2016)

Advising an applicant on the convention and charter rights potentially relevant toapplications under ss. 790ZF and 790ZG (assisting Ivan Hare).

[email protected]

+44 (0)20 7583 1770


Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350


Takahata Precision Pte Ltd v Sentec Ltd(High Court, 2015)

Acting for the claimant in a claim for a declaration, an injunction and damages forbreach of contract (assisting James Segan).

Contract(November 2015)

Advising a potential claimant in a claim for breach of contract on formation andvariation of that contract.

Immigration

Isabel has experience of both advising on and acting in cases concerning immigration,asylum, deportation and citizenship. In particular, she has recently acted for severalindividuals subject to deportation orders and is currently instructed on a judicial reviewchallenging the imposition of fees for citizenship applications. She has representedclients before the First Tier Tribunal and in applications for judicial review.

Cases



SG v SSHD(August 2019)

Acting for the appellant in her appeal to theUpper Tribunal against rejection of her deportation appeal.

Anwer v SSHD(September 2019)

Acting for the claimant in an application forpermission to proceed with judicial review following rejection of his claim forasylum.

Drafting grounds in a judicial review relating to a child’s applicationfor citizenship(August 2019)

Acting for the claimant, a child, in their claim for registration as a British citizen.

[email protected]

+44 (0)20 7583 1770


Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350




Xu v SSHD(August 2019)

Acting for the appellant in an appeal againsta deportation order.



Provision of pro bono advice in relation to an application for asylum(May 2019)

Advising anindividual making an application for asylum.

SB v SSHDFebruary 2020

Successfully represented the Appellant (an EU citizen) in an appeal against adeportation made against her.

Sanctions

Whilst on secondment in the US in 2016, Isabel gained experience of US Iran sanctions,working with attorneys challenging and advising on the regime. She has since acted incases involving the application of EU and UN sanctions regimes and provided advice inrelation to such regimes. For reasons of confidentiality, many of these matters are notdetailed here.

Cases

Employment and Sanctions Advice(2018)

Providing advice on the effect of certain sanctions regimes on employment contracts.

[email protected]

+44 (0)20 7583 1770


Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350




Sport

Isabel accepts instructions in all areas of sport work.During pupillage Isabel gained a wide range of experience and assisted her pupilsupervisors acting for both players/athletes and sports governing bodies. She appearedbefore first instance and appellate regulatory tribunals and the Court of Arbitration forSport. Since commencing practice, Isabel has continued to work on similar matters.

Cases

Sports disciplinary investigation(2017)

Acting for a sports agent in connection with a disciplinary investigation (with Nick DeMarco QC).

Third party costs orders(July 2016)

Advising on the availability of third party cost orders in the event of costs having beenawarded against a bankrupt party (assisting Nick De Marco).

Financial Fair Play Rules arbitration(July 2016)

Acting for a football club in a high profile arbitral challenge to financial fair play rules inEnglish football (assisting Nick De Marco).

Rule K arbitration(July 2016)

Acting for the claimant in a potential Rule K arbitration (assisting Nick De Marco).

FIFA v (1) the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, (2) the SaudiArabian Anti-Doping Committee, and (3) Mr Mohammed MohammedNoor Adam Hawsawi(Court of Arbitration for Sport, 2016)

Acting for the player resisting FIFA’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sportagainst the decision of the Saudi Arabian Anti-Doping Appeals Panel (assisting Nick DeMarco).

[email protected]

+44 (0)20 7583 1770


Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350


Ipswich Town Football Club Company Ltd v the Chief Constable ofSuffolk Constabulary[2016] EWHC 1682 (QB)

Acting for the claimant in a claim in unjust enrichment, challenging the police power tocharge for the provision of policing services under s. 25 of the Police Act 1996(assisting Nick De Marco).

FA Football Agents Regulations(May 2016)

Acting for the respondent to a charge brought by The FA for breach of the FootballAgents Regulations 2009 (assisting Nick De Marco).

The FA v Mr Alan Judge(June 2016)

Acting for the player defending a charge of an anti-doping rule violation following useof an inhaler (assisting Nick De Marco).

RFU v Luke Willmott(RFU Anti-Doping and Appeal Panels, 2015)

Acting for the RFU in a successful disciplinary prosecution for attempted trafficking ofa human growth hormone (assisting James Segan).

ACHIEVEMENTS

EducationLLB (Hons) (Glasgow): First Class; MRes (Glasgow): Distinction; Kennedy Scholar(Harvard); BPTC (BPP): Outstanding

Prizes & Scholarships

Saltire Scottish First Book Award (awarded for Trials: On Death Row in Pakistan)

Buchanan Prize (Lincoln’s Inn, 2015)

Hardwicke Entrance Award (Lincoln’s Inn, 2014)

Lord Mansfield Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn, 2013)

Kennedy Memorial Scholarship (Kennedy Memorial Trust, 2012)

Reprieve Fellowship (Reprieve, 2011)

Theodore David Lowe Prize (Glasgow University, 2009)

[email protected]

+44 (0)20 7583 1770


Tel: +44(0)20-7583 1770 Fax: +44(0)20-7822 7350


PublicationsProtecting Children in Armed Conflict (Legal Panellist, Contributor) (London: HartPublishing, 2018)

Trials: On Death Row in Pakistan (London: Jonathan Cape, 2016), winner of theSaltire Scottish First Book Award and an Economist and Spectator book of theyear.

‘Torture in Pakistan: A Lawyer’s Handbook’ (Lahore: Pakistan’s Parliamentarians’Commission for Human Rights and Open Society Foundations, 2012)

MembershipsAdministrative Law Bar Association

Advocate Pro Bono Panel

Bar European Group

Bar Human Rights Committee (Executive Committee Member)

Employment Law Bar Association

Justice

Liberty

Young Fraud Lawyers' Association

Young Public Lawyers' Group (Committee Member)

Other relevant experiencePrior to joining Chambers, Isabel worked in Pakistan as a caseworker for JusticeProject Pakistan, a charitable organisation in Lahore which provides pro bonodefence representation to persons facing a death sentence in Pakistan andPakistani detainees in Bagram Airbase, Afghanistan. During this time, she alsowrote instruction manuals for litigation in Pakistan and authored several UNshadow reports on Pakistan’s compliance with UNCAT and ICCPR.

Isabel was judicial assistant to Lord Reed JSC at the Inner House of the ScottishCourt of Session.

VAT registration number: 447008068

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Documents

Isabel Buchanan - Blackstone Chambers€¦ · Isabel also taught jurisprudence and property law at the University of Glasgow and equity and trusts and contract law at Birkbeck College,