Natasha Barnes

Call 2010

“I am trying and failing to think of a better junior. Her written work is up there with any barrister I can think of. She is clear, direct and a pleasure to work with. Incredibly clever and really in demand.”

Chambers and Partners 2024
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Public Law & Judicial Review

Natasha is instructed in high-profile judicial review claims and appeals in cases primarily concerning national security and immigration. She appears in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Special Immigration Appeals Commission, High Court and Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

Cases

Supreme Court

  • R (AAA & Ors) v SSHD [2023] UKSC 42: Led by Lord Pannick and Sir James Eadie KC in the challenge to the Home Secretary’s plan to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda.
  • R (TN & US) v SSHD [2021] UKSC 41: Led by Robin Tam KC in lead case concerning the lawfulness of the Detained Fast Track Rules 2005.

Court of Appeal

  • R (GA) v SSHD [2022] EWCA Civ 304: Sole counsel against Stephen Cragg KC in an appeal against SIAC’s dismissal of GA’s review against the SSHD’s decision to refuse him naturalisation.
  • R (MS) v SSHD [2021] EWCA Civ 1676: Sole counsel against Tim Buley KC in case concerning whether a grant of interim relief should be treated as success for the purposes of costs in a judicial review.
  • Third Direction Claim [2021] EWCA Civ 330: Led by Sir James Eadie KC in challenge to MI5’s policy pursuant to which MI5’s agents are authorised to participate in crime. The Court stated that the case ‘raises one of the most profound issues which can face a democratic society governed by the rule of law’.
  • The ‘Child Spies’ Case [2019] EWHC 1772 (Admin): Led by Sir James Eadie KC in challenge to SSHD’s use of children as Covert Human Intelligence Sources.
  • Pham v SSHD [2018] EWCA Civ 2064: Junior counsel to Robin Tam KC in a high-profile appeal against SIAC’s strike out of an appeal against the deprivation of Pham’s citizenship after he was sentenced to 40 years’ imprisonment for terrorist offences in the U.S.

Investigatory Powers Tribunal

  • Operation Venetic [2023] UKIPTrib3: Led by Sir James Eadie KC and David Perry KC in lead cases challenging the NCA’s obtaining of data from EncroChat, an encrypted criminal communications platform. This case is critical to the NCA as the data has resulted in 250 convictions and seizure of >£75m / 5,000kg cocaine.
  • Techen [2023] UKIPTrib1: Led by Sir James Eadie KC in a claim challenging the way in which MI5 holds warranted data.

SIAC

  • D9 v SSHD: Sole counsel against Martin Goudie KC in a review against SSHD’s decision to exclude D9 on grounds of national security.

High Court

  • TransActual CIC and another v. the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and another [2024] EWHC 1937 (Admin): Appeared as junior counsel in a high profile challenge to the Secretary of State for Health’s decision to impose an emergency ban on puberty blockers. The ban prohibited the dispensing of puberty blockers to children and young persons suffering from gender dysphoria / incongruence, on the basis of prescriptions issued by private and online providers. The High Court upheld the lawfulness of the Secretary of State’s Order and dismissed all grounds for judicial review.
  • R (Cabinet Office) v Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry [2023] EWHC 1702 (Admin): Junior counsel in high-profile challenge to the decision of the Covid-19 Inquiry to compel the Government to provide it with certain WhatsApp message threads involving the former Prime Minister and other high-ranking officials.
  • Saifullah v MOD: Instructed by the Ministry of Defence in high-profile litigation concerning allegations that British Special Forces unlawfully killed Afghan civilians.
  • R (Taggart) v Royal College of Surgeons: Acted for a consultant surgeon (led by Jeremy Hyam KC) in claim raising whether the Royal College of Surgeons is amenable to Judicial Review.