Gary Oliver
Senior Clerk
+44 (0) 207 822 7325
Flora practices predominantly in public & regulatory law (including asylum and immigration, EU citizenship and deportation, civil liberties and human rights, environmental law, public international law and commercial judicial review), commercial (including joint venture disputes, agency claims, professional negligence claims, jurisdictional disputes, LMA trading disputes, misuse of confidential information and civil fraud) and EU & competition law (including damages claims arising from cartel activity).
Flora has appeared before a range of tribunals and courts including the First- and Upper-Tier Tribunals, Employment Tribunal, County Court, High Court and Court of Appeal. She has also been instructed in a number of cases in the Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights.
Prior to joining Chambers, Flora worked from 2008 as a senior asylum and immigration Caseworker at Refugee and Migrant Justice. She then worked in this capacity at several private solicitors’ firms, ultimately as an in-house advocate. She has successfully represented numerous clients, including victims of trafficking, in asylum, immigration, EU citizenship and deportation matters in both the First-Tier and Upper Tribunals.
Flora frequently acts pro bono in human rights related contexts, working with organisations including the Aire Centre, Reprieve and Refugee Legal Support Athens.
Flora is a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA), the Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association (ALBA), the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales, the Bar European Group, the Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR) and the UK Environmental Law Association.
Flora has acted in commercial cases relating to a range of issues including joint venture disputes, agency claims, professional negligence claims, jurisdictional disputes, LMA trading disputes, misuse of confidential information and civil fraud.
Advising a defendant company in relation to a contractual dispute concerning the sale of billboard advertising space.
Acting for Canaccord in this claim concerning professional negligence by advisors and directors in relation to Florida property investments (assisting Andrew George QC).
Acting on behalf of a professional in the online gaming industry in a contractual dispute with a digital payments company (assisting Andrew George QC).
Advising a company on the use of letters of request under CPR r.34.13, and issues relating to confidentiality and privilege in relation to s.3(1)(a) of the Evidence (Proceedings in other Jurisdictions) Act 1975 (assisting Andrew George QC).
Advising on procedural and strategic issues relating to Group Litigation Orders (assisting Andrew George QC).
Junior Counsel in a substantial Commercial Court trial relating to Loan Market Association (LMA) trading in a Ukrainian steel manufacturer (led by Andrew George).
Acting for the husband in the trusts-related aspects of a “big money” divorce case in which the wife sought a financial remedies order, including whether discretionary trusts settled by the husband's father of which the husband was one of a number of beneficiaries were a "resource" available to him within the meaning of S.25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (with Barbara Dohmann QC).
Flora has experience of a broad range of public and regulatory cases. She has acted for individuals, NGOs and corporate entities in cases concerning issues including freedom of speech, trafficking, and gender identity. She has been instructed by interveners in several high profile judicial review cases.
Prior to joining Chambers, Flora worked as a senior asylum and immigration Caseworker at Refugee and Migrant Justice, first gaining OISC accreditation in 2008. She then worked in this capacity at several private solicitors’ firms, ultimately as an in-house advocate. Consequently she has experience working on asylum, immigration, EU citizenship and deportation matters. She has successfully represented numerous clients, including victims of trafficking and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, in both the First-and Upper-Tier Tribunals.
Flora regularly undertakes pro bono work.
Successfully representing a Polish national in her deportation appeal.
Flora successfully represented a Turkish Kurdish appellant in the First-Tier Tribunal whose asylum claim was based on imputed political opinion.
Flora successfully acted for an Iranian poet in his appeal against the Secretary of State's refusal of his application for asylum.
Acting for HJ Banks Ltd in a successful challenge to a refusal of planning permission (with Nathalie Lieven QC).
Acted for Ofcom (with Pushpinder Saini QC and Jessica Boyd) in a judicial review brought by the Avaaz Foundation of Ofcom's decision that Sky would not cease to be fit and proper to retain its broadcast licences in the event of a merger with 21st Century Fox.
Flora was instructed by Human Rights Watch as Intervener (in support of the Claimant) in a claim challenging the legality of the UK Government’s policy refusing to issue non-gender-specific “X” passports to UK nationals.
Acting for a partially sighted Afghan national in his appeal against the Secretary of State's refusal of his application for asylum and humanitarian protection. A's appeal was dismissed by the First Tier Tribunal and, following the finding of an error of law, was remitted to be heard de novo. Flora represented A at the remitted hearing, which was again dismissed; successfully established that a second error of law had been made, and represented A at his second remitted hearing. Following a third error of law Flora will shortly represent A at his third remitted hearing. The case centres on the Refugee Convention ground of imputed political opinion and Article 15(c) of the Qualification Directive.
Acting for an Indian national in his successful appeal on Article 8 ECHR grounds against the Secretary of State's decision to refuse to grant him a further period of discretionary leave and to remove him from the UK. B entered the UK in 2007 and had been in a relationship with his British Citizen partner since then. The couple had three children and B was the primary carer for his partner and the children. His application for an extension of leave had been rejected on the basis that he had not provided sufficient evidence of his continued family life in the UK.
Acting for a Kurdish Iranian national, also a member of the Ahl-e-Haqq (Yaaresan) faith, in his successful appeal against the decision of the Secretary of State to refuse his application for asylum. E had entered the UK on a student visa and was found by the Judge to be a refugee sur place due to his anti-regime activities, particularly as a blogger.
Acting as junior counsel for the Financial Reporting Council in proceedings under its Accountancy and Actuarial schemes (with Andrew Green QC, Andrew George QC, Andrew Scott, Rebecca Sabben-Clare QC and Tim Jenns).
Acting for an interested party pub in resisting an application for judicial review of a council’s decision to grant access rights to its premises over a Site of Special Scientific Interest (with Michael Fordham QC).
Acting for the Iraqi claimants in this case concerning the jurisdictional reach of Art 1 ECHR and the scope of the investigative duties under Art 3 and Art 5 ECHR, and the investigative obligations under UNCAT and customary international law (with Michael Fordham QC, Dan Squires QC and Jason Pobjoy).
Advising Reprieve / Justice Project Pakistan in relation to a draft Communication to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, concerning the detention of Pakistani nationals at the Bagram Detention Facility between 2001 and 2014.
Acting for the GMC in an appeal about the scope of statutory appeals to the High Court and whether a doctor can challenge findings of misconduct which did not lead to a determination of impairment of fitness to practise (assisting Ivan Hare).
Acting for the GMC in an appeal against its decision to suspend a practitioner from the medical register (assisting Ivan Hare).
Acting for the GMC in an appeal against its decision to erase the practitioner from the medical register (assisting Ivan Hare).
Acting for the General Medical Council in this appeal about the scope of a qualifications body’s liability under the Equality Act 2010 (assisting Ivan Hare). An appeal to the Court of Appeal is pending.
Flora has extensive experience of a range of public law and human rights cases and regularly undertakes pro bono work. She has acted for individuals, NGOs and corporate entities in cases concerning issues including freedom of speech, trafficking, and gender identity. She has been instructed by interveners in several high profile judicial review cases.
Prior to joining Chambers, Flora worked as a senior asylum and immigration Caseworker at Refugee and Migrant Justice, first gaining OISC accreditation in 2008. She then worked in this capacity at several private solicitors’ firms, ultimately as an in-house advocate. Consequently she has experience working on asylum, immigration, EU citizenship and deportation matters. She has successfully represented numerous clients, including victims of trafficking and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, in both the First-and Upper-Tier Tribunals.
Flora acted for the applicants in a case regarding the compatibility of the UK’s bulk surveillance regime with the European Convention on Human Rights. The linked complaints were brought by organisations and individuals that campaign on issues relating to civil liberties and journalists’ rights.
Successfully representing a Polish national in her deportation appeal.
Flora successfully represented a Turkish Kurdish appellant in the First-Tier Tribunal whose asylum claim was based on imputed political opinion.
Flora successfully acted for an Iranian poet in his appeal against the Secretary of State's refusal of his application for asylum.
Flora was instructed by Human Rights Watch as Intervener (in support of the Claimant) in a claim challenging the legality of the UK Government’s policy refusing to issue non-gender-specific “X” passports to UK nationals.
Instructed by the applicants in relation to a claim before the European Court of Human Rights concerning the freedom of expression of a broadcasting company and alleging violations by Georgia of Articles 6, 10 and 18 of the ECHR and Article 1 of Protocol No.1 (led by Shaheed Fatima QC).
Acting for a partially sighted Afghan national in his appeal against the Secretary of State's refusal of his application for asylum and humanitarian protection. A's appeal was dismissed by the First Tier Tribunal and, following the finding of an error of law, was remitted to be heard de novo. Flora represented A at the remitted hearing, which was again dismissed; successfully established that a second error of law had been made, and represented A at his second remitted hearing. Following a third error of law Flora will shortly represent A at his third remitted hearing. The case centres on the Refugee Convention ground of imputed political opinion and Article 15(c) of the Qualification Directive.
Acting for the Interveners (supporting the Appellant) in this appeal to the Supreme Court concerning the application of the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964 / the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 to claims brought by domestic overseas workers against their employers (with Richard Hermer QC, Tom Hickman and Philippa Webb).
Acting for the Iraqi claimants in this case concerning the jurisdictional reach of Art 1 ECHR and the scope of the investigative duties under Art 3 and Art 5 ECHR, and the investigative obligations under UNCAT and customary international law (with Michael Fordham QC, Dan Squires QC and Jason Pobjoy).
Acting for an Indian national in his successful appeal on Article 8 ECHR grounds against the Secretary of State's decision to refuse to grant him a further period of discretionary leave and to remove him from the UK. B entered the UK in 2007 and had been in a relationship with his British Citizen partner since then. The couple had three children and B was the primary carer for his partner and the children. His application for an extension of leave had been rejected on the basis that he had not provided sufficient evidence of his continued family life in the UK.
Acting for a Kurdish Iranian national, also a member of the Ahl-e-Haqq (Yaaresan) faith, in his successful appeal against the decision of the Secretary of State to refuse his application for asylum. E had entered the UK on a student visa and was found by the Judge to be a refugee sur place due to his anti-regime activities, particularly as a blogger.
Advising Reprieve / Justice Project Pakistan in relation to a draft Communication to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, concerning the detention of Pakistani nationals at the Bagram Detention Facility between 2001 and 2014.
Flora acted as junior counsel for claimants resisting a four-day strike out application in the context of a cartel claim.
In 2015 Flora was awarded a Phoenicia Scholarship to attend the Bar European Group Conference in Reykjavik.
Junior counsel (with Kieron Beal QC) acting for the claimants in a claim for damages arising out of the LCD Cartel.
Acting for the claimant in its application for review in the Competition Appeal Tribunal of the CMA's investigation into the private healthcare market and in particular its conclusion that the buyer power of private health insurers did not restrict the ability of independent consultants to compete with respect to fees (assisting Brian Kennelly).
Acting for the UK in this case which addresses the constitutional roles of EU institutions in negotiating international agreements under Article 218 TFEU (assisting Brian Kennelly).
Acting for the UK Government (intervening) in an application for a preliminary reference relating ot the requirements of Arts 5(1), 6(1) and 23 of Reg 44/2001 of Council Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 of 22 December 2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (assisting Brian Kennelly).
Acting for the applicant, listed on the EU Syrian sanctions regulation and decision for allegedly supplying crude oil to the Syrian government (assisting Brian Kennelly)
Acting for the Secretary of State defending a Francovich damages claim concerning whether or not the UK had, in breach of Motor Insurance Directives, unlawfully permitted the Motor Insurance Bureau to refuse compensation to claimants where they had sustained loss or injury during the course of criminal activity (assisting Brian Kennelly).
Theology & Religious Studies (MA Cantab): Starred First (joint first in year); Philosophy of Religion (MPhil, University of Cambridge): Distinction; Graduate Diploma in Law (Kaplan): Distinction (first in year); BPTC (Kaplan).
VAT registration number: 217660902
Barristers regulated by the Bar Standards Board
Gary Oliver
Senior Clerk
+44 (0) 207 822 7325
Derek Sutton
Deputy Senior Clerk
+44 (0) 207 822 7327
Adam Sloane
Deputy Senior Clerk
+44 (0) 207 822 7326
Dean Tolman
Clerk
+44 (0) 207 822 7331
Billy Brian
Clerk
+44 (0) 207 822 7339
Marc Armstrong
Clerk
+44 (0) 207 822 7330
Adam Fuschillo
Clerk
+44 (0) 207 822 7329
Danny Compton
Clerk
+44 (0) 207 822 7338
Sophie Floydd
Clerk
+44 (0) 207 822 7324
Rio Sully
Clerk
+44 (0) 207 822 7299