Georgie Rea

Year of Call: 2019

"Georgie provided excellent representation in a SEND Tribunal hearing. As well as providing a very high level of client care, she was outstanding on tactics and evidence, securing a significant tactical advantage at the outset for our client. This provided a basis for overall success in securing the client’s preferred school placement for her child."

Solicitor Client, 2023

"The client had previously been served with a notice of removal to Rwanda so this was a case that had new and uncertain elements to it, but Georgie handled this easily…she was an excellent advocate and [the Client] was grateful to Georgie for providing him with high-quality legal representation."

Caseworker

"Many of our clients have serious criminal convictions and/or serious mental health problems and can be challenging to work with. Georgie has dealt with this professionally and provided the best advocacy we could ask for."

Caseworker

"Throughout this case and the numerous others I have instructed her on, I found her work to be exemplary."

Solicitor Client

"Georgie went above and beyond in providing holistic support to the applicant and assisting with submitting an appeal."

Caseworker

"Georgie actively listens to her clients, their needs and really takes her time with them, rather than rushing it through. She has obtained remarkable results in cases where we thought there was no hope, and that is what also makes her brilliant."

Solicitor Client

Contact

If you would like to get in touch with Georgie, please contact the clerking team on:

Or you can contact the relevant​ Practice Team Clerks directly and they will be happy to assist with your enquiry.

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Georgie is developing a broad public law practice, whilst specialising in immigration & asylum, housing, education, and community care law.

Georgie's journey into tenancy was kicked off by her nomination as a finalist for Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year in 2022.

During her first year as a tenant at Garden Court Chambers, Georgie has become involved in all aspects of chambers life, providing legal updates for practitioners online and in person. Georgie undertook a Pegasus Scholarship coordinated by the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple and Crown Office Law New Zealand between September 2023 and January 2024.

Public Law

Georgie’s multi-disciplinary practice enables her to accept judicial review instructions in a range of areas. She acts in urgent and complex claims for judicial review as sole counsel and led junior. Her specialist knowledge enables her to deploy the overarching principles of public law effectively in a variety of statutory contexts, including immigration, extradition, education and community care.

Current and recent cases include:

  • Georgie has secured interim relief, both within hours and in urgent out of hours cases in judicial reviews of local authority decisions not to provide interim accommodation under Section 188 Housing Act 1996.
  • Led by Stephanie Harrison KC and Oliver Persey, Georgie acted as junior counsel in a successful High Court challenge to the Home Secretary’s policy of accommodating Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children in hotels.
  • Georgie was led by Jamie Burton KC in a successful application for interim relief in the High Court against a Local Authority's irrational refusal to relocate a child out of borough despite his wishes and feelings.
  • Instructed by Lawstop Solicitors, Georgie was granted permission for judicial review in a claim against Local Authorities’ failure to secure provision under the Claimant child’s EHCP.
  • As sole counsel in an application for interim relief, Georgie secured a finding of a strong prima facie case that an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child reverts to being a putative minor when a local authority conducts a further age assessment upon new evidence coming to light.

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Immigration & Asylum

Georgie has successfully represented lay clients in statutory appeals before the Immigration and Asylum Tribunals and drafted Grounds of Appeal in complex cases. She has experience in a wide range of immigration law matters, including complex asylum, deportation, human rights appeals, public law challenges to fresh claim decisions, and more novel challenges to the passport office.

Current and recent cases include:

  • On instruction from Turpin Miller, Georgie secured asylum in the FFT for a Chinese national appellant found to have a well-founded fear of persecution for a Convention reason, namely membership of a particular social group (female victims of sexual violence and victims of trafficking/modern slavery).
  • On instruction from MH Solicitors, Georgie secured asylum in the FFT for an Iraqi national, found to be a risk of persecution based on imputed political opinion.
  • On instruction from Wilsons LLP, Georgie secured asylum in the FFT for an Ethiopian national, who was found to be at risk both due to his credible account of his activities before fleeing Ethiopia and his political activities in the UK.
  • On instruction from Kamberley Solicitors, Georgie secured article 8 leave for an Algerian national living with breast cancer.
  • Georgie regularly provides representation at immigration bail hearings, both online and in person, and is glad to be working with Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) as part of her commitment to pro bono.

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Housing

Georgie has a detailed knowledge of possession proceedings, having previously worked as a self-employed County Court Advocate. She regularly conducts work across all areas of housing law, including homelessness, possession and disrepair, in addition to accommodation-related aspects of community care law. She provides practical advice relating to directions, evidence and creative settlement solutions in complex cases.

Georgie has successfully defended possession claims brought by both private and public landlords, on statutory and public law grounds. 

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Education

Georgie acts for children, young people and families in all forums where education law issues arise, including the First-tier Tribunal and the Administrative Court.

  • Georgie has secured specialist placements and extensive amendments to EHCPs at final hearings before the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal.
  • Georgie has successfully raised issues of direct and indirect discrimination on the grounds of race and disability before Independent Review Panels and the SEND Tribunal.
  • In an ongoing permanent exclusion case, Georgie successfully represented the client before an Independent Review Panel, who directed the School’s Governing Body to reconsider their decision to exclude. 
  • On instruction from Simpson Miller, Georgie secured permission for judicial review, resulting in a settlement of a comprehensive EOTAS package.

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Community Care

Georgie’s community care practice spans asylum support, welfare benefits, and health and social care. Current and recent cases include:

  • Several successful challenges brought under section 20 of the Children Act 1989, with interim relief in the form of accommodation granted in three cases.
  • Georgie has been instructed in several age assessments and provided clients with representation at hearings in both the High Court and FTT.
  • Georgie has provided detailed training and updates on age assessments to Wilsons LLP and online.

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Employment and Discrimination Law

Georgie is developing a practice in employment and discrimination law.

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Notable Cases

ECPAT UK, R (On the Application Of) v Kent County Council & Anor [2023] EWHC 1953 (Admin)
Georgie was instructed by Bhatt Murphy as junior counsel to Stephanie Harrison KC and Oliver Persey in a successful High Court challenge to the Home Secretary’s policy of accommodating Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children in hotels. A full summary of the case can be found here.

Smith v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, & Communities and others [2022] EWCA Civ 1391
Georgie provided valuable assistance to Marc Willers KC and Tessa Buchanan (instructed by Deighton Pierce Glynn) in their successful challenge to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal has held that the Government’s planning definition of “gypsies and travellers” in Planning policy for traveller sites (“PPTS 2015”) was unlawfully discriminatory with the result that a refusal to grant planning permission for a permanent site which applied that definition was quashed. A full summary of the case can be found here.

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Notable Cases & News

Immigration Blog: Garden Court barristers secure clean sweep of Rwanda removals bail victories

Blog post by Georgie Rea of the Garden Court Immigration Law Team.

24 June 2024

Garden Court barristers recognised on Pro Bono Recognition List of England & Wales

We are delighted to announce that Garden Court barristers have been listed on the Pro Bono Recognition List of England & Wales.

17 June 2024

High Court grants interim relief to vulnerable refugee faced with imminent homelessness by local authority

Georgie Rea, of the Garden Court Housing Team, instructed by Lauren Sidgwick of Turpin Miller, successfully obtained interim relief from the High Court just before the bank holiday weekend.

12 April 2024

High Court rules Home Office use of hotels for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children unlawful

Stephanie Harrison KC, Gráinne Mellon and Ollie Persey, of the Garden Court Chambers Public Law team, are instructed by Bhatt Murphy.

30 November 2023

Immigration Blog: Age Assessments - More Than Just a Number

Blog post by Georgie Rea of the Garden Court Immigration Team.

2 October 2023

Georgie Rea starts her 12-week Pegasus Scholarship placement today at Thorndon Chambers in Wellington, New Zealand

Good luck to Georgie, one of our junior tenants, who is today starting her 12-week placement at Thorndon Chambers in Wellington, New Zealand, after being awarded a Pegasus Scholarship.

18 September 2023

Three new pupils join Garden Court Chambers

We are delighted to welcome Nadia O'Mara, Georgie Rea and Will Hanson who have joined Garden Court Chambers as pupils.

12 October 2021

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Background

After completing her BPTC, Georgie assisted in the Cabinet of Judge Christopher Vajda at the European Court of Justice. She confident accepting instructions with a European dimension and can conduct research and consider documents in French.

She has legal experience in both the public and private sector, having worked as a paralegal for the Immigration Team at Payne Hicks Beach and the Government Legal Department, gaining an insight into complex public law matters. She is an experienced advocate, having worked as a County Court Advocate on the Midland Circuit before commencing pupillage.   

Georgie is a passionate lawyer linguist and has undertaken human rights volunteering in various jurisdictions, including Togo, Morocco, India, and Greece. Most recently, she provided legal support to individuals claiming asylum in Athens.

Awards

Pegasus Scholarship, Inner Temple and Crown Office Law, Thorndon Chambers (Wellington) 2023/2024

Finalist, Young Pro-Bono Barrister of the year 2022

Advocate, sponsored by Place Campbell

Soap Box Champion, November 2019 - Prize for best oral law reform proposal, RebLaw, London

The Taylor Prize, October 2019 - Outstanding Contribution to the BPTC, Nottingham Law School

The Hon Sir Peter Bristow Scholarship, September 2019 - For work in a European Institution, Middle Temple

Chrystal Macmillan Prize, July 2019 - Awarded to the top 5% of performing students on the BPTC, Middle Temple

Alastair Munt Memorial Prize, July 2019 - Prize for Best Advocate, Nottingham Law School

Queen Mother Scholarship and Blackstone Entrance Exhibition Award, September 2018 - Middle Temple

Slaughter and May Prize, June 2018 - Highest Grade in Trusts Law, University of Bristol

Dean's Award for Academic Excellence, May 2018 - Nottingham Law School

Best Advocate, Finlay Memorial Moot, February 2016 - University College Dublin

Education

BPTC Nottingham Law School: (2018-19): Outstanding, Best Advocate Award

LLB Law and French University of Bristol: (2014-18): 1st Class Honours, Highest Grade in Trust Law, 82% on Final Research Project

Université de Bordeaux : (2017) C1 French, Best Comparative Law Dissertation

Professional Membership

  • ILPA - Immigration Law Practitioners Association
  • ALBA - Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association
  • HLPA - Housing Law Practitioners Association

Languages

French: C1

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