Rachel is a Director in our Public Law and Community Care department, having joined Gold Jennings in September 2017.
Rachel is an experienced public law practitioner with nearly 10 years’ experience in civil liberties, public law and social welfare litigation. Rachel also conducts civil claims arising from her public law practice. Rachel has worked with the firm since 2017 and was promoted to Senior Associate in September 2022.
Rachel specialises in representing migrants, people affected by the criminal justice system and children and young people who are experiencing unlawful state practices.
Rachel is ranked as an Associate to Watch in the Chambers and Partners 2023 edition for Administrative and Public Law and is also included as a key lawyer in the Legal500 2023 edition for both public law and civil liberties/ human rights.
Rachel was part of the public law team which won Legal Aid Team of the Year at the 2021 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards. Her work on free school meals litigation contributed to the firm’s success at the Law Society’s Excellence Awards at which we were Highly Commended for Small Firm of the Year and Access to Justice awards.
Rachel was shortlisted for the Rising Star Award at the Modern Law Awards 2023.
Migrant rights
Rachel represents adult migrants and their children in challenges against the decisions and policies of local authorities and other state bodies including the Home Office and Department of Education.
She regularly helps challenge the accommodation and subsistence provided to children from families with no recourse to public funds under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 and the policies and procedures employed by local authorities to that end.
Rachel is also frequently instructed in challenges against the suitability of accommodation provided to asylum seekers and victims of trafficking as well as decisions to disperse them out of London.
Criminal justice system
Rachel acts for clients in challenges to prosecutions where the decisions discriminate against the accused on grounds of disability and are not in the public interest.
She represents children and young people in judicial reviews and civil claims against the police arising from treatment in police detention, prosecution decisions and in relation to their personal data being shared.
Rachel also represents victims of crime to make victims’ right to review applications.
Discrimination
Discrimination law permeates much of Rachel’s work as she often relies on the Equality Act or Article 14 of the ECHR to help individuals challenge disadvantageous practices and decisions.
An ongoing focus of Rachel and Gold Jennings’ work has been to represent disadvantaged children from NRPF backgrounds who, due to their parents’ immigration status, are able to benefit from the same educational provision as their counterparts whose families do have recourse to public funds.
Civil actions against public authorities
Rachel currently acts in a number of civil claims brought by people who were unlawfully detained by the Home Office.
Charity work
Rachel provides regular pro-bono advice to various leading charities who support and advise children and migrants. She delivers training to charities on issues experienced by children and their families when seeking support from local authorities under section 17 of the Children Act 1989.
Rachel joined Gold Jennings in September 2017 from Bhatt Murphy, where she trained to be a solicitor and helped conduct civil claims and judicial reviews against the police and other state authorities, including numerous claims brought under the Human Rights Act.
Rachel helped clients challenge the lawfulness of their immigration detention through judicial reviews and civil claims and represented families of loved ones who had died in state custody. She has also helped bring successful appeals on behalf of refugees convicted of immigration document offences following their arrival to the UK.
Before joining Bhatt Murphy, she was a paralegal for a year at another leading firm where she assisted a partner’s public law and community care caseload.
Rachel graduated with a First Class BA (hons) in English and History at the University of York in 2010. She attained a Distinction on the Legal Practice Course (2014) and a Commendation on the Graduate Diploma in Law (2012) at the University of Law/ College of Law.
Before commencing her legal education and training, Rachel volunteered as a legal advisor and social policy co-ordinator at the Citizens Advice Bureau and volunteered with a programme for young refugees and asylum seekers.
Rachel is a member of Young Legal Aid Lawyers, Police Actions Lawyers Group, Inquest Lawyers Group and Housing and Immigration Lawyers
Rachel has achieved notable successes in a number of judicial review and civil claims since joining Gold Jennings.
Rachel’s key cases include:
Rachel is a Director in our Public Law department, having joined Gold Jennings in September 2017.
Rachel is an experienced public law practitioner with nearly 10 years’ experience in civil liberties, public law and social welfare litigation. Rachel also conducts civil claims arising from her public law practice. Rachel has worked with the firm since 2017 and was promoted to Director in November 2024.
Rachel specialises in representing migrants, people affected by the criminal justice system and children and young people who are experiencing unlawful state practices.
Rachel is ranked as a Star Associate in the Chambers and Partners 2025 edition for Administrative and Public Law.
Rachel was part of the public law team which won Legal Aid Team of the Year at the 2021 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards. Her work on free school meals litigation contributed to the firm’s success at the Law Society’s Excellence Awards at which we were Highly Commended for Small Firm of the Year and Access to Justice awards.
Rachel was shortlisted for the Rising Star Award at the Modern Law Awards 2023.
Migrant rights
Rachel represents adult migrants and their children in challenges against the decisions and policies of local authorities and other state bodies including the Home Office and Department of Education.
She regularly helps challenge the accommodation and subsistence provided to children from families with no recourse to public funds under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 and the policies and procedures employed by local authorities to that end.
Rachel is also frequently instructed in challenges against the suitability of accommodation provided to asylum seekers and victims of trafficking as well as decisions to disperse them out of London.
Criminal justice system
Rachel acts for clients in challenges to prosecutions where the decisions discriminate against the accused on grounds of disability and are not in the public interest.
She represents children and young people in judicial reviews and civil claims against the police arising from treatment in police detention, prosecution decisions and in relation to their personal data being shared.
Rachel also represents victims of crime to make victims’ right to review applications.
Discrimination
Discrimination law permeates much of Rachel’s work as she often relies on the Equality Act or Article 14 of the ECHR to help individuals challenge disadvantageous practices and decisions.
An ongoing focus of Rachel and Gold Jennings’ work has been to represent disadvantaged children from NRPF backgrounds who, due to their parents’ immigration status, are able to benefit from the same educational provision as their counterparts whose families do have recourse to public funds.
Civil actions against public authorities
Rachel currently acts in a number of civil claims brought by people who were unlawfully detained by the Home Office.
Charity work
Rachel provides regular pro-bono advice to various leading charities who support and advise children and migrants. She delivers training to charities on issues experienced by children and their families when seeking support from local authorities under section 17 of the Children Act 1989.
Rachel joined Gold Jennings in September 2017 from Bhatt Murphy, where she trained to be a solicitor and helped conduct civil claims and judicial reviews against the police and other state authorities, including numerous claims brought under the Human Rights Act.
Rachel helped clients challenge the lawfulness of their immigration detention through judicial reviews and civil claims and represented families of loved ones who had died in state custody. She has also helped bring successful appeals on behalf of refugees convicted of immigration document offences following their arrival to the UK.
Before joining Bhatt Murphy, she was a paralegal for a year at another leading firm where she assisted a partner’s public law and community care caseload.
Rachel graduated with a First Class BA (hons) in English and History at the University of York in 2010. She attained a Distinction on the Legal Practice Course (2014) and a Commendation on the Graduate Diploma in Law (2012) at the University of Law/ College of Law.
Before commencing her legal education and training, Rachel volunteered as a legal advisor and social policy co-ordinator at the Citizens Advice Bureau and volunteered with a programme for young refugees and asylum seekers.
Rachel is a member of Young Legal Aid Lawyers, Police Actions Lawyers Group, Inquest Lawyers Group and Housing and Immigration Lawyers
Rachel has achieved notable successes in a number of judicial review and civil claims since joining Gold Jennings.
Rachel’s key cases include: