Law Talks x Monckton Chambers Mini-Series Part 3: International Women’s Day with Khatija Hafesji

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In this episode of Law Talks Khatija Hafesji describes moving from studying history into legal practice, finding her passion via advocacy for children in care, using the Children Act 1989 and judicial review to challenge unlawful local authority decisions.

She explains why she pursued a mixed practice spanning public, competition, procurement, and information law and describes her role as Editor-in-Chief of the Human Rights Law Reports. In an International Women’s Day context, she discusses the Women and Diversity in Law Awards 2026, her pro bono work with the Centre for Women’s Justice on data protection issues, and reflects on what public law reveals about women’s lives. Finally, she explains her trustee role at the Public Law Project and how aspiring barristers can get involved and prepare for the Bar.

01:32 Discovering Law in Care Work
04:04 Building a Mixed Practice
06:07 Choosing Practice Balance
07:45 Editing Human Rights Reports
10:48 Women and Diversity Awards
14:17 Centre for Women’s Justice Panel
16:23 Law Reform for Mothers
18:59 Women’s Lives Through Public Law
24:52 Trustee at Public Law Project
29:12 Advice for Aspiring Barristers

Listen to the full episode “International Women’s Day with Khatija Hafesji” on Spotify.

Law Talks Mini-Series Part 2: Navigating Pupillage and Tenancy: Insights from Charlie Coverman

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The second episode is with Charlie Coverman, who joined Monckton Chambers as a tenant in October 2025, following the successful completion of his pupillage. Charlie shares his journey from obtaining a degree in History and Politics to pursuing a legal career and securing his pupillage. He delves into the rigorous pupillage application process, his motivations for choosing Monckton Chambers, and his experiences throughout the pupillage.

The discussion also covers the transition from pupil to tenant, the breadth of competition law practice, and valuable advice for aspiring barristers.

00:00 Introduction and Career Overview
00:41 Deciding to Become a Barrister
01:58 Applying for Pupillage
03:17 Choosing Monckton Chambers
04:41 Pupillage Experience at Monckton Chambers
06:36 Starting Pupillage: Challenges and Advice
09:33 Transition from Pupil to Tenant
15:51 Practising Competition Law
22:44 Building a Broad Practice
25:56 Final Reflections and Advice

Listen to the full episode “Navigating Pupillage and Tenancy: Insights from Charlie Coverman” on Spotify.

Michael Bowsher KC and Jenn Lawrence speak in Legal 500 podcast on space law

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Michael Bowsher KC and Jenn Lawrence have featured in an episode of The Legal 500 Podcast, hosted by Marie Johansen Nordland, on the topic of space law.

The episode commences with a general introduction to space law, focusing on the interplay of legal regimes and the current state of affairs. Michael and Jenn then move on to discuss a number of topical issues: the problems posed by increasing amounts of space debris in orbit, the ramifications of dual-purpose infrastructure in space participating in armed conflict on earth, concerns surrounding the lack of a coherent and proscriptive international legal regime and the potential to look to other existing international legal regimes as the starting point for a framework to regulate certain aspects of space law. The episode ends with reflections on why space law is becoming increasingly relevant for lawyers today, including from a competition law standpoint.

The episode can be found here.

Law Talks Mini-Series Part 1: Applying for Pupillage at Monckton Chambers with Charlotte McLean

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Welcome to the Law Talks and Monckton Chambers mini-series. The first episode is with Charlotte McLean, who joined Monckton Chambers as a tenant in October 2025, following the successful completion of her pupillage.

In this episode Charlotte will share her experience of applying throughout the Pupillage Gateway, as well as her advice to aspiring barristers on gaining advocacy experience.

Charlotte explains how she prepared for pupillage interviews providing actionable advice to anyone currently prepping.

00:00 Introduction and Career Overview
02:18 Current Practice Areas
03:35 Transition from Solicitor to Barrister
07:37 Applying Through the Pupillage Gateway
15:23 Advocacy Experience and Tips
19:04 Pupillage Interviews: Preparation and Experience
23:24 Accepting Pupillage and Initial Adjustments
29:18 Final Advice for Aspiring Barristers

Listen to the full episode “Applying for Pupillage at Monckton Chambers with Charlotte McLean” on Spotify.

Regulating the Regulators

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Monckton Chambers was delighted to invite you to this in person seminar, which sees the return of our popular “Regulating the Regulators” event. In the aftermath of the Microsoft/Activision merger appeal, Leading practitioners from Monckton’s public law team provided an update on the law and practice of judicial review claims against regulators – from how the CAT and the courts are applying the irrationality test to specialist public bodies with wide regulatory discretion, to an update on the role of expert evidence in judicial review.

To see full seminar please click here.

Chair: Kassie Smith KC

Speakers:

Josh Holmes KC:  Reviewing the CMA’s digital merger control: Meta and Microsoft in the CAT

  • Procedural challenges: delegation, confidentiality and fairness
  • Finding a way through: remedies and remittal.

Robert Palmer KC: Judicial Review of the regulators: by what standard will they be judged?

  • The evolution of irrationality challenges
  • Proportionality and the manifestly without reasonable foundation standard
  • Regulatory discretion and its ambit

Azeem Suterwalla: Factual and expert evidence in Judicial Review

  • Recent developments on the admission of factual and expert evidence
  • The resolution of conflicting factual evidence
  • Cross-examination and hot tubbing in judicial review

Will Perry: Fundamental rights and regulation

  • Fundamental rights as relevant considerations
  • A role for positive operational duties on regulators?
  • A1P1: is it ever worth pleading?

Holger Hestermeyer – The Times podcast “Stories of our Times” – South Africa’s genocide case against Israel

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Three months into the war in Gaza, the conflict has reached a courtroom: the International Court of Justice in the Hague. South Africa says we are witnessing a genocide take place in real time. Israel has called the claims ‘preposterous’. A leading expert in international law Holger Hestermeyer walks us through the case and its possible consequences.

To listen full podcast please click here.

Webinars on the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill

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In a two-part webinar series, members of Monckton Chambers will discuss the competition and consumer law aspects of the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, as introduced in Parliament on 25 April 2023. The first webinar (Wed 3 May at 1pm) will explore competition law aspects of the Bill, and the second webinar (Wed 10 May at 1pm) will explore consumer law aspects. You can sign up to these respective webinars here and here. Further information is below.

Part 1: Competition aspects of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill

Date: Wednesday 3 May 2023 at 1pm – 2pm

In the first rapid response webinar, the panel will address the competition law aspects of the Bill, namely Part 1 on Digital Markets and Part 2 on Competition. Part 1 of the Bill puts the Digital Markets Unit in the CMA on statutory footing and introduces a new regulatory regime for digital markets. Part 2 of the Bill introduces a number of reforms to UK competition law more generally, including in relation to: investigative and enforcement powers; the powers of the CAT; mergers; and the scope of the Chapter 1 prohibition. The panel will discuss the genesis for these new substantive and procedural provisions; their relationship with the EU’s Digital Markets Act; and how they will work in practice, once enacted.

Speakers include: Tim Ward KC; Robert Palmer KC; Alison Berridge; and Daisy Mackersie.

The recording is available here

Part 2: Consumer aspects of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill

Date: Wednesday 10 May 2023 at 1pm – 2pm

In the second rapid response webinar, the panel will address the consumer law aspects of the Bill, namely Part 3 on enforcement of consumer law and Part 4 on consumer rights and disputes. The Bill introduces new, substantive consumer protection measures (including on subscription traps and fake reviews), as well as providing the CMA with new tools to enforce consumer law directly and new remedies e.g. the CMA and the Courts will have the power to impose penalties of up to 10% of global turnover for breaching consumer law. The panel will discuss the genesis for these new substantive and procedural provisions, and how they will work in practice, once enacted

Speakers include: George Peretz KC; Rob Williams KC;  Jonathan Lewis; Jack Williams; and Khatija Hafesji.

The recording is available here.