A Blue Plaque for Yetta Frazer

Yetta Frazer (1913 – 1995) was the first woman to establish a practice at the Leicester Bar. She was a member of these Chambers throughout her career – almost 50 years from June 1945, retiring shortly before she died. A feisty and forthright advocate with a strong and enduring practice who was an inspiration to the generation of women who followed her, we were delighted when Leicester Museums and Galleries endorsed our application for an iconic Blue Plaque in her memory.

News

Emma Burden Wins Barrister of the Year 2022

We are delighted to announce that Miss Emma Burden won the award for Barrister of the Year 2022 at this year’s Leicestershire Law Society Awards.

Miss Burden was shortlisted not only for her outstanding work in care proceedings, but also her invaluable contribution to New Street Chambers and the wider Leicestershire legal community.  Miss Burden was announced as the winner at an awards ceremony on Friday 20th May at Athena.

New Street Chambers would like to thank all of those involved in organising such a great event, with a special thank you to Matthew Olner, President of the Leicestershire Law Society, and Kauser Patel, without whom the event would not have been possible.

2 New Street Shortlisted for Chambers of the Year Award

We are delighted to be shortlisted for two awards in the Leicestershire Law Society Awards 2022.  We have been shortlisted for Chambers of the Year for the third year running,  and would like to congratulate Miss Emma Burden who has been shortlisted for the Barrister of the Year Award.

Miss Barnett Abseiling to Raise Money for Alex’s Wish

As a Trustee of Alex’s Wish, Miss Sally Barnett is once again taking part in a daring fundraising event to increase awareness of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a life threatening condition for boys, and to raise money to allow this incredible charity to invest more into potential life-saving treatments and help find a cure.

On the 11^th June, Miss Barnett will be abseiling down the Nation Lift Tower in Northampton. Given the National Lift Tower is a 127m (418ft) Research and Development facility and was originally built to test lifts, this is no mean feat and will take every ounce of nerve.

We do appreciate that times are tough at the moment but any penny you can spare would go to a fantastic cause and hopefully help to one day stop this terrible condition in its tracks. To sponsor Miss Barnett please go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sb-sally-barnett

Lang Conservation Help Restore Grade II Listed 2 New Street to its Former Glory

In September 2012, around the 527th anniversary of the date King Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth, his remains were discovered and exhumed within the site of the former Greyfriars Friary Church on New Street.

Shortly after the discovery, Leicester City Council commenced with the Greyfriars conservation project which would see many of the buildings and roads within the area restored and renovated to their former historical glory.

New Street Chambers is a Grade II listed building and is of historical significance having been a private residence and a Doctors surgery before becoming the first Barristers Chambers to be established outside of London. However, in 2015 the roof started to fall into a state of disrepair, with some sections starting to bow and convex while many of the slates started to collapse, causing leaks to occur. The roof was literally caving in.

As a result, New Street Chambers applied, and was accepted, for a grant from the Local Authority and National Lottery to help with the funding of getting the roof replaced. On a grade II listed building this is no mean feat and presented many issues including, amongst others, sourcing the same Swithland slate which hadn’t even been mined for almost 100 years.

To assist with this huge task, New Street turned amongst others to the expertise of Lang Conservation, a construction company specialising in the conservation and repair of historic buildings.

With the help of Lang Conservation and their passionate and knowledgeable team, the final piece of slate was hammered into position after several months, and even more hurdles.

The result was phenomenal, not only meeting but surpassing the critique and expectations of the Townscape Heritage Initiative team from the City Council, and of course, the whole of New Street Chambers.

However, the job wasn’t finished with the roof, and most recently Lang Conservation have done another wonderful job of restoring the intricate front door and door frame. This required them to painstakingly and meticulously strip the paint over the course of a week, being careful not to damage the wood and the carved details and repaint with a specialist paint.

Lang’s proficiency and knowhow has helped to restore and protect the splendour, and historical significance, of New Street Chambers which is largely viewed as a jewel in the crown of the Greyfriars conservation project.

New Street Chambers Covid-19 Policy
Please click here to read New Street’s Covid-19 Policy.

New Street Celebrates Again as Steven Gasztowicz QC is appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge
New Street Chambers is delighted to be able to announce that Mr Steven Gasztowicz QC has been appointed as a deputy High Court judge in both the Queen’s Bench and Chancery Divisions.

The appointment is the latest in a distinguished career. He also sits as a recorder dealing with criminal, civil and specialist chancery matters, and is the author of the recent new edition of Professor Scamell’s renowned text on Land Covenants

In private practice, he specialises in property matters, planning and administrative law, and commercial work, appearing in courts ranging from the Supreme Court to the High Court and county court. He will continue in this role as he takes up his new position.

New Street Welcomes New Tenant
New Street Chambers is delighted to announce that after completing a 3rd Six Pupillage, Mr Andrew Horner has joined Chambers on a permanent basis.

Called to the Bar in 2016, Mr Horner has enjoyed a voluminous and varied range of family instructions since he joined Chambers in May, and is regularly instructed in respect of financial matters including FDAs, FDRs and final hearings, as well as Children Act and Family Law Act applications. In care proceedings, Mr Horner has represented parents, Guardians and grandparents in myriad hearings from multi-day final hearings through to urgent ICO hearings.

Mr Horner also has experience with domestic abuse matters, having represented applicants at without notice, return and final hearings, furthermore appearing at FHDRAs, DRAs, fact findings and final hearings in private law children matters.

Also a strong civil practitioner, Mr Horner has frequently appeared in county courts dealing with small claims trials, stage 3 hearings, infant approval hearings, credit hire disputes, possession claims and interim applications.

Mr Horner is also a member of the INQUEST lawyers group and accepts instructions on behalf of bereaved families.

With a down-to-earth and approachable nature, Mr Horner has not only the technical ability, but the aptitude to represent clients in a caring and reassuring manner, which has already been noted and appreciated by clients and solicitors alike.

New Street Chambers Hits a Hat-Trick at the LLS Awards 2019
New Street Chambers is overjoyed and extremely proud to announce that it produced an unprecedented clean sweep of possible awards at this year’s Leicestershire Law Society Awards night.

Held at Leicester’s Athena, the Taj Mahal themed evening will go down as one of the most memorable in New Street’s recent history. Chamber’s not only won Chambers of the Year, but Miss Hannah Fountain won Barrister of the Year, and Ben Leuty won Support Staff Team Member of the Year.

Being up against such talented and esteemed competition it was no mean feat, and one that won’t be forgotten any time soon.

New Street would like to thank all of those involved in organising such a great event, with a special thank you to Bushra Ali, President of the Leicestershire Law Society, and Iqrah Fayyaz without whom, the event would not have been possible. Thank you.

Mr Steven Gasztowicz QC becomes Published Author
Scamell and Gasztowicz on Land Covenants has now been published. Written by Steven Gasztowicz QC, this is a new edition of Professor Scamell’s major textbook, which has been the leading work on the subject since its publication in 1996. This now covers restrictive and positive covenants, planning obligations and freeing land from restrictions.