Georgina Pein

Georgina accepts instructions in all aspects of public law and human rights on behalf of claimants and defendants, including judicial review proceedings and claims under the Human Rights Act 1998. Georgina previously trained as a pupil at a top-tier set specialising in public and employment law where she worked on several high-profile cases.

She is a member of the Attorney General’s ‘Junior Junior’ Panel.

Current and recent highlights include:

• Successfully resisting an application for an interim injunction in the High Court in relation to a breach of confidence claim. Georgina appeared on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (unled).
• Advising the Home Office on damages in relation to unlawful detention claims brought by various individuals.
• R (on the application of Jwanczuk) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2025] UKSC 42: Supreme Court decision concerning disability discrimination under Article 14 of the Convention. The judgment also addressed the proper approach of senior courts in England and Wales to decisions of higher courts in Scotland and Northern Ireland (as a pupil).
• R (EBB) v The Gorse Academies Trust [2025] EWHC 1983 (Admin): challenge to the use of isolation rooms and sanction policies (as a pupil).
• R (Taxpayer) v HMRC: drafting summary grounds in relation to judicial review proceedings challenging HMRC’s decision to disclose taxpayer information to foreign authorities (as a pupil).
• Advice on the approach to bereavement damages under the Human Rights Act 1998 in an Article 2 claim (as a pupil).
• Defence in an Article 3 prison claim. The case raised public law rationality arguments in the context of alleged duties on NHS bodies to co-operate with the prison service (as a pupil).
• Advice on various matters of statutory interpretation, including in relation to a potential reference on a devolution issue from the Attorney General for Northern Ireland to the Supreme Court (as a pupil).

Georgina welcomes instructions across all areas of revenue and customs law. During pupillage she was supervised by Edward Waldegrave and gained exposure to a wide variety of tax matters in the First-tier Tribunal, the Upper Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.

Georgina is currently undertaking a three-month part-time secondment with HMRC.

Current and recent highlights in this field include:

• Ongoing proceedings before the First-tier Tribunal concerning the entitlement of taxpayers to incorporation relief (acting for HMRC, led by Edward Waldegrave).
• Advising on Part 8 rectification proceedings brought by a taxpayer (acting for HMRC, led by Edward Waldegrave).
• Property 118 and Cotswold Barristers Limited v HMRC TC/2024/01972: appeal before the First-tier Tribunal concerning the allocation of “scheme reference numbers” under section 311 of the Finance Act 2004 (as a pupil).
• R (Taxpayer) v HMRC: drafting a statement of reasons to the Court of Appeal resisting a challenge by the taxpayer to a case-management decision of the High Court. The High Court ordered a stay of the judicial review proceedings due to concurrent proceedings in the First-tier Tribunal with overlapping legitimate expectation arguments (as a pupil).
• R (Taxpayer) v HMRC: drafting summary grounds in relation to judicial review proceedings challenging HMRC’s decision to disclose taxpayer information to foreign authorities (as a pupil).
• Advice on the application of section 36 of the Taxes Management Act 1970 (as a pupil).

Georgina accepts instructions in data protection, information law, defamation, privacy and harassment. Her clients include individuals and corporations.

Current and recent highlights include:

• Post Office Limited v Information Commissioner and Eleanor Shaikh EA/2025/0469: acted for the Second Respondent on the balance of interests applicable to the legal professional privilege exemption under s.42(1) of FOIA.
• Defence for damages in relation to alleged breaches of the GDPR and UK GDPR arising out of a university investigation.
• Advice for the Home Office on quantum in relation to alleged breaches of Article 8 ECHR and the Data Protection Act 2018 arising from the seizure of mobile phones and the retention of individuals’ data.
• Soil Association Certification Ltd v Information Commissioner [2026] UKFTT 00104 (GRC): First-tier Tribunal proceedings appealing a decision notice of the Information Commissioner. The appeal was concerned with whether the Appellant company was a “public authority” for the purposes of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (as a pupil).
• Secretary of State for Energy, Security and Net Zero v Information Commissioner [2024] UKFTT 00184 (GRC): environmental information appeal relating to official advice on an infrastructure project of national significance (as a pupil).
• Clearview AI v Information Commissioner [2025] UKUT 319 (AAC): challenge to enforcement and penalty notices issued by the Information Commissioner for alleged breaches of the GDPR and UK GDPR (as a pupil).
• Blake, Seymour and Thorp v Fox [2025] EWCA Civ 1321: defamation appeal against the decision of Collins J at trial on both liability and quantum of damages (as a pupil).
• Defence for damages in relation to alleged breaches of the GDPR and UK GDPR arising out of a cyber-attack (as a pupil).
• Advice on privilege in the context of a DSAR received under Article 15 UK GDPR in relation to a confidential investigatory report (as a pupil).

Georgina accepts instructions in a wide range of education-related matters, including judicial review proceedings and discrimination claims.

Recent highlights include:

• Acting (unled) for a teacher in a five-day Teaching Regulation Agency disciplinary hearing.
• FXS (A Minor) v Mulberry Bush Organisation Ltd CA CA-2024-002626: Court of Appeal proceedings in a case relating to alleged battery, false imprisonment and negligence in a residential special school.
• R (EBB) v The Gorse Academies Trust [2025] EWHC 1983 (Admin): challenge to the use of isolation rooms and sanction policies (as a pupil).

Georgina practises across all areas of employment law. She has wide experience in this area, having previously trained at a set specialising in public and employment law. Georgina has worked on several cases involving complex legal issues relating to unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal, discrimination, harassment and bullying, victimisation, holiday pay, protected disclosures, jurisdiction and worker status.
Georgina also provides pro bono representation in this area. She is currently representing a client bringing a constructive dismissal and whistleblowing claim in the Employment Tribunal through Advocate.

Georgina practises across all areas of professional discipline and regulation. Recent highlights include:

• A five-day Teaching Regulation Agency disciplinary hearing.
• Representing a registrant before the Interim Orders Committee in respect of a GDC investigation.
• Drafting a skeleton argument on behalf of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales in respect of a civil application arising out professional disciplinary proceedings (as a pupil).

Georgina accepts instructions in all areas of coronial law.

Recent highlights in this field include (assisting, as a pupil):

• A three-day Article 2 inquest where numerous failings on the part of mental health services were identified by the Coroner (pro bono, acting for the family).
• Advice for a regulator concerning the potential engagement of Article 2 arising out of the death of a child in a nursery setting.