Lance Baynham

Lance accepts instructions across the full range of public law and human rights issues for both claimants and public bodies.

He has been instructed in judicial review matters including a challenge to the decision-making around kick-off times for football matches, a challenge to an ICB’s funding decision, and in relation to immigration decisions. Lance has also advised on potential judicial reviews as a member of the legal panel for lawforchange. He worked on several judicial review matters during pupillage.

Lance is instructed on a range of immigration and asylum matters, including asylum appeals, unlawful detention claims, and immigration bail applications. He has acted for claimants appealing asylum decisions on the basis of political opinion, sexuality and trafficking status. Lance is also instructed in statutory appeals under s.35A of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, in relation to penalties imposed on those responsible for bringing ‘clandestine entrants’ into the UK.

Lance is a member of the Attorney General’s ‘Junior Junior’ panel. Before starting pupillage, he was a visiting lecturer in public law on the LLB and GDL courses at City University.

Lance has experience of acting for both claimants and respondents in a wide variety of employment and discrimination matters, both as a barrister and, previously, as the employment and discrimination caseworker at South West London Law Centres.

He recently acted pro bono for two Ukrainian refugees recruited through a language services company to translate on British military bases. The case settled on the basis of a public admission that the claimants were not self-employed and a public apology, as well as substantial compensation. Lance has been shortlisted for Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year at the 2025 Bar Pro Bono Awards as a result of his work in this case.

Lance has also gained experience of civil discrimination claims, and is currently instructed in a claim arising from an alleged failure to allow a prisoner to observe their religion. One solicitor recently commented:

“It is such a pleasure working with Lance and he was absolutely brilliant in the hearing. He is also great in the way he explains the issues to the clients and addresses questions from them. We are immensely grateful to him!”

Lance is also keen to develop his professional discipline practice. He has been instructed in the High Court on behalf of professional regulators and has recently been instructed for the NMC in ‘fraudulent entry to the register’ proceedings. He also gained some regulatory experience during pupillage under the supervision of Matthew Barnes.

Lance has acted in a number of inquests, on behalf of families, state bodies, and NHS Trusts. These have included multi-day, jury, and Article 2 inquests. Lance spent four months seconded to the advisory team of a leading healthcare law firm, where he attended court several times per week for inquest and pre-inquest review hearings.

Listen to Lance giving an update on coronial law with Jim Duffy and Richard Mumford in episode 202 of our podcast Law Pod UK.

Selected Cases

• Inquest into the death of PB: Lance represented the family in a two-week, article 2, jury inquest arising from a death on a railway. Instructing solicitors contacted Chambers to say that they were "blown away by [Lance’s] performance”.
• Inquest into the death of LS: a complex multi-day inquest into the death of a patient with lymphoma who required blood and platelet transfusions, in which Lance acted for the Trust.
• Inquest into the death of CD: Lance represented a GP whose patient committed suicide following a history of self-harm, but who had not been able to access any treatment.

Lance has a keen interest in public inquiries, and is currently instructed in the Covid-19 Inquiry by an ambulance service, along with Richard Booth KC, Shahram Sharghy, Darragh Coffey and Nicholas Jones.

Lance has broad experience of personal injury and clinical negligence disputes, and regularly appears in a diverse range of trials and hearings. He has a busy advisory clinical negligence practice, and is regularly instructed to assist parties both on paper and in conference. He appears regularly in interlocutory hearings in the High Court and County Court, including CCMCs and strike-out applications.

Lance recently secured a substantial settlement award in a High Court personal injury claim for a cyclist. One of the several complex issues in the case was the question of liability for accidents on highways that are not maintainable at public expense.

Lance gained experience of tax law under the supervision of Amy Mannion during pupillage and is keen to build his practice in this area.

Read Lance’s article on Hackett v HMRC [2024] UKFTT 749 (TC) in our 2024 Tax Newsletter here.

Lance gained experience in Environmental Law under the supervision of Alasdair Henderson during his pupillage and is keen to build his practice in this area.