Driver v RCT – in which judgment was handed down in July 2020 – is considered to be the most important Judicial Review case for Welsh law since devolution.
Legal News Wales hosted an ‘insightful and well-presented’ virtual event on the recent Driver v Rhondda Cynon Taf Council – a landmark legal case for Welsh language and school organisation in Wales. This Legal News Wales Exchange event (19th August 2020) was hosted by the claimant legal team and addressed their approach and the impact of this successful case for the claimants for Welsh local authorities, public law specialist, Welsh Government lawyers and charities.
Watch again: the event
Driver v RCT has wide repercussions in respect of the Welsh language and for school organisation in Wales. Rhodri Williams QC and Nia Gowman (both Barristers at 30 Park Place), and Michael Imperato (Head of Public & Administrative Law at Watkins & Gunn) acted for the successful Claimant. Their presentations and the resulting Q&A is available to watch again, below, alongside their PPTs (as a PDF), highlighting the key aspects of the case and its implications.
Click here to view the Driver v RCT judgment
Event video
Presenter slides
To download all the speaker slides used in the event, please click here.
If you can’t access the files using this link, please email the Editor, Emma Waddingham.
Speaker profiles
Rhodri Williams QC, Barrister & Head of Public Law, 30 Park Place
Rhodri specialises in Local Government and Administrative Law and EU Law. He is recommended in the areas of local government law (Chambers & Partners), public procurement (Chambers & Partners) and public and administrative law (Legal 500).
He deals with cases involving both local and regional government, including advising the Welsh Government and other Government Departments and local authorities, in England, Wales and in Northern Ireland. In 2000, he was appointed to the Attorney General’s list of approved Counsel and to the list of the Counsel General to the National Assembly for Wales and has represented the United Kingdom Government on several occasions before the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxemburg. He was called to the Bar in Northern Ireland in 2009. He took silk in 2010. He was made a bencher of Gray’s Inn in 2015. Click here for Rhodri’s full profile.
Nia Gowman, Barrister, 30 Park Place
Nia joined 30 Park Place in 2015 following successful completion of her pupillage under the supervision of Claire Williams (Family) and Angharad Davies (Chancery and Commercial and Court of Protection).
Nia is a diligent advocate with a busy Family, Court of Protection and Public Law practice. She is commended by clients for her calm demeanour, sensible advice, thorough preparation, meticulous drafting and robust representation at hearings. Click here for her full profile.
Michael Imperato, Head of Public & Administrative Law, Watkins & Gunn
Michael is a Partner and Solicitor at Watkins & Gunn and the Head of Public & Administrative law at the firm. Michael has been involved in some of the highest profile cases in Wales in recent years that cover Judicial Review, Education law and Personal Injury matters. He is regularly asked to speak at national Personal Injury and Public Law conferences and events and has a back catalogue of high profile articles and media commentaries on his cases (see below).
Michael has been ranked as a leading Administrative Law Lawyer in both the Chambers UK Guide and the Legal 500 Directory –independent guides that gather client opinion and that of other legal professionals to rank lawyers regionally and nationally. Click here for his full profile.
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