John Crowley

John is a solicitor in the human rights and judicial review department. He qualified in 2019, having trained at Leigh Day. 

John assists Jamie Beagent in a wide range of human rights and public law cases. He has been involved with such landmark cases as the “right to rent” challenge, concerning one of the Home Office’s flagship hostile environment policies, and an appeal in the Supreme Court on behalf of two victims of trafficking in relation to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.

Legal expertise

He regularly accepts instructions from clients who are, or have been, detained under immigration control. His clients include those who are seeking to challenge the lawfulness of their ongoing detention through judicial review, as well as clients who wish to obtain compensation for false imprisonment, discrimination and/or abuse of their human rights.

In addition, John acts for clients in the context of planning and environmental matters, and in public law claims more generally. For example, he has acted on behalf of a number of local environmental groups wishing to challenge the lawfulness of local developments including polytunnels and waste incineration plants.

Prior to joining Leigh Day, John volunteered with a number of prominent refugee and human rights charities. He also became a figurehead in the campaign for Premier League football clubs to pay the Living Wage. He has spoken in the House of Lords and with a range of media outlets on these matters. He completed a BA degree in Politics and English at York University (1st Class Hons), before completing the GDL and LPC courses at City University (both with Distinction).