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Howard Stevens QC

Howard Stevens QC

Profile

Howard has a broadly based common law practice, including both first instance and appellate work. He represented the tour operator in the inquests into the deaths of 30 British holidaymakers in the terrorist attack in Tunisia in 2015, and is currently instructed in the inquests resulting from the London Bridge / Borough Market terrorist attack.

Court of Appeal

Swift & Ors v Fred Olsen Cruise Lines [2016]  EWCA Civ 785: group action in relation to norovirus contracted on a cruise

Dodd v Raebarn Estates Limited [2017] EWCA Civ 349: appeal concerning a landlord’s duty under section 4 of the Defective Premises Act 1972, and whether the state of the premises amounted to disrepair and a ‘relevant defect’.

Privy Council / Supreme Court

Ruddock v The Queen [2016] UKPC 7 (heard with R v Jogee [2016] UKSC 8) – the first time cases in the Supreme Court and Privy Council have been heard together: landmark appeals against convictions for murder concerning the law relating to parasitic accessory liability.

Privy Council

United Policyholders Group & Ors v Attorney-General of Trinidad and Tobago [2016] UKPC 17: appeal in judicial review proceedings concerning whether the holders of life policies issued by CLICO (a subsidiary of the largest private conglomerate in Trinidad and Tobago) had legitimate expectations in respect of assurances given by the previous government and whether the government was entitled to resile from such assurances.

Alves v Attorney-General of the Virgin Islands [2017] UKPC 42: appeal concerning a 6 month limitation provision pleaded by the government in a claim for damages by a state employed nurse for breach of duty of care.

Supreme Court / Court of Justice of the European Union

Keefe v Mapfre Mutualidad Compania De Seguros y Reaseguros & Anr (2017): appeal raising the question whether the claimant can rely of Article 11(3) of the Judgments Regulation to join the foreign domiciled tortfeasor to proceedings brought in the UK against its foreign-domiciled liability insurer, in which the Supreme Court made a reference to the CJEU.

Howard has appeared in over 100 applications and appeals in the Privy Council, including important constitutional and human rights cases, but also judicial review, commercial, extradition and criminal appeals – often instructed by foreign governments. For further details of some of these and other cases in which Howard has been instructed, click on the cases tab below. Howard has also appeared before the Inter American Court of Human Rights in Costa Rica.

As well as a broad range of appellate work, Howard has a substantial practice in catastrophic personal injury and travel related litigation in particular, including jurisdiction and conflict of law issues. He acts for both claimants and defendants and has extensive experience of group litigation and ADR. He is regularly instructed by major tour operators and insurers and has represented interested parties in a number of high profile inquests arising from deaths abroad. Cases in which Howard is currently involved include high value personal injury claims arising from accidents in the UK and abroad, resulting variously in catastrophic brain and spinal injuries and amputations and a number of inquests.

Legal Directories

Legal 500 (2018)

  • '"In eye for detail"
  • "He is a very intelligent silk and provides very clear, thorough and realistic advice".
  •  "He leaves no stone unturned and provides a calm and measured approach in a field where passions can run high".

Legal 500 UK Awards (2018)

  • Silk of the Year (Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence) 

Legal 500 (2017)

  • "He is first-rate and excels at what he does".
  • "He handles judges superbly and has a keen eye for detail".

Legal 500 (2016)

  • "A great negotiator and master tactician with real steel".

Chambers & Partners 2019

  • "He's vastly experienced, superb with clients and capable of distilling the most complex issues and providing straightforward advice. A true leader in the field."
  • "He is incredibly approachable and a very strong strategic thinker who can always see the bigger picture."

Chambers & Partners 2018

  • 'A very efficient and powerful advocate who is very self-contained with a laser-like focus.'
  • 'Howard is an effective advocate and negotiator. He can make the most complex issues simple, and his attention to detail and thoroughness is excellent.'
  • 'Vastly experienced, superb with clients and capable of distilling the most complex issues and providing straightforward advice.'

Chambers & Partners 2017

  • 'He is great, down-to-earth and deals with everything in his stride.'
  • 'He is massively thorough and is a very calm, reasoned advocate.'
  • 'He's brilliant; he cuts to the chase very quickly, and has a great manner with clients and the courts.'
  • 'Howard is extremely thorough, knows every little detail and is a calm, reasoned and effective advocate.'
  • 'He's a real stickler for detail who's very good with clients.'

Chambers & Partners 2016

  • 'A fantastic advocate whose attention to detail is legendary.'
  • 'He has a superb brain and exudes a quiet confidence.'
  • 'A very impressive advocate with great attention to detail, who can turn a judge around in a matter of hours.'

Languages

French
German

Memberships

LCLCBA
PIBA
Commonwealth Lawyers' Association

Education

University of Durham (Modern Languages)
City University (Law)