Paul Greatorex

Paul has practised in public law throughout his career.  He has represented numerous local authorities and public bodies and experienced the full range of government legal work during his time on the Attorney-General’s panel of counsel.  He is very experienced in claims for judicial review in the High Court as well as appellate cases in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.  Paul has particular expertise in discrimination law and claims under the Equality Act 2010 and also has considerable experience of community care, immigration, mental capacity, planning and prisons cases.

Education law is Paul’s main area of practice and encompasses every aspect of this field from pre-school to university. He advises and represents a wide range of clients from all over the country and appears in all relevant tribunals and courts. His past and present clients include schools (maintained, independent and academies), parents, students, local authorities, universities, FE colleges, language schools, qualifications bodies, the Schools Adjudicator, Ofsted and the Department for Education. He appeared in the High Court and Supreme Court in the high-profile “term-time holidays” case of Isle of Wight v Platt [2017] UKSC 28.

Examples of his work in this field include:

TW and KW v Hampshire County Council
[2022] UKUT 305 (AAC), UT (AAC), November 1 2022, [2023] ELR 257
FTT erred in ordering a person’s privately-funded carers to make their special educational provision.

R (Q) v Staffordshire County Council

[2021] EWHC 3486 (Admin), Admin Ct, December 8 2021, [2022] ELR 660
Provision by a local authority of temporary education otherwise than at school pending completion of the EHCP process and identification of a suitable school was not a breach of s.19 of the Education Act 1996 or an infringement of his right to education under the ECHR.

R (Goodred) v Portsmouth CC
[2021] EWHC 3057 (Admin)
Local authorities’ duties towards parents who elect to educate their children and home – local authority entitled to insist upon something more than a parental report in order to be satisfied that such children are receiving a suitable education.

VS and RS v Hampshire CC
[2021] UKUT 187 (AAC), [2021] ELR 833, UT (AAC)
National trial EHC plan appeals in the FTT – different approach taken to health and social care recommendations.

AB v University of XYZ
[2021] ELR 1, [2020] EWHC 206 (QB), March 19, 2020, [2020] ELR 317
Student found to have committed sexual misconduct expelled – Whether university had jurisdiction to determine complaint – Whether implied term of fairness and principle of natural justice entitled a student to legal representation in internal proceedings

Human rights issues arise regularly in most of Paul’s areas of practice and he has considerable experience of advising on them, both from the perspective of the individual and the public authority.

Paul regularly advises and represents local authorities on the areas of law in which he specialises, and also provides talks and training.

Paul is available to act as a mediator or arbitrator in disputes of any nature within his areas of practice. He is always keen to find innovative solutions to resolve disputes in a way that is more amicable and proportionate than formal litigation.

Paul has experience of all types of investigations ranging from straightforward cases to complex ones which attract very high profile coverage in the national media.  He understands the need to work with clients from the outset to establish the nature and scope of the investigation and to ensure that it is carried out promptly and in a proportionate way.