We are delighted to congratulate Ali Bandegani and Nadia O’Mara of Garden Court Chambers who have been shortlisted as finalists for the 2025 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards (LALYs).
Our warmest congratulations to Ali and Nadia for this outstanding achievement.
Ali Bandegani is a finalist for Legal Aid Barrister of the Year, and Nadia O’Mara is a finalist for Legal Aid Newcomer of the Year.
Garden Court Chambers is delighted to be sponsoring the Immigration & Asylum Law award category at the LALYs.
Ali Bandegani
Ali Bandegani specialises in immigration, international protection, human rights and public law. Ali is recognised as a leading junior by the Legal 500 (Immigration), and Chambers and Partners (Immigration and Public Law). He is regularly called upon by individuals and organisations to provide practical advice on business immigration matters, entry clearance, leave to remain, citizenship and licensing. Ali is also a public law practitioner routinely instructed in cutting edge cases relating to asylum, immigration, and human rights at all levels up to and including the UK Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.
He is one of a handful of UK barristers on the panel of expert counsel for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and is regularly instructed to intervene in cases of significant public importance by organisations such as the UNHCR, Freedom from Torture, Medical Justice, the Helen Bamber Foundation, Detention Action, and the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants. Ali is also a visiting lecturer at SOAS, University of London on refugee law and procedure and contributes to leading textbooks in the field.
Nadia O’Mara
Nadia O’Mara is a public law and human rights barrister. She is ranked as a ‘Rising Star’ in the Legal 500 and was nominated for the ‘Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year’ Award 2024. Her practice encompasses immigration & asylum, community care, education, human rights, civil liberties and anti-discrimination law.
She has particular expertise in migrants’ rights, regularly acting in judicial review proceedings relating to unlawful detention, age disputes, asylum support, support under the Care Act 2014, support for victims of trafficking and challenges to certification or fresh claim decisions.
Alongside her judicial review work, Nadia regularly appears in matters before the Immigration Tribunal, including the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (‘SIAC’). Prior to coming to the Bar, Nadia worked in the human rights sector at leading UK non- governmental organisations, Liberty and JUSTICE. She has extensive experience acting for charities and NGOs in public interest interventions.
Nadia undertakes inquiry work and is instructed as part of the Cranston Inquiry investigating the events of 24 November 2021, when at least 27 people died crossing the Channel by small boat.
A full list of finalists can be found here.
Winners will be announced at the in-person LALY25 ceremony on 4 July 2025. Book your tickets here.
