Free Hybrid Event – Deaf Legal Network Meeting

Garden Court Chambers is pleased to host the next meeting of the Deaf Legal Network (DLN), an initiative that brings together representatives from Deaf-led organisations and legal professionals to foster collaboration and mutual understanding.

This meeting will have a specific focus on education. The government is advancing proposed SEND reforms that will lead to changes for children with SEND in education, including deaf children. In this meeting, we will have speakers addressing some of those changes and how they are / might affect deaf children and families of deaf children.  

Oliver Persey will be speaking about key issues raised in the EOTAS consultation and will try to identify the key points for Deaf/deaf children and young people:

• The government is consulting on how it “can better support children and young people whose education, health and care (EHC) plan has set out that they should be educated outside a school or college setting. This is sometimes called education otherwise than at school or EOTAS (or EOTIS). 
• The consultation also covers: 
  • support for children who cannot attend school because of health needs
  • how schools and local authorities use accredited online education providers for alternative provision
• This consultation sits alongside wider SEND reform and “seeks further views, ensuring an additional opportunity to directly shape how EOTAS works in the future.” 

Alex will be speaking about the proposed SEND reforms, particularly as they relate to D/deaf children and young people, the opportunities for learners seeking further support, and the risks of regression in what they might receive. 

• The SEND reforms propose a radical change in who is responsible for deciding what SEND support children and young people will receive, and how tailored support might be for each young person.
• The reforms raise the prospect of fewer successful SEN appeals in the tribunal, but more judicial reviews and more disability discrimination claims. 

Speakers 

Matthew Banks, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers (Chair)
Matthew Banks specialises in public law and community care law. Matthew joined as a tenant in June 2025 , after successfully completing pupillage at Garden Court Chambers. He previously worked as an advocate and BSL interpreter supporting deaf and disabled people for the past 15 years. This includes volunteer roles at St John’s Deaf Community Centre and the BSL Act Now! Campaign.

Ollie Persey, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Ollie is a public law and human rights barrister. He is ranked in Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 across his practice areas. Ollie won the Legal Aid Newcomer Award at the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) Awards 2024 and was a finalist for a ‘Junior of the Year’ award at the Legal 500 Awards 2022. He is a member of the Equality & Human Rights Commission’s panel of preferred counsel. Ollie is a trustee of Southwark Law Centre, a director of the Education Law Association and a former co-chair of Young Legal Aid Lawyers. Prior to joining Garden Court, he was a lawyer at Public Law Project, an academic at the LSE and Oxford University and worked for the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights.

Alex Temple, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Alex is a barrister specialising in public law, discrimination and human rights. He has extensive experience in education, community care, policing and criminal records. Alex often advises children and vulnerable adults in cases arising from schools, colleges, exam boards, universities, integrated care boards and local and central government. Alex acts regularly in claims for judicial review, EHCP appeals and money claims. He has experience acting in proposed strategic litigation, and advises changemaking individuals and organisations.

Meghan Nelson, National Deaf Children’s Society
Meghan is Senior Engagement Lead at the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), leading work to improve local provision for deaf children across the UK and drive systemic change. With 14 years of experience working in deaf services, including seven years at NDCS, she brings experience in strengthening inclusive systems and influencing meaningful change across the sector at both local and national levels. She works closely with families, professionals, and decision makers to advocate for effective support and equitable access to education. Meghan holds a British Sign Language (BSL) Level 6 qualification and a SEND Law Level 2 qualification, bringing both practical and policy expertise to her work on securing better outcomes for deaf children.

Abigail Wright, National Deaf Children’s Society
After studying Law with French Law at Oxford and Paris Universities, Abigail was called to the Bar in 2000 and practised privately as a barrister in the areas of negligence, personal injury, housing and property law. Having become a mother of a child with complex special needs, Abigail developed a practice in Special Educational Needs and Disability Discrimination Law. Abigail has worked for the National Deaf Children’s Society(NDCS) since 2015, where she is its Legal Consultant. She supports and advises NDCS caseworkers and families of deaf children in complex SEND cases. She is responsible for NDCS’ pro bono legal partnerships, where she has worked on a variety of disability discrimination issues and wider public law challenges involving local authority and government body decision making in the provision of SEND and deaf specialist services.

Reserve your ticket
In-person tickets are limited by the venue’s capacity. After you have completed the form, we will be back in touch to confirm whether a place is available at the event.

If you have booked an online ticket, we will send joining details to all those who have signed up on the day of the event. If you have not received the link by 2pm on Wednesday 2 September, and it is not in your junk inbox, please email webinars@gclaw.co.uk.