Garden Court Chambers is delighted to welcome five new twelve-month pupils.
Faith Osifo specialises in criminal defence law, with a strong interest in youth justice and wider criminal matters. Her first-six supervisor is supervisor Sam Parham, and her second six supervisor is Audrey Cherryl Mogan.
Blánaid Ní Chearnaigh aims to build a broad public law and civil liberties practice, with particular interests in inquests and inquiries, claims against public authorities, immigration, and protest law. Her first-six supervisor is Una Morris, and her second six supervisor is Tom Wainwright.
Freya Morgan aims to broadly practice in public, immigration and civil liberties matters, including protest law, unlawful detention and actions against the police. Her first-six supervisor is Greg O’Ceallaigh KC, and her second six supervisor is Shahida Begum.
Jamie McGowan is a housing specialist pupil barrister at Garden Court Chambers. His first-six supervisor is Marina Sergides and his second-six supervisor is Nick Bano.
Anna Brennan aims to build a broad practice across public law, immigration and asylum law, and international human rights law. Her first-six supervisors are Irena Sabic KC and Rebecca Chapman, and her second six supervisor is Emma Fenn.
Faith Osifo (Call: 2023)
Before pupillage, Faith was a paralegal where she assisted with criminal defence work. She helped to represent clients accused of a wide range of offences including drug trafficking, sexual offences, money laundering and illegal arms trafficking. She has experience working with young and vulnerable clients, often conducting conferences and prison visits, and drafting written representations.
Prior to this, she was a County Court advocate who regularly appeared before judges in courts across London in a range of matters. Faith also contributed to research into communities in social welfare legal advice as a Community Researcher for the Advice Services Alliance. Faith has volunteered as an independent custody visitor to check on the welfare of detainees and has taught debate at HMP Brixton. She has also volunteered on the Amicus Missouri Project and has worked as a youth advocate with BLAM.
Blánaid Ní Chearnaigh (Call: 2024)
Prior to joining Chambers, Blánaid was a Legal Officer at REDRESS, focusing on strategic litigation against torture. Her work addressed discriminatory torture against LGBTIQ+ individuals in African jurisdictions and accountability for human rights and international criminal law violations in Belarus. She contributed to submissions before regional human rights courts and UN Treaty Bodies. She also gained experience with a leading domestic law firm specialising in criminal defence and extradition law.
Blánaid has a strong background in human rights research and advocacy. She co-authored a legal opinion for the Myanmar Accountability Project, and contributed to civil party appeal submissions in the Courts of Cambodia. Blánaid has also worked with the UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights, the Clooney Foundation for Justice, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, and Global Rights Compliance.
Freya Morgan (Call: 2025)
Freya was the Supervising Lawyer for the Afghan Pro Bono Initiative with Refugee Legal Support, working with 14 law firms to reunite Afghan families through the ARAP and ACRS pathways. Her family reunion experience also extended to Appendix FM, Article 8 applications, de facto adoption and leave outside the rules, as well as instructing expert witnesses and pre-action judicial review.
Previously, Freya worked as a paralegal on the Covid-19 Inquiry, and as the Adults at Risk caseworker at Bail for Immigration Detainees where she represented clients in their bail applications and appeals in the First-Tier Tribunal. Before the Bar, Freya worked in community care and education at the British Council. She is a founding trustee of the Refugee Run Club. Freya has been a guest speaker discussing immigration detention and refugee family reunion on Radio 5 Live, ITV London and BBC Radio Bristol.
Jamie McGowan (Call: 2025)
Prior to commencing pupillage, Jamie worked as a tribunal advocate at the not-for-profit organisation Justice for Tenants, where he represented tenants in the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) and in appeals to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber), specialising in rent repayment orders. He also provided legal advice to local authorities in respect of their housing enforcement activities against landlords and agents for offences under the Housing Act 2004.
Jamie also previously worked as a caseworker at Hammersmith and Fulham Law Centre; representing defendants in possession proceedings in the County Court through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS), offering specialist welfare benefits advice to individuals, and providing representation in appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber).
Anna Brennan
Anna qualified as a solicitor of England and Wales in 2019, and obtained Higher Rights of Audience (Civil) in 2020. Prior to pupillage, Anna was Reprieve’s Legal Officer, working on litigation surrounding complicity in torture, unlawful detention and the death penalty. In 2021-2022, Anna was a Judicial Assistant to Lord Burrows and Lord Stephens of the UK Supreme Court.
Prior to this, Anna was an associate in the dispute resolution group of a leading international law firm in London. Anna has been an advocate with the Asylum Support Appeals Project for several years, and as a solicitor has represented clients in proceedings at all levels of the UK court system and internationally.
