Garden Court’s Oscar Davies was interviewed by Law UK magazine for their environmental, social and governance (ESG)-focused October 2026 issue. Oscar is a discrimination, public law and human rights barrister specialising in complex Equality Act and Convention rights litigation.
Oscar began by noting the shifting landscape of the ESG framework: “Overall, we have moved beyond asking whether ESG matters. The harder question is whether it changes decisions at the top level. There is serious work happening across the profession, but there is still a gap between the values we publish and the experiences of people working in, and seeking help from, the law.”
Oscar is the first barrister in the UK to be publicly recognised as non-binary and to use the title ‘Mx’ in court, championed by the press as a ‘legal first’. They are a dedicated advocate for trans and non-binary legal professionals and under-represented communities.
Oscar hosts the anti-discrimination platform @nonbinarybarrister, where they share resources and distil judgments so as to democratise the law, and so that those affected – notably trans and non-binary people – can understand it better: “My work asks what rights mean for the person trying to use them. If people do not know their rights, they cannot use them.”
Oscar is also multi-award-winning and ranked as Rising Star in the Legal 500 for Employment Law and Education Law. They are shortlisted for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at the Chambers UK Bar Awards 2026.
Oscar emphasised the importance of their position in helping to open doors for others:
“I benefit from people who made space before me, and I want to make more space for those coming next. I would be especially optimistic if the people most affected could say that the profession had become easier to work in – and easier to turn to when they need help.”
Read the full feature in the Law UK October 2026 issue.
Get in touch with Oscar’s clerks at employmentclerks@gclaw.co.uk
