Rebekah Carrier

Associate Solicitor

Email:

Languages:

English

Expertise and experience

Rebekah is a partner and specialist public and housing law solicitor. She has over 30 years’ experience in complex judicial review proceedings, including public interest cases and discrimination challenges across all aspects of public law, including housing, homelessness, welfare, healthcare, education and the environment.

Rebekah works with individuals challenging the decisions of public bodies. She is widely regarded as an expert in her field, and has taken cases to the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights.

Rebekah has acted in successful challenges concerning:

Local authorities’ homelessness obligations
The allocation of social housing, including discriminatory housing allocation schemes and the housing needs of disabled children
Cooperation between housing and social care
Education rights for children unable to attend school
The application of the bedroom tax to victims of domestic violence living in ’sanctuary scheme‘ homes, and to disabled children
The application of the benefit cap to carers
Decision making and assessments under the Mental Health Act 1984

Notable cases include:

Ward & Others v LB Hillingdon [2019] EWCA Civ 692 – Court of Appeal decision in successful discrimination challenge brought on behalf of Irish Travellers relating to the 10 year residence requirement in a local authority’s housing allocation policy.
A v United Kingdom 34614/17 – 24 October 2019. European Court of Human Rights; application of “bedroom tax” to survivor of domestic violence occupying “sanctuary scheme” home found to be unlawful. The judgment establishes that justifying discrimination involving disabled persons or on the grounds of gender will require “weighty reasons”.
R (JP (a child)) v NHS Croydon Clinical Commissioning [2020] EWHC 1470 (Admin) – challenging to a decision to reduce a care package for a young child suffering from a life-limiting brain tumour.
R (AK) v London Borough of Islington [2021] EWHC 301 (Admin) –concerning the provision of “after-care” services under s. 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 to a child following her discharge from a psychiatric unit.
Hurley v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2015] EWHC 3382 (Admin) – High Court; inclusion of carers’ allowance in benefit cap found unlawful.

Chambers UK

Rebekah is frequently recommended by Chambers & Partners. In 2023 she was commended as “routinely sought out for her substantial experience in assisting tenants with making challenges to local housing policies. She is also well versed in advising on homelessness issues.” Previous editions note her “phenomenal reputation for strategic litigation” and refer to her “amazing work” on judicial review cases and her dedication to her clients.

Practice areas

Community care

Housing

Public law and Judicial Review

1991

Qualified as a solicitor

2023

Joined Miles & Partners

Approach and ethos

Our clients often seek legal advice at times of crisis or when all other attempts to access the services that they need have failed. They seek solutions to problems which often impact on every aspect of their daily lives. My approach is always to work with clients to explore how a proper and sometimes a creative application of the law can result in obtaining safe suitable accommodation, accessing education, health care or the means to put food on the table or keep children safe. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have a chance to change the law for others in similar situations, or to inform the development of the law, but my starting point is always to focus on what my client needs. This almost always requires creativity, tenacity, and the work of a team which includes our clients, colleagues and other professionals.