Ranked as a leading barrister in the categories of Inquiries & Inquests and Business & Regulatory Crime:

“She is extremely good at getting to the crux of issues and she is very thoughtful and driven.” Chambers & Partners, 2025

“She gets to grips with the details very quickly.” Chambers & Partners, 2025

“The quality of Leila’s output is exceptional.” Chambers & Partners, 2025

“Leila has excellent judgment and insight and is able to think through particularly difficult problems with ease and good humour. She is particularly skilled at being able to see the big picture in matters where it is often easy to get lost in granular detail, and she is also an absolute pleasure to work with, including under highly stressful and pressured conditions.” Legal 500, 2025

“Leila Ghahhary is a skilled advocate who has represented both public authorities and the bereaved in numerous inquests and inquiries, including the Hillsborough inquests. She also appeared on the Gosport Independent Panel. Leila is good with clients and her written advice is really comprehensive. She is bright, thorough, meticulous and highly engaging.” Chambers & Partners, 2024

“Leila’s written advice is comprehensive yet succinct and written in a way that is accessible to both lay and professional clients. She has a commanding courtroom presence and is clear in her oral argument and submissions; one of the go-to counsel for inquests operating on the Northern Circuit.” Legal 500, 2024

“She is a highly skilled advocate and has a commanding presence in court. She’s always thoroughly well prepared.” Chambers & Partners, 2023

“Leila is a superb leading junior in inquests and inquiries. She is a highly skilled advocate who presents well-reasoned arguments, captures the attention of the tribunal and always considers the bigger picture. She is meticulous in terms of approach and a fantastic team-player who will take on board the views of others.” Legal 500, 2023

“She has a very good presence when performing on her feet and she got on well with the client. She was very accessible and approachable, and the end result was really good.” Chambers & Partners, 2023

“Leila is incredibly approachable and communicative, and it is very easy to develop a positive working relationship with her. Her written and oral advice is both concise and comprehensive, and provided in a manner which is appropriate to the recipient, be that a lay or professional client. She is brilliant on her feet and has a commanding presence in court.” Legal 500, 2023

“Her attention to detail is fantastic and she is very proactive. She is also easy to get hold of.” Chambers & Partners, 2022

“Leila is a fantastic addition to any team. Her attention to detail and knowledge of niche regulatory areas is worth its weight in gold. Leila is refreshingly hard working and gives masses of time and attention to any job.” Legal 500, 2022

“Offers exceptional support, quickly grasps the key issues and complexities in the case and adopts a methodical and thorough approach.” Chambers & Partners, 2022

“Leila’s attention to detail and thoroughness are outstanding. Leila is a fantastic team player and ensures that everyone’s view is considered. Leila’s view is invariably sensible and clear.” Legal 500, 2022

“A skilled advocate with excellent experience in this field. She has represented both public authorities and the bereaved in numerous high-profile inquests and inquiries, including the fresh Hillsborough inquests. She also appeared on the Gosport Independent Panel.” Chambers & Partners, 2021

“I would not hesitate to recommend her as she is excellent with clients and has a commanding presence on her feet in court. Leila Ghahhary is extremely bright, thorough and meticulous; her analytical skills are second to none, as is her knowledge of public and regulatory law. She is very sharp, delightful with solicitors and clients, and determined and fair in court. She’s also meticulously well prepared.” Chambers & Partners, 2021

“A ‘commanding and authoritative presence on her feet’, Leila Ghahhary is also one to watch in this area of practice.” Legal 500, 2021

“Leila is an exceptional find! She has a background in local authority work which ideally suits some of the issues that arise in inquests and inquiries. Leila is an extremely competent advocate, compelling and impressive on her feet, always meticulously prepared and provides her clients with utmost confidence.” Legal 500, 2021

“Leila is becoming a true expert in this field. Her background is superbly suited to the difficult and unusual regulations that appear in many cases. She is an absolute delight to work with and often has razor-like insight into complex cases. Her client care is second to none and she is always a real help.” Legal 500, 2021

“She has good judgment and a commanding presence in court.” Legal 500, 2020

Overview

Leila is a highly regarded international barrister who practises in the UK and Canada in the areas of public, regulatory, international, and human rights law. Recognised for her commanding and authoritative court room presence and depth of expertise in high-stakes, complex legal matters, Leila routinely acts in large-scale, high-profile matters of national significance, providing legal advice and representation at the highest levels.

Leila’s multidisciplinary background allows her to approach each case with a broad perspective and sector-specific insight. Her combined experience means she provides enhanced, strategic, and effective representation at every stage, ensuring that those she acts for navigate issues and proceedings with confidence.

Leila is consistently ranked by major professional guides as a leading, top-tier barrister and has been repeatedly appointed to:

• The Attorney General’s Panel of Counsel. She regularly receives instructions from the Government Legal Department to represent and advise a variety of government departments on a range of public law and civil matters.
• The Panel of Specialist Advocates in Health and Safety and Environmental Law, providing advice and representation to the Health and Safety Executive, the Environment Agency, the Office of Rail and Road, the Care Quality Commission, the Office for Nuclear Regulation, and Natural Resources Wales.
• The Equality and Human Rights Commission Panel of Counsel, advising and representing the Commission on matters relating to equality, public, and human rights law.

Leila has an outstanding reputation in the field of public inquiries and inquests. She is currently acting as Counsel to the UK Government’s Cabinet Office and No.10 Downing Street in the UK Covid-19 Inquiry and recently acted as Counsel to Canada’s Foreign Interference Inquiry.

Leila was instructed in the Manchester Arena Inquiry as Counsel to several of the bereaved families of those who died in the 2017 terrorist bombing. The Inquiry was established to investigate the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

She was appointed by the Secretary of State for Health as Counsel to the Gosport Independent Panel Inquiry, which was constituted to examine and report on historical events relating to the care, treatment, and deaths of patients at Gosport War Memorial Hospital in Portsmouth.

Leila was instructed by the UK Information Commissioner on data protection matters arising from the Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Incentive Inquiry (the “Cash for Ash” scandal). This Inquiry related to a controversial renewable heat incentive scheme and the actions of politicians, their special advisors, and members of the energy industry. The controversy led to the collapse of Stormont.

She also acted as Counsel for an Interested Party in the Hillsborough Inquests, which related to the events during and after the 1989 Hillsborough football stadium tragedy – one of national importance and the longest inquest proceedings ever held in the UK.

Leila has a significant regulatory practice and routinely acts in large, complex investigations and prosecutions across all aspects of enforcement and administrative proceedings. Her experience includes the largest UK trading standards prosecution against a group of energy companies and directors, for which she and the prosecution team received high praise from the trial judge for their management and conduct of this especially complex, voluminous and challenging case. Leila’s experience in this area covers both the enforcement and administrative aspects of Public and Regulatory Law. Leila provides advice and assistance to both prosecution and defence on all aspects and stages of the regulatory enforcement process including enforcement notices, the investigation, the decision to prosecute, PII and disclosure issues.

Leila’s international practice encompasses European law, public international law and international human rights. Her work has involved matters concerning ICJ proceedings, universal jurisdiction, atrocity crimes and acting as the Senior Legal Advisor to an international NGO.

Leila completed her second Master of Laws at Columbia University in New York City, graduating with Kent Scholar status and having been awarded the Parker School Certificate of Achievement in International and Comparative Law. Leila’s scholarship was focused on Public International Law, Global Governance, and International Human Rights. Leila also served as an editor for the Columbia Human Rights Law Review and Board Member for the Columbia Society of International Law. Leila was also selected to undertake a leadership in law programme and an Externship with UN Women during which she spent time working at UN Headquarters New York on peace and security matters relating to UN Women’s role on the Security Council. Leila also undertakes pro bono projects with international law and human rights organisations based in the UK, Canada, and USA. Leila’s thesis for her first Master of Laws focused on Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Protection of Freedoms Bill, data protection laws and the State’s use of surveillance.

Before joining the UK independent Bar, Leila spent 10 years as a local government lawyer. Her work in this role was varied, complex, and voluminous, covering the full range of common law, statutory, and corporate functions of a local authority. She regularly represented the council in civil, criminal, and regulatory matters across all courts and tribunals. This experience brings valuable insight into the wider statutory, public law and corporate issues which affect governance in a public law and regulatory arena. Leila continues to be instructed by local authorities on all aspects of local government business.

Leila is an accomplished leader, with extensive experience managing large-scale, complex legal matters including public inquiries, regulatory investigations, and high-stakes litigation. She has led multidisciplinary teams of lawyers, investigators, experts, and analysts. With a strategic and solutions-focused approach, she ensures meticulous case management, rigorous legal analysis, and seamless coordination among stakeholders to achieve exceptional results.

Practice Areas

Government, Public Sector, and Public Law

• Public Inquiries & Inquests
• Public International Law & International Human Rights
• Central and Local Government Law
• Equality and Human Rights
• Judicial Review

Regulatory Law

• Health and Safety
• Licensing
• Trading Standards
• Food Safety
• Environmental Protection
• Health Care
• Fraud
• Professional Disciplinary
• Housing, Planning, and Highways (Enforcement)