Direct Access Barrister
Abiodun Michael Olatokun
Direct Access Barrister
Abiodun Michael Olatokun
Area of Law
Education
I am experienced in all areas of education.
Primary and secondary education- I am one of the UK's leading voices on Citizenship Education and was an adviser to the Solicitor General on Public Legal Education during the last government. I was the co-chair of the 2023 IPSEA Conference and regularly appear on behalf of children with disabilities/local authorities in the SEND Tribunal.
Higher education- I was the Deputy Chair of the Teaching Excellence Framework Pilot Subject Pilot panel for Business and Law and a reviewer of universities for the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education for 9 years. I have been a university lecturer for 5 years, and was a sabbatical officer of the University of Nottingham Students' Union.
Other education work- I act as a clerk to Independent Review Panel Hearings.
Employment and Pensions
I was a trained FRU volunteer before coming to the bar. I have acted as sole counsel in the Employment Appeal Tribunal and am instructed to act in the Employment Tribunal in complex disability-related claims.
Freedom of Information and Data Protection
I have a growing practice helping those who have suffered from data breaches. I also use the Data Protection Act in creative ways to achieve the outcomes my clients need.
Housing and Social Welfare
I have been instructed to act in cases concerning the Homelessness Act 1996. I have a long interest in this area following my work with Nottingham Citizens.
Human Rights
I am very active in the field of human rights and regularly advise others on whether their human rights are engaged in their interactions with public authorities. By the same token I act on behalf of responsible public bodies whose actions are being challenged.
Immigration, Asylum and Nationality
I am frequently instructed to act in the First-Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). I have successfully represented victims of human trafficking, those who have been persecuted for their religious/political beliefs and abused women. I have a growing paperwork practice assisting Appellants with their applications and writing skeleton arguments ahead of contested proceedings.
Landlord and Tenant
I have a busy landlord and tenant practice that keeps me in the County Court, or working on papers relating to tenancies, on a weekly basis. I have represented vulnerable tenants, individual landlords, business landlords, local authorities, successor tenants and a whole host of others in a wide-ranging practice. I care passionately about making housing work and have interests outside of my current work as a housing barrister. Prior to joining the bar I was the Accommodation and Community Officer of the University of Nottingham Students' Union from 2014-2015. In that role I was the Vice Chair of the Unipol Code Tribunal, arbitrating disputes between tenants and landlords. I also campaigned as part of the Nottingham Citizens group to raise the standard of private sector accommodation in the city and to hold rogue landlords to account.
Public and Administrative Law
I work closely with local authorities to ensure that their decisions are lawful, and am regularly asked to advise public bodies on how they can do just that. I also take action on behalf of individuals that feel the state has not acted lawfully in its interactions with them.
What sort of work do I do?
Land- Landlord and tenant, general property. Consideration of novel issues in succession.
All manner of civil cases.
Employment tribunal hearings, pleadings and overall advice.
Education- exclusion, discrimination, EHCP appeals.
Immigration- refugee status, human rights claims, continuous residence applications.
Media- data protection claims.
Who do I work for?
We are all impacted by the delivery of government services and the essential functions of the state. I have helped local authorities, parents, teachers, small businesses, refugees, travelling business people, young professionals, human rights violation victims and charities.