Eleanor is hard-working, has an excellent eye for detail...
Legal 500, 2024
She is calm under pressure and a great team player.
Legal 500, 2024
...[a] persuasive advocate.
Legal 500, 2024

Eleanor Sibley practises in public and civil law, with an emphasis on cases concerning mental capacity, deprivation of liberty, social care and health care.

In October 2018, Eleanor was junior counsel for the respondent in the Supreme Court in D (A Child) UKSC 2018/0064, a case concerning the conditions for a deprivation of liberty of a young person aged 16 or 17.

Before coming to the bar, Eleanor worked at the AIRE Centre, a legal charity which specialises in EU and European human rights law. She has also worked in public policy research.

More information can be found in the tabs below. If you have any questions about Eleanor’s practice, please contact her clerks or call +44 (0)20 7405 6114.

Court of Protection

Eleanor is regularly instructed to appear in the Court of Protection on behalf of people who lack capacity (through the Official Solicitor and other litigation friends), local authorities, and family members.

She has significant experience of welfare applications, including cases concerning deprivation of liberty, residence, social and health care, medical treatment, contact, and disputes about capacity. She also acts in and advises on cases concerning property and financial affairs.

In October 2018, Eleanor was junior counsel for the respondent in the Supreme Court in D (A Child) UKSC 2018/0064, a case concerning the conditions for a deprivation of liberty of a young person aged 16 or 17.

Public and Local Government

Eleanor has a broad public law and local government practice, with an emphasis on claims concerning adult and child social care, health care and s117 after care. This includes disputes over responsibility for funding and providing care.

Eleanor has substantial experience of cases concerning obligations towards EEA and third country nationals, and people with no recourse to public funds.

Eleanor’s broader experience includes claims relating to coronial law, data protection/freedom of information, homelessness, social welfare benefits and human rights breaches. She has appeared in the High Court and Upper Tribunal.

Before coming to the bar, Eleanor worked at the AIRE Centre, a specialist legal charity, where she gained experience of EU and European human rights law. Her role included tribunal advocacy, and undertaking drafting and research for interventions before the Court of Appeal (Ahmad v SSHD [2014] EWCA Civ 988), Supreme Court (Saint Prix v SSWP [2012] UKSC 49), and CJEU (C-507/12 Jessy Saint Prix; C-400/12 SSHD v MG).

Civil Law

Eleanor accepts instructions in a range of civil law matters, including:

  • Landlord and Tenant Law
  • Housing and homelessness
  • Property and trusts

She has experience of cases concerning both public and private law, and those relating to vulnerable adults and people without capacity.

Publications

Education

Bar Professional Training Course, City Law School: Outstanding

GDL, BPP Law School: Distinction

MPhil Philosophy, University of Cambridge (King’s College)

MA Philosophy, Bristol University

BA (hons) Law and Philosophy, University of Cambridge (King’s College)

Scholarship and Prizes

Award for Outstanding BPTC Results, Inner Temple

Major Scholarship for Bar Professional Training Course, Inner Temple

Exhibition for GDL, Inner Temple

Arts and Humanities Research Council Award for MPhil/PhD

King’s College, Cambridge University Postgraduate Scholarship for MPhil (not taken up, as accepted AHRC funding)

Professional Memberships

Court of Protection Bar Association

Privacy notice