Call: 2022

Poppy Henderson

  • I really appreciate Poppy’s hard work on this case this week and for achieving a great result at the Trial. Her cross-examination of the Defendant’s witness was very impressive and it was a pleasure working with her

  • Poppy navigated us through unusual circumstances and a novel legal issue with great confidence and clarity. It has been a pleasure working with Poppy

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Practice Summary

Poppy has developed a busy practice spanning commercial, property, housing, and public law. She appears regularly as sole counsel in the County Court, High Court and First-tier Tribunal, and has recently been instructed as junior counsel in the Court of Appeal. She is recognised for clear written advocacy, practical advice and confident courtroom advocacy across both interim and final hearings. Complementing her courtroom advocacy, Poppy is developing an ADR practice through regular mediation instructions and through her recognition as an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Regularly instructed by local authorities, housing associations and private landlords in a range of disputes covering nuisance, with and without notice injunctions, rent arrears and service charges, succession, disrepair and possession. Poppy also has experience with discrimination claims pursuant to the Equality Act 2010.

Previous experience:

  • Junior Counsel (led by Jonathan Manning) in Housing 35 Plus Ltd v Nottingham City Council [2026] EWCA Civ 204, a landmark housing case which confirmed that the exemption in the Housing Act 2004, Sch 14, para 2B applies only where members themselves make all management decisions; co‑operatives intending to rely on this route must draft governance provisions with care to ensure compliance.

  • Successfully representing a local authority in the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) regarding the appeal of an improvement notice.

Poppy accepts instructions across a wide range of commercial disputes.

Previous instructions:

  • Winding up petitions.

  • Representing the Claimant in a multi-day trial pertaining to a breach of contract against a local football club.

  • Representing the Claimant at trial engaging the provisions of unfair consumer relationships pursuant to s140a Consumer Credit Act 1974.

  • Successfully defended an international supplier of goods in contesting disclosure applications in a high-value breach of contract cross-border claim.

Previous experience:

  • Drafted numerous grounds of Judicial Review seeking to challenge local authority age assessments on behalf of asylum seeking children and further challenges to the failure to provide s.95 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 accommodation and support.

  • Appeared unled before the High Court to renew an application for Judicial Review of the Secretary of State for Justice’s refusal to grant Open Conditions for a prisoner.

  • Assisted Carl Buckley, led by Geoffrey Robertson KC, in R (On the Application of Raw) v The Parole Board [2021].

  • Assisted Carl Buckley in R (On the Application of Benit) v The Parole Board [2022] EWHC 2172.

  • Assisted Carl Buckley in R (on the application of Nodwell) v Secretary of State for Justice [2022] EWHC 3173 (Admin).

Poppy accepts instructions across employment and professional disciplinary disputes.

Previous experience:

  • Instructed by Local Authorities to advise on unfair dismissal proceedings.

  • Acting in matters engaging racial discrimination and harassment claims.

  • Presenting cases on behalf of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis in professional misconduct hearings.

  • Representing healthcare regulators at multi-day fitness to practice hearings.

Poppy is developing an International Arbitration practice and is an Associate Member of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Before her call to the bar, Poppy spent a year studying international law at the National University of Singapore. Whilst there, Poppy volunteered with a pro bono law centre and assisted with a variety of local matters.

Previous experience:

  • Defence team member for The Specialist Prosecutor v Hysni Gucati and Nasim Haradinaj in the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, the Hague, August 2021 – August 2022.

  • Assisted with the preliminary stages in The Netherlands v Syria before the International Court of Justice, for Syria’s alleged violations of the Convention Against Torture.

  • Successfully representing the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police at trial in a claim for wrongful arrest and unlawful entry.

  • Instructed by the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to seek Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, Stalking Protection Orders, Sexual Risk Orders and Closure Orders (primarily against premises used for the supply of drugs and violent activity).

  • Instructed to assist the Counter Terrorism Unit of the Metropolitan Police to advise whether devices seized contained legally privileged material in their investigation into one of the UK’s most high-profile terrorist suspects.

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