Henry Hawkesworth
Call: 2018
- City, University of London: BPTC – Outstanding
- Oxford Brookes School of Law: GDL – Distinction
- King’s College, Cambridge: MA (Music) – 2:1
- Ampleforth College
The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn
- Twice winner of the Bertram Faulkner Award (University of Cambridge)
- Harmer Prize
- Oxford Brookes School of Law Mooting competition: 2nd place
Outside the Law, Henry is a keen pianist and singer, having been a choral scholar of King’s College Cambridge as an undergraduate.
Instructing Henry Hawkesworth
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If you require help or advice please contact our clerking team.
Call +44 (0)20 7353 0711 or email clerks@pumpcourtchambers.com.
Henry Hawkesworth joined Pump Court Chambers in December 2018, after a period of tenancy in a leading set of chambers in the North East of England. He is establishing a reputation as an effective and personable advocate. He is developing a chiefly civil practice with an emphasis on personal injury and commercial litigation.
Before coming to the bar, Henry read Music at King’s College, Cambridge, where he sang as a choral scholar. He won the Bertram Faulkner Prize twice consecutively, and the Harmer Prize in his final year.
Legal Services
Henry appears in all tracks in personal injury litigation, at trial and at interlocutory hearings, representing claimants and defendants. He is happy to advise at all stages of proceedings, and draft pleadings. He has drafted schedules of loss in excess of £200,000.
He has experience in credit hire claims of the greatest value, having acted in matters where the claim for hire has been in excess of £90,000. He also has experience of acting in claims involving plated vehicles. Henry enjoys formulating novel arguments in this heavily litigated area, and is familiar with the relevant case law.
He frequently acts on behalf of Defendants where fundamental dishonesty is alleged. He is familiar with the relevant case law in this area, and is keen to develop his counter-fraud practice.
Road traffic claims form a large part of Henry’s personal injury practice. However, he also has experience of claims falling under the Public Liability protocol (‘tripper’ cases), claims under the Occupiers Liability Acts 1957 and 1984, and claims under the Animals Act 1971. Henry has also acted in claims for personal injury under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, and is happy to advise and draft pleadings in this area.
Henry’s advisory work has covered advices on settlement and liability in matters involving significant injuries sustained on building sites covered by Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, where the pleaded values of the respective claims have been in excess of £150,000. He has also advised on settlement in cases involving significant facial scarring, and sepsis.
Henry has experience of commercial litigation in all tracks, and is keen to built his practice in this area. As well as appearing in trials, applications and costs and case management conferences, he has drafted pleadings in claims for breach of trust, negligence, and breach of contract, and is happy to advise at all stages of litigation.
He has acted on behalf of companies and individuals in lower value construction claims at trial, involving allegations of defective work, and has successfully negotiated settlements protecting clients’ future commercial interests.
He is well versed in all the usual arguments concerning claims for statutory damages under section 140A of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, especially surrounding the recovery of PPI premiums.
Henry has experience of possession proceedings relating to residential property, acting for both tenants and landlords. He has appeared in fast track possession trials where substantial disrepair has been alleged to set off rent arrears. He also has experience of housing disrepair claims, and claims against rogue landlords under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
Henry acts in TOLATA 1996 claims, and has obtained advantageous declarations of trust and final orders for sale in this area. He has experience of representing parties at mediation. He has drafted pleadings for both claimants and defendants, and is of the view that many cases will benefit from the use of formal pleadings under the CPR Pt 7 procedure. He is available to advise at all stages, and strongly believes that in this high-risk area, where a party faces a very significant costs liability, it will almost always be in the interests of a lay client to receive robust and full advice before embarking on a claim.
He has advised on other miscellaneous property matters, and is happy to accept appropriate instructions.
Henry has a particular interest in this fast developing area of law. He has provided written advice and is keen to receive suitable instructions.
Henry maintains a practice in private Children Act 1989 proceedings. Having started his career at the bar in the care courts of the North-East of England, he has experience of appearing in front of senior tribunals, and prides himself on a compassionate but straightforward manner with his clients.
He has appeared in fact finding hearings where allegations of the utmost gravity have been tried. Henry has successfully defended allegations of rape and controlling behaviour, whilst in other hearings he has successfully established very serious allegations of coercive and controlling behaviour, financial abuse, and the physical abuse of the subject children.
He has secured orders for shared care on behalf of parties with whom the subject children were not living, and has successfully persuaded courts to go against Cafcass recommendations.
Selected Cases
Designation hearings involving the exercise of the High Court’s inherent jurisdiction to declare a child ‘looked after’.
Hearings involving deprivation of liberty orders in the High Court.
A 5 day final hearing for Father, involving proposed separation of 7 siblings and cross examina-tion of a child psychologist.
A 2 day final hearing on behalf of a Local Authority in applications for Special Guardianship Or-ders and Child Arrangement Orders.
A 3 day final hearing for Mother, involving the opposition of the proposed separation of 5 sib-lings, and complex care plans.
A 2 day final hearing before a High Court Judge, for Father, opposing the Local Authority’s ap-plication for Placement Orders.
Henry has experience of applications under the Family Law Act 1996 for non-molestation orders and occupation orders, and has represented clients up to final hearing.
He has successfully defended applications for non-molestation orders, and in one recent trial secured a finding from the district judge that ‘no molestation whatsoever [had] occurred’. He also recently persuaded a court, on the specific facts of the case, to accept undertakings from a respondent and dismiss the application, where this course was opposed by the applicant.
Injunctions under the Family Law Act 1996 are generally draconian, and where applications have been spuriously made, Henry is not afraid to advocate a robust approach.
- City, University of London: BPTC – Outstanding
- Oxford Brookes School of Law: GDL – Distinction
- King’s College, Cambridge: MA (Music) – 2:1
- Ampleforth College
The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn
- Twice winner of the Bertram Faulkner Award (University of Cambridge)
- Harmer Prize
- Oxford Brookes School of Law Mooting competition: 2nd place
Outside the Law, Henry is a keen pianist and singer, having been a choral scholar of King’s College Cambridge as an undergraduate.
Instructing Henry Hawkesworth
Would you like to know more?
If you require help or advice please contact our clerking team.
Call +44 (0)20 7353 0711 or email clerks@pumpcourtchambers.com.