Name:
Miranda Grell
Year of Call:
2014
Inn:
Inner Temple
Languages spoken:
Spanish – Fluent
German – Fluent
French – Good working knowledge
Area of Expertise:
Landlord & Tenant
Employment & Discrimination
Inquiries
Practice Summary
  • Housing
  • Landlord and Tenant
  • Social Welfare
  • Employment
  • Equality and Discrimination
  • Inquiries
  • Investigations
  • Reviews
Biography
Miranda came to the Bar after a varied career that included working as a Tribunal Advocate and Business Development Manager at the award-winning Hackney Community Law Centre ; as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service ; as a trainee speechwriter to a European Commissioner in Brussels ; and as a Political Advisor to the first Deputy Mayor of London. Miranda’s seven years at the Hackney Community Law Centre laid the foundation for her interest and practice in Housing Law, whilst her academic and professional background in the Employment and Industrial Relations’ field led to her interest and practice in Employment and Discrimination Law. Between 2019 and 2022, Miranda was instructed on a high-profile banking inquiry chaired by the former High Court Judge Dame Linda Dobbs DBE.

Privacy Notice

Download Miranda’s Privacy Notice.
Housing
Advising and representing tenants and licensees in their housing law matters involving private landlords, housing associations and local authorities in the following areas :

Section 21 possession matters

Identifying, advising and conducting court advocacy utilising defences to section 21 possession claims involving, for example, Gas Safety Records, Energy Performance Certificates, How to Rent Booklets, Deposits, the Tenant Fees Act 2019, Standing, Notices. Drafting defences and counterclaims, written submissions and skeleton arguments in support.

Section 8 possession matters

Identifying, advising and conducting court advocacy in section 8 possession claims involving mandatory and discretionary grounds : breaches of tenancy, rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, succession and illegal evictions.

Homelessness

Drafting written advices on the legality of Local Authorities discharging their housing duty and advices on obtaining interim relief, drafting Statements Of Facts And Grounds (SOFAG) and judicial review grounds, conducting advocacy at telephone and in-person hearings.

Housing Disrepair

Advising on quantum, drafting questions for expert surveyors, court advocacy at track allocation hearings and at trial.

Applications

Set aside, strike out, relief from sanctions, extension of time, staying / suspending warrants of execution.

Committal Hearings

Representing tenants at committal hearings for breach of injunctions pursuant to the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

Appeals

Section 204 appeals in the County Court, County Court Appeals before a Circuit Judge, Judicial Review appeals, leapfrog appeals to the Court of Appeal (Civil Division).

Reported Cases

Switaj v McClenaghan | [2024] EWCA Civ 1457
Employment
&
Discrimination
Advising and representing in employment law matters in the following areas :

Discrimination

Discrimination claims with a particular interest in cases involving race, disability and sex.

Unfair / Constructive Dismissal

Unfair dismissal and constructive dismissal claims.

Whistleblowing

Claims involving protected disclosures.

Mediation

Attending and advising clients at judicial mediations.
Family
An experienced negotiator and court advocate in family law proceedings. Competent to prepare position statements, written submissions and skeleton arguments for First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointments (FHDRA), Dispute Resolution Appointments (DRA), Fact Finding Hearings, Final Hearings and Trials :

Private Law Children

Child Arrangements Orders (CAOs), Prohibited Steps Orders (PSOs), Specific Issue Orders (SIOs).

Domestic Abuse

Injunctions and Non-Molestation Orders, first hearings and return hearings.

Home Rights

Occupation Orders and Transfer of Tenancies.

Matrimonial Finance

First Appointments, Financial Dispute Resolution hearings and final hearings.
Civil Litigation

Fast Track trials

Representing claimants and defendants in civil litigation disputes.

Case and Costs Management Hearings

Advising and representing claimants and defendants in pre-hearing negotiations and costs budgeting matters at court.
Inquiries
&
Investigations
Junior Counsel (2019-2022) to the Dobbs Inquiry into Lloyds Banking Group chaired by Dame Linda Dobbs DBE.
Education
  • Bar Professional Training Course (City Law School) – Very Competent (Outstanding in Civil Advocacy)
  • Graduate Diploma in Law (City Law School) – Distinction in Constitutional and Administrative Law
  • MSc International Employment Relations (London School of Economics and Political Science) – Merit (Distinction for MSc dissertation – “British Trade Unions and the EU social dimension”)
  • BA (Hons) European Studies with Spanish (University of Manchester) – First Class
Lecturing
  • City Law School, LLB, Employability Module.
  • Boston University, Introduction to English Law course.
Advisory work

Law Centres Network

Advisor to the Law Centres Network (“LCN”). Curator of LCN’s 2022 annual conference – ‘Racial Justice and the role of Law Centres in dismantling systemic racism’, which featured high-profile UK and internationally based speakers such as Attorney Benjamin Crump, Attorney Jasmine Rand and Lord Anthony Gifford KC.

Black South West Network

Advisor to Black South West Network (“BSWN”). BSWN is a racial justice organisation based in Bristol, South West England. In September 2023, I chaired BSWN’s first ever ‘Race and Justice’ conference, which was held at Burges Salmon LLP. The aim of the Race and Justice conference was to highlight and collectively tackle common issues in the racial justice sector (specifically, access to justice) by bringing together people in the South West from community organisers, community leaders, activists, legal professionals, and policy influencers.
Publications
Courts back access to law (analysis of R (UNISON) v Lord Chancellor) – Labour Briefing – 2017

The decimation of legal aid – why should you care ? – Media Diversified – 2016

Supreme Court overturns the law on joint enterprise – The Justice Gap – 2016

Putting judicial review to the test – Lexis Nexis PSL – 2016

Has consultation’s time come ? – Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) – 2005

Labour migration to the UK – Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) – 2004

EU Enlargement and Labour Migration – Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) – 2004

Memberships
  • African, Caribbean and Asian Lawyers for Justice
  • Criminal Bar Association
  • Employment Lawyers Association
  • Society of Labour Lawyers
Board memberships

Bernie Grant Arts Centre

Former interim Chair, now Company Secretary, of the Bernie Grant Arts Centre. The Bernie Grant Arts Centre is a unique multi-art form venue in Tottenham, North London, inspired by the vision of the late Bernie Grant MP to create a flagship performing arts centre that would become a home for diverse artists, audiences and creative businesses.

Windrush Justice Clinic

Advisory Board member of the Windrush Justice Clinic, an award-winning partnership made up of community organisations, law centres and Universities that supports victims of the Windrush Scandal to apply for compensation and realise their rights.
Awards
Wintrade Global 2023 PESTLED Awards – Excellence in Law (2023)

LawWorks Pro Bono Award for Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership – (Haringey Law Centre) (2017)

Law Centres Network Reita Clarke Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement (2014)

Halsbury Legal Award – Pro Bono Team of the Year – (Hackney Community Law Centre) (2013)

Law Society Excellence Award for Excellence in Innovation (Hackney Community Law Centre) (Finalist) (2012)

Interests
Miranda loves the arts. She has played the cello, piano and steel pans since childhood and now sings (alto) with the Leytonstone Chorale. She is also a trustee of the Bernie Grant Arts Centre. As an East Londoner who grew up one street away from the football ground of the mighty Leyton Orient FC, Miranda is an enthusiastic Leyton Orient season ticket holder. Miranda is also an active campaigner with African, Caribbean and Asian Lawyers for Justice – writing in media publications and appearing on national and international television and radio programmes on the group’s behalf. In her spare time, Miranda also acts as both a formal and informal mentor to many aspiring barristers from secondary school students right through to adult career changers – she is an official mentor for the BME Legal programme and also assists the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple with student workshops and events. Miranda is a huge Barack Obama fan and is extremely proud to have volunteered with Obama’s first presidential campaign, in London and Florida, as a legal observer, phone bank captain and campaign organiser.