Amy Taylor

Animal Welfare

Amy has a particular interest in animal law and animal welfare. She is the Co-Chair of the Legal Vegan Network and works with organisations such as Lawyers for Animals, the RSPCA, Animal Rising, and the Animal Justice Project.

Specific examples of her animal law work include:

• Prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA in a trial concerning offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, namely causing unnecessary suffering to a dog and failing to provide for the needs of the dog. The defendant was convicted of both offences and appealed. Following the withdrawal of the appeal, he subsequently sought to reinstate it on the basis that the withdrawal amounted to a nullity. The application was granted, owing to the defendant having been given incorrect legal advice regarding the disqualification order, and the appeal against conviction is listed to be heard later this year.
• Prosecuting a couple convicted of failing to provide a suitable diet and protect their dog from pain and suffering. The dog starved to death. This case received media attention and was reported by Kent Online: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/gravesend/news/couple-banned-from-keeping-animals-after-dog-starved-to-dea-336273/
• Prosecuting a farmer for Cornwall Council in relation to offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, Animal By-Product Regulations 2013, and Cattle Identification Regulations 2007.
• Defending animal rights protestors charged with causing a public nuisance by entering Aintree Racecourse and allegedly disrupting the start of the 2023 Grand National. There were to be five trials, and Amy was instructed to represent defendants in trials four and five. Amy assisted with drafting legal submissions which applied to all trials. Following two acquittals and a hung jury in the first three trials, no evidence was offered against Amy’s clients in the later trials.

Environment

Amy prosecutes and defends in environmental law cases.

Specific examples of her work include:

• Prosecuting a company on behalf of a council in respect of a failure to comply with a Community Protection Notice, which was imposed due to significant fly-tipping in the area.
• Defending an individual charged with several offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, namely depositing and burning waste. The estimated costs of removing the waste and cleaning the site were over £150,000.
• Drafting and providing a pre-charge advice to a council in relation to potential offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
• Prosecuting a company for failure to comply with a notice issued under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949.

Amy also co-ordinates and contributes to the Environmental Blog within Chambers.

Crime

Amy prosecutes and defends in all types of criminal proceedings, such as mentions, committals for sentence, and trials. She takes pride in her ability to communicate with clients from a variety of backgrounds and regularly represents clients in Magistrates’, Crown, and Youth Courts.

Specific examples of her work include:

• Prosecuting lists on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service.
• Representing the RSPCA in cases concerning the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and causing unnecessary suffering to protected animals.
• Defending in R v AK (Canterbury Crown Court) where the defendant was charged with intentional strangulation, controlling and coercive behaviour, and witness intimidation. This 5-day trial resulted in not guilty verdicts.

Civil

Amy has considerable experience advising and acting for clients across a range of civil work.

Specific examples of her work include:

• Appearing on behalf of the police in applications for Stalking Protection Orders, Sexual Risk Orders, and Closure Orders.
• Representing the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (formerly Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) in the public inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower. This included preparing Rule 13 responses for several witnesses as part of the ‘Maxwellisation’ process.
• Drafting grounds of defence in judicial review cases challenging the lawfulness of decisions in asylum and immigration claims.

Professional discipline

Prior to joining the Bar, Amy worked at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Case Officer and at the Health and Care Professions Council as a Case Manager. After securing tenancy, she undertook a 3-month secondment as a Case Presenter at the NMC. She continues to represent the NMC in interim and substantive hearings.

Specific examples of her work include:

• A 5-week hearing involving almost 150 lack of competence and misconduct allegations, 20 witnesses (including a handwriting expert), hearsay applications, and applications to amend the schedule of charges.
• A 7-day hearing concerning a failure to check on vulnerable patients on a psychiatric ward. The delay of 5 years between the incidents and the hearing taking place meant there were issues that had to be navigated regarding the witness evidence and their ability to recall incidents.
• A 7-day hearing concerning allegations that the registrant gave salt to patients. This was a serious case and involved a self-represented Registrant.

Regulatory

Amy has been appointed to Attorney-General’s List of Specialist Regulatory Advocates (C Panel).

Specific examples of her regulatory work include:

• Representing the Care Quality Commission in a 6-day appeal hearing in the First-tier Tribunal (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber).
• Conducting interviews and drafting witness statements in respect of an appeal against an enforcement notice served by the Crown Premises’ Fire Safety Inspectorate regarding fire alarms.
• Appearing on behalf of local authorities in a variety of matters, including cases concerning breaches of food safety and hygiene regulations.

Appointments

• Attorney-General’s Regulatory List of Counsel (C List)
• Crown Prosecution Service (Level 2)

Education

• Bar Professional Training Course – City, University of London (Outstanding)
• Global Criminal Law – University of Groningen (with an exchange semester at McGill University, Canada) (Distinction)
• Law LLB (Hons) – University of Liverpool (First Class)

Awards

• Pegasus Scholarship – Pegasus Scholarship Trust (2024)
• Stephen Seabrooke Memorial Prize – City, University of London (2021)
• Full Fee Scholarship for the BPTC – City, University of London (2019)
• Bursary – Human Rights Lawyers Association (2018)
• Holland Scholarship – University of Groningen (2017)
• University Fund Scholarship – University of Groningen (2017)
• Talent Grant – University of Groningen (2016)
• Weightmans LLP Prize – University of Liverpool (2014)
• Opportunity and Achievement Scholarship – University of Liverpool (2011-2014)

Memberships

• A-LAW, UK Centre for Animal Law
• Criminal Bar Association
• London Irish Lawyers Association (LILA)
• UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA)
• Gray’s Inn

Publications

Amy has reviewed and updated content on LexisNexis:

• Sewers and drains – developer’s rights and responsibilities
• Sewers and drains – sewerage undertakers’ powers and duties to lay sewers and drains
• Sewers and drains – requisitioning a public sewer or a lateral drain

She has written articles:

• The implications of the Water (Special Measures) Bill

She was a speaker at the Animal Law Conference in 2024 and gave a presentation, the topic of which was ‘Climate Change and Wildlife – what are we doing wrong?’

Amy is currently contributing a chapter to a forthcoming book examining the law relating to farmed animals.

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