Doug has a diverse and complimentary practice, undertaking both advisory and litigation work in a range of courts, including the High Court (led and un-led) and the Court of Appeal (un-led).
Doug joined Chambers in December 2022 following the successful completion of his pupillage. He was supervised by Mark Watson KC.
Prior to the Bar, Doug trained as a solicitor at an international law firm where he gained a particular interest in all forms of regulatory practice, including health & safety and environmental work. He also spent a year as the judicial assistant to the Senior President of Tribunals, Sir Keith Lindblom, working on environmental and planning cases that came before the Court of Appeal.
Doug is qualified to accept instructions under the Public Access scheme.
Environment
• Advised on an issue of how to protect a Site of Special Scientific Interest from water pollution and drafted pre-issue correspondence to the Environment Agency (the “EA”).
• Advised on a complaint to the Office for Environmental Protection relating to the detrimental effects of poor water flow levels in protected rivers.
• Acted for a waste management company in proceedings brought against it for the alleged harming of a protected birds site and following legal argument the CPS withdrew the charges brought.
• Acted for several permit holders in a variety of enforcement proceedings, including suspension notices, revocation notices and closure notices.
• Assisted advising the EA on the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 and parasitic liability.
• Regularly instructed in nuisance claims for local authorities, private prosecutor and defendants.
• Recently acted for an individual accused of an offence under the Forestry Act 1967. Following submissions to the CPS the case was discontinued.
• Acted for water undertakers in both civil and criminal proceedings.
Doug is also a contributor to Garner’s Environmental Law.
Food
• Junior counsel in R (Fold Hill Foods Ltd) v Food Standards Agency [2023] EWHC 2271 (Admin) relating to the Food Standards Agency’s investigation into a pet feed business.
• Prosecuting junior in a food hygiene trial against a national supermarket in the Crown Court.
• Prosecuted, defended and advised in the pre-charge stage of several food related prosecutions.
• Acts for both Food Business Operators and local authorities in civil enforcement proceedings.
• Assisted drafting grounds of claim in Judicial Review proceedings involving abattoir enforcement compliance.
Civil
• Acted for a claimant in a Part 8 disposal hearing where the court awarded specific performance of the auction contract and costs in full.
• Regularly instructed to conduct litigation and advisory work in various civil claims, including defending a local authority for an alleged breach of their statutory housing duty, acting for a water undertaker in the alleged breach of a statutory duty to connect a water pipe and advising a large property company, pre-proceedings, in respect of a maintenance contract.
• Advised on a multi-million claim relating to the negligent refurbishment of bridges.
• Advised on professional negligence, contested probate and insolvency proceedings.
• Regularly instructed for both applicant and respondent in police-related hearings including SHPOs, SPOs, Closure Orders and POCA related proceedings.
• Regularly instructed by landlords in housing related proceedings.
• Acted for a company seeking a mandatory injunction in the High Court.
Planning
• Recently acted for the successful appellant where the Planning Inspector granted a certificate of lawfulness of existing use or development (https://6pumpcourt.co.uk/inspector-finds-no-positive-deception-and-grants-certificate-of-lawful-use-on-appeal/).
• Recently successful in overturning a Local Planning Authority’s decision to refuse Reserved Matters approval. Following the issuing of Judicial Review proceedings the LPA conceded.
• Successfully opposed a planning appeal for an 80-bed care home following a two-day hearing (https://6pumpcourt.co.uk/care-home-planning-appeal-inwokingham/ and https://6pumpcourt.co.uk/successful-resistance-of-care-home-planningappeal/).
• Regularly appears and advises on planning enforcement cases for both local authorities and defendants.
• Advising on challenging an application to register land as common land.
• Advised on CIL liability for both residential and commercial properties, including CIL liability appeals.
Inquests, Inquiries and other regulatory work
• Acted for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
• Acts for interested persons in inquests, most recently instructed by the police and an oversees company.
• Instructed to advise and appear in proceedings relating to Houses in Multiple Occupation. Currently acting for an owner appealing two Prohibition Orders in the First-tier Tribunal.
• Instructed in road transport matters including taxi licence appeals (both at first instance and on appeal to the Crown Court) and public inquiries before the Traffic Commissioner.
• Acts for individuals charged with animal welfare offences.
• Instructed to advise on health and safety matters including a commercial landlords health and safety obligations regarding Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete found in their property.
• Instructed on a variety of licensing hearings both at first instance and also on appeal.
Doug is also Secretary of the Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association.
Crime
• Instructed to prosecute and defend in all types of criminal proceedings, most commonly proceedings that involve aspects of regulatory law.
• Successful in the Court of Appeal (https://6pumpcourt.co.uk/court-of-appeal-allow-appeal-against-sentence/).
• Experience representing defendants in private prosecutions and most recently successful in dismissing a case for brought by a private prosecutor.
Education
University of Sheffield, LLB (First Class)
Appointments
CPS Grade 1
Attorney General’s Junior Barrister Scheme
Advocate
Memberships
- Criminal Bar Association
- Health & Safety Lawyers Association
- Planning and Environment Bar Association
- UK Environmental Law Association
- Food Law Group
Latest news
Inspector finds no positive deception and grants certificate of lawful use on appeal
Douglas Scott acted for the Appellant in her successful appeal against the refusal to grant her a certificate of lawfulness of existing use or...
HSLA Committee Elections Announcement
Chambers are pleased to announce that Gordon Menzies has been elected as an Officer of the Health and Safety Lawyers' Association and Douglas Scott...
Major retailer fined in rat infestation case – Noémi Byrd and Doug Scott represented Somerset Council
CDS (Superstores International) Ltd, owners of The Range chain of home and garden stores, was fined £960,000 reduced to £640,000 for an early guilty...
Judgement in Significant Pet Feed Safety Case Handed Down
Today the High Court (Eyre J) handed down judgment in R (Fold Hill Foods Ltd) v Food Standards Agency [2023] EWHC 2271 (Admin) which was a...
Successful resistance of care home planning appeal – a reminder of the importance of sufficient climate change information
Anne Williams and Douglas Scott have successfully represented Wokingham Borough Council in its resistance of a planning appeal that sought permission to construct an...
Court of Appeal allow appeal against sentence
Douglas Scott successfully reduced his client’s sentence in the Court of Appeal last week.
Care home planning appeal in Wokingham
Anne Williams and Douglas Scott appeared for Wokingham Borough Council in a two-day planning appeal (2 and 3 May 2023), whereby the appellant sought permission to construct an 80-bed dementia care home. Neil Cameron K.C. acted for the appellant.
Chambers welcomes Doug Scott following successful completion of pupillage
We are very pleased to welcome Doug Scott who now joins Chambers following the successful completion of his pupillage.
Defendant acquitted of four counts of possessing an offensive weapon in prison
Doug Scott, instructed by Filip Kostanecki at Kesar and Co Solicitors, secured the acquittal of his client, a serving prisoner, who was charged with four counts of possessing offensive weapons in prison.
Blog
Environmental Law News Update
Alame and others v Shell: Court of Appeal provide guiding principles on progressing a large environmental group litigation Starting a claim before having the...
Environmental Law News Update
The Finch effect: the UK Government will not contest Scottish oil and gas field challenges. Background You will have heard of the butterfly effect...
Environmental Law News Update
BNG and planning – do they really know what they are doing? The willing introduction of bureaucratic complexity is unusual in the current age. ...
Environmental Law News Update
In this latest Environmental Law News Update, Doug Scott and Amy Taylor consider plans for Ofwat to take action on water companies paying dividends whilst failing to meet performance standards and the potential impact of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill on environmental legislation.
The Court of Appeal has held that if the Government’s interpretation of the Paris Agreement is “tenable” the courts will not interfere.
In a case concerning the UK Government’s approval of UK Export Finance’s investment in a liquified natural gas project in Mozambique, the Court of Appeal has held that if the Government’s interpretation of the Paris Agreement is “tenable” the courts will not interfere.
Environmental Law News Update
In this latest Environmental Law News Update, William Upton KC, Christopher Badger and Doug Scott consider the Autumn Statement, the Environment Agency and Ofwat’s investigations into water companies and new DEFRA guidance on conservation covenants.
Environmental Law News Update
In this latest Environmental Law News Update, Christopher Badger and Doug Scott consider a Court of Appeal case clarifying the sentencing of Directors convicted of environmental offences, action from the advertising authorities on misleading green adverts and some optimism from the Head of the Environment Agency.
Environmental Law News Update
In this latest Environmental Law News Update, Gordon Wignall, Doug Scott and Amy Taylor consider moves by UK regulators on greenwashing claims, definitions of Gypsies and Travellers in planning policy and missed deadlines for providing legally binding environmental targets in the UK.
Environmental Law News Update
In this latest Environmental Law News Update, William Upton KC, Mark Davies and Doug Scott consider the duties required of the Environment Agency under the Habitats Regulations, the results of a crackdown on waste crime in Lincolnshire and evidence that tuna stocks are recovering in marine protected areas.