Kenworthy’s Chambers has over 50 Barristers, two of which are Silks having been appointed to the King's Counsel (KC) as a mark of their outstanding ability. We are Manchester’s leading chambers on diversity, with 20% of our Barristers identifying as black, Asian, or mixed race.
Our members are fully compliant with the code of conduct regulations as directed by the Bar Standards Board and treat all cases with sensitivity and confidentiality. Chambers works to retain the Legal Services Commission's Quality Mark for the Bar and is committed to maintaining quality standards in every aspect of running the business.
Courtney Richards and Daniella Howarth are the best clerks from any chambers. They are efficient and helpful at all times.
My client was extremely grateful for Sarah Cook's assistance. They said she did a faultless, fantastic job!
Jodie Penketh, Marsden Rawsthorn
Courtney Richards is on the ball and very focused on providing an efficient level of service. Her response times are second to none.
We wanted to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Craig Holmes for his dedicated work and invaluable contribution to this case. His expertise, professionalism, and unwavering commitment have played a pivotal role in achieving a favourable outcome for our client.
Immigration Team, MRG Solicitors
Outstanding service levels from Courtney Richards and her team.
He is good at coming up with novel legal points.
The clerking team is one of the very best on the Northern circuit.
Craig Holmes is a rising star in the immigration field. He is able to grasp complex issues quickly and turn around work in order to meet tight deadlines.
Maria Rushworth leads the team.
Craig Holmes has appeared before the Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal. He's good at what he does and knows his stuff inside and out.
Sarah Cook is extremely knowledgeable and conveys her interpretation of the law in simple terms to help a litigant-in-person to understand. She is the utmost professional, approachable and available to support her clients.
Anonymous, Direct Access Client
Craig Holmes is a promising Immigration Practitioner with experience acting in country guidance cases and judicial reviews.
Jonathan Greer is an erudite barrister. He is easy to work with and demonstrates good client care.
An exceptionally bright junior with very strong drafting and advocacy skills.
Sarah Cook is meticulous in her preparation, not just in terms of the submissions but also in terms of her strategy to influence the best outcome. I would never have achieved what is a dream outcome without her knowledge and extensive skill set. She is absolutely amazing.
Anonymous, Public Access Client
Jonathan Greer has notable experience in matters relating to deprivation of citizenship and individuals resisting removal and is very popular with clients.
Sarah Cook supported me with C100 court hearings, covering three key issues; living arrangements, the child's surname and their school. She had a fantastic holistic understanding of the case, knew its strengths and weaknesses, and prepared strong counter arguments. The outcome was a joint 'lives with' order alongside a double barrelling of my child's surname.
Anonymous, Public Access Client
Jonathan Greer has established himself as a firm favourite with Immigration Solicitors.
I highly recommend Janet Cragg to those who value a no-nonsense advocate capable of achieving exceptional results in hostile environments.
Anonymous, Direct Access Family Law Client
Janet Cragg's direct and honest approach, combined with her impressive track record of winning against formidable opponents, makes her an excellent choice for anyone seeking legal representation.
Anonymous, Direct Access Family Law Client
Janet Cragg is an outstanding Barrister who navigated my case with unparalleled expertise. She dismantled the opposition's arguments with clinical precision, revealing the true nature of their motives.
Anonymous, Direct Access Family Law Client
Mark Schwenk is very experienced and well able to deal with cases at all levels extremely competently and without fuss.
An excellent Immigration Barrister with a very strong grasp of the law and an ability to quickly get to the root of the matter.
My client wished me to pass a huge thanks on to Jonathan Greer. He says Jonathan was really helpful and supportive - we were very impressed.
Claire Crossland, Parker Rhodes Hickmotts
Mark Schwenk is well versed in complex human rights and unlawful detention issues and has a particular focus on EEA rights. He has experience representing colleges whose licence to sponsor international students has been withdrawn.
On behalf of all that attended yesterday, thank you for another great seminar. The staff at OCL found it very informative, so thank you!
Kailey Richardson, OCL Solicitors
Mark Schwenk is capable of handling the full range of immigration and asylum matters in tribunals and the High Court.
Shazia is very experienced in immigration matters and able to deal effectively with all types of immigration cases without any issues.
A very convincing advocate with a wealth of experience and knowledge in this field.
Shazia Khan enjoys a fine reputation in the Immigration Law space, handling asylum and nationality law matters and cases with a human rights component. She also has experience in handling country guidance-related work.
He has an excellent manner with clients and always handles the case effectively.
A very experienced and knowledgeable barrister.
Very knowledgeable and very switched on.
George Brown is a high-calibre Immigration Barrister with an extensive Immigration, Asylum and Nationality practice. He represents individuals in deportation and unlawful detention cases. His recent work has included acting in several judicial reviews.
Big thanks for the work you did with my client. You acknowledged the positive things she had done under difficult circumstances which I've not seen many Barristers do. The client felt listened to and appreciated everything you did.
Ms Ross, Salford City Council
Gita Patel always has a good way of approaching cases and is happy to give something a go and try to something novel.
An extremely experienced Immigration Barrister with superb client care and a very strong grasp of the law.
Gita Patel is understated but highly effective, with an outstanding success rate.
Gita Patel acts exclusively for claimants and attracts praise for her sensitive representation of vulnerable clients, including victims of trafficking and seriously ill asylum seekers. Her areas of expertise include human rights law, asylum and public law issues.
Key recent instructions include several judicial reviews and an appeal arguing that gang-related violence in El Salvador was political in nature, making asylum seekers from El Salvador involved in such entitled to have their claims considered.
Kenworthy's Chambers is an experienced set of Barristers, specialising in the asylum and immigration field and able to handle complex and novel legal issues.
Kenworthy’s Chambers is able to provide advice and representation at the highest level.
Kenworthy's Chambers is a leading Immigration Law set with a strong bench of experienced Barristers. Members act for a range of claimants, including vulnerable individuals, in asylum, deportation and unlawful detention cases.
Our Manchester Barristers are based inside an impressive Grade II listed building of high gothic style, designed in 1880 by eminent Salford-born architect, Thomas Worthington. The tower-topped Arlington House boasts a Boardroom, two Lecture Theatres, and several Conferencing Rooms suitable for mediation. If you have a conference, meeting, or mediation to organise you can book facilities at Kenworthy’s in Salford, Manchester, by calling our Practice Manager Maria Rushworth on 0161 832 4036 or emailing [email protected]
Kenworthy’s provides Manchester Barristers, Lawyers and Solicitors with a programme of lectures, seminars, and bespoke courses on all the major areas of law throughout the year.
Kenworthy’s training events are delivered by practicing Barristers, contribute towards CPD points and provide legal professionals with a chance to refresh their knowledge of the law and gain insight into new areas of practice.
Barristers at Kenworthy’s Chambers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board - to learn more read our Terms of Service and Business.
For members of the public who wish to instruct a Barrister or receive advice, please visit our Public Access page before contacting us.
In 1987, 26 Cross Street Chambers took their team of 12 Barristers specialising in Criminal, Family and Civil Litigation and moved into Kenworthy’s buildings, changing their name to Kenworthy’s Chambers. Sue Barlow and Maria Rushworth, who was one of the first female Senior Clerks in Manchester, were recruited from Barclays Bank to improve the professionalism of the clerking team.
In 1989 Gita Patel, the first Hindu woman at the Northern Circuit Bar, joined Kenworthy’s Chambers. Gita Patel was the first of many hires that helped make Kenworthy’s the diverse set of Chambers it is celebrated as today.
By 2000, the Manchester Chambers had grown to 20 members, through smart recruitment of Solicitors with strong market knowledge, contacts, and a desire to transfer to the Bar.
In 2001 Mark Schwenk joined Kenworthy’s Chambers, shortly followed by George Brown and together they established the Immigration Department.
In 2002, Kenworthy’s bought and renovated the tower-topped Arlington house. The impressive Grade II listed building was designed by eminent Salford-born architect, Thomas Worthington, in 1880. Over the last 20 years, Kenworthy’s has diversified the portfolio of work and increased the income generated, whilst maintaining a consistent voluntary presence at local law centres and immigration advice services.
The Civil Litigation and Costs team gained traction when Margaret McDonald joined the team in 2011.
Kenworthy’s strengthened its profile and reach by recruiting Senior Civil Clerk, Michael Jones, along with several Personal Injury and Consumer Credit Barristers in Josephine Scally, Joannah Webster, Adam Lewis, and Yasser Iqbal from Palmyra Chambers in Warrington in 2016.
Many members of chambers have been appointed into prestigious judicial positions over the years. Alan Wilson was appointed as her Majesty’s Coroner for Blackpool and Flyde, independent of local and central government, to investigate any sudden or unexplained deaths. Paul Holmes was appointed as the Judge of Employment Tribunals in the Newcastle region. Margaret McDonald was appointed as a Part-Time Deputy District Judge. Shazia Khan was appointed as Part-Time Tribunal Judge of the First-Tier Immigration and Asylum Chamber.
In February 2022, Patrick Cassidy was appointed as her Majesty’s Assistant Coroner for Blackpool and Fylde. Richard Lees was appointed as a Deputy District Judge for the Northern Circuit in October 2022 by the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, the Right Honourable Lord Burnett of Maldon. In January 2023, Jonathan Greer was appointed as both an Employment Judge and an Immigration Judge.
Barristers at Kenworthy’s Chambers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board - to learn more read our Terms of Service and Business.
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