Graeme Whitcher

Overview

Graeme is a specialist civil barrister whose practice spans the full breadth of chambers’ civil practice, with particular expertise in property, housing, medical negligence and personal injury, and commercial and construction matters. Graeme undertakes work in the fast, intermediate, and multi-track and has appeared in the High Court, County Court, and First-Tier Tribunal. 

He is regularly instructed in cases involving detailed factual disputes, technical statutory frameworks, complex underlying case law and multi‑party litigation. He has the ability to master large volumes of material quickly, identify the determinative issues, and provide practical, solutions‑focused advice.

He has a reputation for assisting clients through complex and emotionally charged cases, and for assisting witnesses with vulnerabilities to give their best evidence. Graeme has a wealth of experience working on highly sensitive and personal cases, including discrimination, lack of capacity, financial irregularity, fraud, and medical negligence.

Graeme has experience in both non-contentious and contentious practice. In court, he is known for his clear, concise and effective advocacy and has developed a reputation for providing high-quality drafting and advisory work.

Expertise

Commercial and Consumer

Graeme has a strong commercial and chancery practice, acting for individuals, companies, and partnerships in disputes requiring careful analysis and a firm grasp of commercial realities. He accepts instructions relating to:

• Claims in both tort and contract
• Disputes over vehicle sales, repairs or hire, including of prestige vehicles
• Claims based on misrepresentation and collateral contracts
• Claims under the Consumer Rights Act 2015
• Contract and agency disputes
• Company law matters, including shareholder and director issues
• Partnership disputes
• Construction disputes, including defective works and payment claims
• Consumer credit litigation
• Insolvency & bankruptcy (corporate and personal)
• Charity governance and regulatory issues

Housing Law – Landlord and Tenant

Graeme regularly accepts instructions in all aspects of housing matters, and both residential and commercial landlord and tenant matters. He has a particular interest and expertise in complex housing disputes, including discrimination claims under the Equality Act 2010, public law, unlawful eviction, and disrepair. He is regularly instructed by tenants and private and social landlords. He accepts both private and legally aided work relating to:

• Possession proceedings (private and social)
• Anti‑social behaviour civil injunctions
• Disrepair claims
• Unlawful eviction
• Deposit protection claims
• Breach of quiet enjoyment and harassment
• Succession disputes
• Injunctions and committal proceedings
• Homelessness appeals and judicial review
• Equality Act 2010 defences, including disability discrimination and breach of the public sector equality duty
• Public law
• Corporate landlord and tenant disputes

Property and Chancery

Graeme accepts instructions across the full range of property and chancery law, including:

• Residential and commercial landlord and tenant
• Easements, boundaries and covenants
• Rights of way
• Trespass and nuisance
• Mortgages
• Property contracts
• Trusts of land (TOLATA)
• Adverse possession
• Co‑ownership disputes
• Land registration issues
• Probate
• Estate planning
• Trusts
• Inheritance Act claims
• Interpretation of wills

Personal Injury

Graeme accepts instructions in all areas of personal injury, including complex and sensitive matters involving expert and medical evidence. He accepts instructions in:

• Employer’s liability, occupational stress, and industrial disease
• Fatal accidents
• Road traffic accidents
• Highway tripping and public liability
• Product liability and holiday claims
• Occupier’s liability
• Injuries caused by or to animals
• Insurance and indemnity disputes

Medical Negligence and Product Liability

Graeme accepts instructions in medical negligence cases from both Claimants and Defendant health organisations. He accepts instructions on a Conditional Fee Agreement (“CFA”) basis where appropriate, and is happy to appear in both civil matters and inquests.

He has an ability to quickly and effectively review and understand complex medical records and expert evidence. Known for his compassionate, personable and sensitive approach he strives to ensure all clients are supported to participate fully in the legal process.

Examples of the specialist areas in which he accepts instructions are:

• All cases in which complex issues of medical and legal causation arise
• Catastrophic injuries
• Surgical negligence
• Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis claims
• Pharmacology and medical product liability claims
• Psychiatric injury claims
• Inquests
• Negligently performed cosmetic surgery
• Negligent Dental treatment

Planning and Environmental

Graeme accepts instructions for advice and advocacy from developers, local authorities, and private individuals in planning and environmental matters. He brings a structured and analytical approach to planning and environmental disputes, and accepts instructions in:

• Development & new builds
• Listed buildings
• Enforcement
• Environmental issues
• Compulsory purchase

Infrastructure projects

Regulatory, Local Government, Public & Administrative Law

Graeme accepts instructions in a wide variety of regulatory and public law matters, including:

• Highways
• Public rights of way
• Health & safety
• Local authority prosecutions
• Noise abatement and community protection notice appeals
• Licensing appeals
• Planning appeals and enforcement
• Injunctions

Court of Protection

Graeme acts in both health & welfare and property & affairs matters, including:

• Mental health and capacity issues
• Deprivation of liberty
• Welfare and medical disputes
• Financial disputes, including divorce‑related issues, civil claims, and allegations of financial abuse
• Powers of attorney
• Wills and trusts
• Housing disputes involving vulnerable adults
• Family disputes concerning residence, care arrangements, and allegations of abuse

Academics and Qualifications

LLB, University of Exeter

LLM, University of Durham

BPC, University of Law

Background

Graeme studied Law at the University of Exeter before completing a Master’s degree at the University of Durham, focusing on corporate, commercial, and human rights law. He completed his Bar Practice Course at the University of Law and was called to the Bar in 2022.

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