St. Philips
Chevan Ilangaratne

Introduction

Chevan began a specialist Employment Law and Personal Injury Law Pupillage in October 2021 under the supervision of Colin Baran (Personal Injury/Clinical Negligence/Employment) and Elizabeth Hodgetts (Employment). He begins his Second Six in April 2022, and will be undertaking his own work, specialising in PI and Employment. He accepts instructions to draft pleadings, Schedules of Loss, and to advise in writing and in conference, in addition to undertaking advocacy in the civil courts and Employment Tribunals.

Before coming to the Bar, Chevan worked in a number of legal charities providing advocacy and advisory services in areas including disability rights, whistleblowing, and children’s rights. Chevan helped represent children in school exclusion hearings; advised on the Human Rights Act 1998 and Covid-19 regulations; acquired expertise in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and worked on public law appeals before the European Court of Human Rights and Supreme Court of Canada.

As a Legal Adviser at the whistleblowing charity Protect, Chevan advised workers in the public, private and third sector on the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, and prepared training materials for various employers on implementing appropriate ‘speak up’ arrangements. He conducted research for Protect’s third-party intervention in the Court of Appeal case of Gilham v MoJ [2017] EWCA Civ 2220, and subsequently its successful intervention in the Supreme Court (Gilham v MoJ [2019] UKSC 44).

Chevan undertook an LLM at the University of Cambridge, covering, among other areas, medical law with a module on clinical negligence; international human rights law; and data protection law. 

Away from work, Chevan maintains a strong interest in cricket owing to his Sri Lankan and Yorkshire roots, frequently visiting the latter to see friends and family. He has also had the good fortune to live and work in Budapest, Hungary, and Toronto, Canada … so no longer complains about cold weather in the UK!

Education

BPTC – BPP Holborn (Very Competent)
LLM, Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge (1st Class results in International Human Rights Law and Law and Information)
LLB, University of Leeds (1st Class)

Appointments and Memberships

Protects Legal Support Network

Middle Temple Harold G Fox Scholar

Lincolns Inn Lord Denning Scholar (including Accommodation Award)