David Wolfe QC

Matrix Chambers

As a local government councillor in Cambridge, David Wolfe handled environmental, social services and educational matters, which sparked his interest in public law. As a Matrix Chambers silk, those are the areas he has built a career in, splitting his practice roughly equally between the three until a few years ago, when environmental work began to represent the lion’s share of his practice.

Wolfe typically represents small groups of concerned individuals scrutinising decisions made by governmental or public bodies. In one such case in 2021 he acted for Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site. He and 39 Essex junior Victoria Hutton persuaded the High Court that the road and tunnel planned for the Neolithic monument was unlawful. He has also acted for Wild Justice fighting illegal wild bird shooting, John’s Campaign regarding Covid-19 care home visits and climate change activist Georgia Elliot-Smith in relation to the UK’s post-Brexit Emissions Trading Scheme. Often the threat of legal action is enough to make the Government change direction and on many occasions Wolfe’s presence has resulted in real change in the battles for climate and social justice. His work is increasingly strategic in nature as he manages ever-larger teams, and helps equip the next generation of barristers with the skills to carry on the fight.