Barrister Profile
JAMES HUGH CARSON
Year of Call: 2022
Main Areas of Practice
Coroners or Inquests
Criminal Law
Family Law
Immigration
Biography
James Carson was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2022, completing his pupillage under a leading civil practitioner.
He specialises in Criminal and Family Law and has experience across all levels of practice. James regularly appears in complex matters before the High Court, Crown Court, and Family Care Centre. An experienced trial advocate, he has acted in high-profile criminal cases and is noted for providing responsible advocacy on challenging points of criminal law. In Family Law, James has appeared in High Court and Family Care Centre proceedings on behalf of the Court Children’s Guardian and parents in cases involving care orders, adoption, and the Hague Convention.
Alongside his practice, James is an internationally recognised legal researcher. He was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Memorial Scholarship to study comparative constitutional law at Indiana University, Bloomington, and a Hardiman Scholarship from the University of Galway to research disability law and policy in Northern Ireland. His doctoral research has given him particular expertise on the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 and the Mental Capacity (Northern Ireland) Act 2016. He has advised extensively on proceedings before the Review Tribunal, representing both individual clients and Government Departments.
Before coming to the Bar, James worked for Robin Swann MLA during his tenure as Minister of Health in the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience provided him with detailed insight into the operation of public services in Northern Ireland, which now informs his advisory work in public law proceedings and strategic litigation.
Qualifications
2019 - LL.B Law with Politics, Queen’s University Belfast
2021 - LL.M Law, The University of Indiana Bloomington/Queen’s University Belfast
2022 - PG(Dip) Professional Legal Studies, The Institute of Professional Legal Studies
2025 - PhD, Disability Law and Policy, University of Galway