Featured in The Lawyer: Tree Law’s story
Today marks a milestone for Tree Law as The Lawyer magazine published a full feature on our journey, highlighting how we became the UK’s first and only dedicated tree law firm. The article, written by Jessica Boak, shines a spotlight not just on our work but also on the growing importance of trees in legal, […]
Crown Court Confirms Liability for Felling TPO Trees in Wales
Tree Law is proud to have represented Newport City Council in a landmark prosecution that has provided vital clarity for planning authorities across Wales. On 22 August 2025, Newport Crown Court dismissed Mrs Claire Rands’ appeal and upheld her conviction for the unlawful felling of a lime tree protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). […]
Social Landlords: managing trees and damage caused by trees
Trees are part of the character of many housing estates. They improve air quality, provide shade, and contribute to residents’ wellbeing. Yet for social landlords, trees also carry one of the most difficult and costly risks: tree root subsidence. Subsidence occurs when soil beneath a property shrinks, usually in clay-rich ground, leading to movement in […]
Architects: Top tree law issues
Trees enrich the urban environment, provide habitat and soften the hard edges of our built landscape, but they also bring legal responsibilities and constraints that every architect should understand. Designing around existing trees often means navigating a complex web of planning laws, ownership rights and liabilities. This article introduces the main tree‑related legal issues that […]
Homeowners: What is tree root subsidence damage?
When cracks begin to snake across internal plaster or creeping jagged fissures appear in brickwork, homeowners often fear subsidence. In the UK, this anxiety is heightened during long dry summers when clay soils shrink. One of the culprits frequently blamed is the humble tree. Mature trees provide shade, wildlife habitat and curb appeal, yet their […]
‘Trees need a new law for protection’
Sarah Dodd spoke to Greatest Hits Radio about the recent case in Exmouth, where a family’s fight to save a historic tree has sparked calls for legal reform. You can read the full story here.
Sycamore Gap: the tree that broke Britain’s heart
Sarah reflects on the nation’s heartbreak over the loss of Sycamore Gap with My London. Click here to read the full article
Sycamore Gap: was justice served?
The sentencing of the two men responsible for felling the Sycamore Gap tree — Daniel Graham and Adam Caruthers — has sparked an extraordinary conversation not just in the UK but across the globe. As the dust settles on their custodial sentences of four years and three months, many of us are left reflecting: what […]
Sycamore Gap sentencing: speaking on Radio 5
Sarah appeared on a panel discussion on Radio 5 with Nicky Campbell on the morning before the sentencing hearing. You can listen to the show here
Tree valuation: what have the civil & criminal courts said?
Valuing Trees in the Eyes of the Law: Lessons from Key Tree Damage Cases Before the sentencing is handed down in the Sycamore Gap case next week I have reflected on how damage to trees has been valued in past UK Court decisions. This is across both the civil, criminal and tribunal court. When trees […]
