Police Law (claimant)

Leading Silks

Nicholas Bowen KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘He is at the forefront of the development of the law in this area. He is inventive, thinks outside the box and identifies points of law worthy of the Supreme Court in cases which other barristers would assume were hopeless.'

Phillippa Kaufmann KC – Matrix Chambers

Hugh Southey KC – Matrix Chambers

Jude Bunting KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Jude is a genuine pleasure to work with, hugely enthusiastic and always eager for a new challenge, including in new and untested areas. His client care is excellent. He is razor sharp and intelligent. He somehow manages to get everyone in the courtroom onside, even with the most tricky of defendants and judges. He is an excellent advocate, confident, assured and compelling in his arguments.’

Fiona Murphy KC – Doughty Street Chambers

Stephen Simblet KC – Garden Court Chambers ‘Stephen is a distinguished barrister known for his down-to-earth approach and exceptional expertise in malicious prosecution cases. He is the go-to in this area.’

Leslie Thomas KC – Garden Court Chambers 'Leslie is exceptional. He is very good at finding a way in difficult cases. He is very down-to-earth and good with clients. His strategic and tactical advice is second to none. His court advocacy is excellent, and juries love him. He is not afraid to try in the more difficult cases.'

Jamie Burton KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Jamie is forensic in his approach to detail. He is hugely knowledgeable, yet always open to considering new ideas or to looking at things from a different perspective. He is particularly good with vulnerable clients. He is an excellent and experienced advocate and a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom.'

Stephen Cragg KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Amongst the best of his generation and a real appetite for achieving solutions for clients. excellent judgement and an ability to really persuade in his submissions.'

Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC – Doughty Street Chambers

Anthony Metzer KC – Goldsmith Chambers ‘Very thorough, very personable and very professional in his written advice. Gave good, understandable advice in murky factual circumstances.'

Matthew Ryder KC – Matrix Chambers

Maya Sikand KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Maya is hugely detailed and thorough in her legal analysis and advice, and her advice is always robust and authoritative. She never seems to miss a detail. She is a powerful advocate, making compelling arguments, while displaying gentleness and empathy to clients when out of the courtroom.'

Adam Straw KC – Doughty Street Chambers

Leading Juniors

Nick Brown – Doughty Street Chambers 'Nick is careful, thorough and very well prepared. His advocacy is considered and incisive. His advice is always excellent, and he is great with clients.'

Raj Desai – Matrix Chambers

Sarah Hemingway – Garden Court Chambers 'A brilliant, conscientious and dedicated barrister. Always fights hard for her clients and examines all the issues. Now one of the leading counsel in police law with extensive trial and appeal experience.'

David Lemer – Doughty Street Chambers 'David is a go-to junior in actions against the police. Very user-friendly and gets to the heart of the issues quickly. A great drafter and a persuasive advocate.'

Ifeanyi Odogwu – Matrix Chambers ‘Ifeanyi is a star in police law cases, especially cases arising from deaths in custody. He is simply wonderful with clients, and his courtroom advocacy and cross-examination are well beyond his years of call. He is clear, effective, and jurors love him.’

Nick Stanage – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Nick Stanage is a brilliant advocate - great with clients, expert on the law, and accessible. Killer cross-examinations.'

Tom Stoate – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Tom is very knowledgeable on human rights law and he applies this knowledge well in his practical and helpful advice. His written work is superb and of extremely high quality.'

Jodie Blackstock – Garden Court Chambers 'Jodie is an extremely competent, skilful and experienced advocate and advisor in civil actions against the police.'

Stephen Clark – Garden Court Chambers 'Stephen is genuinely passionate about racial justice and consequently is a fierce and effective advocate for bereaved families.'

Adam Clemens – 7BR

Emma Favata – Garden Court Chambers 'Emma is a strong advocate and puts tough questions to witnesses on behalf of her clients. Emma is well-versed in police law - she knows the legal and policy landscape that governs police cases like the back of her hand.'

Alison Seaman – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Alison is incredibly bright, forensically detailed and thorough in her approach, leaving no stone unturned in her legal analysis. She is extremely empathetic to clients and really insightful in terms of the impact of the experiences they have been through. She is an impressive advocate, calm and understated yet confident and compelling in the arguments she makes.'

Sam Jacobs – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Sam's strengths lie in his deep legal expertise, strategic litigation approach, and unwavering commitment to social justice. He is a go-to barrister in civil claims against the police. His advocacy is characterised by thorough preparation, clear legal reasoning and persuasive presentation.'

Helen Law –Matrix Chambers ‘A hugely experienced junior, particularly in relation to cases concerning failures to investigate and prosecute rape and serious sexual offences. Helen is super bright, responsive and collaborative. She can slice through complexity and get to the heart of the case. Gives clear, practical advice.'

Una Morris – Garden Court Chambers 'Una has encyclopedic knowledge when it comes to claims against the police. She is tactical and knows how best to put across her client's case strongly. She has definitely established herself as an expert in this field.'

Jesse Nicholls – Matrix Chambers 'Able to cut through evidence on complex cases to identify key issues and advise clearly in writing and orally, very good with clients and very good written work'

Angela Patrick – Doughty Street Chambers

Frederick Powell – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Frederick has an incredible eye for detail and leaves no stone unturned. He is very quick to respond and can turn around very complex and detailed pleadings in an impressively short amount of time.’

Patrick Roche – Garden Court Chambers

Rajeev Thacker - Garden Court Chambers

Matthew Turner – Doughty Street Chambers 'He is one of the best, if not the best, new junior. Highly compassionate and adaptable to solicitor, client, judge, and opponent. A very persuasive and charming advocate. Passionate about the work and the outcomes. Excellent written work and always prepared.'

Pippa Woodrow – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Pippa's input on cases is invaluable - she has a great eye for detail and her strategic thinking is second to none.'

Rising Stars

Tim-James Matthews – Matrix Chambers ‘Fantastic all-round knowledge and excellent drafting skills. His ability to prepare persuasive and skilled submissions is valued by all who instruct him.'

Rosalind Comyn - Matrix Chambers

Police law (claimant) in London Bar

Tier 1 sets

Doughty Street Chambers

Doughty Street Chambers is lauded for its wealth of experience in high-profile police law matters, with the set’s repertoire including the interaction of the police and media law, the use of automatic facial recognition technology, and claims for damages against forces. Jude Bunting KC was instructed by the national media, including Sky News and the BBC, in the trial of a police officer (who was ultimately acquitted) for the murder of Chris Kaba, a musician and organised crime figure who was shot dead by armed police, regarding the shooting officer’s application for anonymity as well as reporting restrictions to prohibit reporting of Kaba’s criminal activity. Nick Stanage is instructed to pursue claims arising from thousands of WhatsApp and Facebook messages alleged to show Gwent Police officers openly discussing the sexual harassment of junior female colleagues, racism, the leaking of sensitive police material, and corruption.

Les références

‘Counsel’s clerk was always keen to assist during the course of the instruction, and the Chambers as a whole is impressive.’

‘The set continues to have a leading reputation in acting for claimants in cases involving the police and other public authorities.’

‘Great set, always the first we go to for police actions and inquests.’

Principaux dossiers

Tier 2 sets

Garden Court Chambers

With a focus on representing vulnerable and marginalised clients, Garden Court Chambers is recommended for expertise in a variety of police law cases, including those related to false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and failure to investigate. Stephen Simblet KC was instructed in R (Smith) v Secretary of State for Home Department, a judicial review challenge to police powers to eject traveller encampments. Jodie Blackstock acts in a claim against the Chief Constable of Lancashire Constabulary, arising for failure to investigate a reported rape for over a year and then delayed referral to the CPS for a charging decision. Stephen Clark represented a claimant in a case of negligence, arguing that the police breached a duty of care to prevent the abduction of the claimant’s child to Brazil by his partner.

Les références

‘The clerks are attentive and good.’

‘The clerks are helpful and respond quickly to enquiries.’

‘GC are an excellent chambers in relation to police actions and other civil liberties work’

Principaux dossiers

Matrix Chambers

Matrix Chambers excels across the full spectrum of police claimant work, with clients benefitting from the set’s in-depth knowledge of related areas of law, including criminal, public, media, and information law. Phillippa Kaufmann KC is a port of call for civil claims against violent police, while Raj Desai's focus areas include state culpability for deaths with discrimination elements. Ifeanyi Odogwu‘s workload includes an instruction regarding the police use of a Taser on a mentally ill man on Westminster Bridge. Jesse Nicholls is representing the family of a man shot and killed by police firearm officers in West London in 2021, after reportedly being seen entering a bank and a betting shop with a firearm.

Les références

‘Matrix has strong junior counsel. The clerks are nice and helpful.’

‘Matrix has top-tier barristers, particularly in police law.’

‘Matrix Chambers is a go-to set for police law claims, including inquests and complex public and private law claims against the state.’

Classements par PratiqueLondon Bar