Public and Administrative Law Work
Detainee Inquiry
Instructed through the Treasury Solicitor on the inquiry chaired by Sir Peter Gibson, which was established to examine:
1. The extent to which Her Majesty's Government and the intelligence agencies in the aftermatch of 9/11 were involved in or were aware of the improper treatment or rendition of detainees held by other countries in counter-terrorism operations overseas;
2. The Government's policy in response to the developing awareness of the changing practices of other countries towawrds those detainees being held.
R v Al Rawi & Others (February 2010 to December 2010)
Instructed as junior counsel in the litigation between former Guantanamo Bay detainees and a number of Government departments. It was alleged that the Government was complicit in the detention, rendition and torture/mistreatment of the detainees.
Camp Breadbasket Litigation (November 2010)
Instructed by the Treasury Solicitors. The case involved five claims made against the Ministry of Defence of abuse at the hands of British soldiers. The alleged incident took place at an humanitarian aid centre situated in Basra, Southern Iraq in May 2003 where it is claimed by five Iraqi civilians that they were unlawfully detained and subjected to serious mistreatment.
Rosemary Nelson Inquiry (April 2005 - May 2011, Northern Ireland)
Instructed as junior counsel for the M.I.T. (Murder Investigation Team). The Inquiry’s terms of reference were: “To inquire into the death of Nelson with a view to determining whether any wrongful act or omission by or within the Royal Ulster Constabulary, Northern Ireland Office, Army or other state agency facilitated her death or obstructed the investigation of it, or whether attempts were made to do so; whether any such act or omission was intentional or negligent; whether the investigation of her death was carried out with due diligence; and to make recommendations.”
Re Colin Stagg (2008)
Assisting counsel to Ben Douglas-Jones in Colin Stagg’s claim for compensation from the Home Office. Stagg was awarded £706,000 in compensation for his wrongful arrest in the murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common.
Criminal work
R v Roach (2011)
Appeared for the defence on an appeal against conviction for an offence of theft. The appeal concerned the sufficiency of the trial judge's directions to the jury and in particular the lack of a Ghosh direction. The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and quashed the conviction.
London Borough of Enfield v English (2010)
Represented the local authority in an appeal against sentence before the Court of Appeal.
R v Begum & 4 Others (2010)
Section 18 GBH and section 47 ABH. Acted for the third defendant in proceedings which were stayed as an abuse of process.
R v Steer (2010)
Represented the defendant in a case involving knife throwing in which the defendant was charged with an offence of causing GBH with intent. Following arguments on disclosure the Crown offered no evidence.
R v Mohammed (2010)
Acted for the defendant in a case of threatening to take revenge, in which a formal acquittal was entered.
R v Benson (2009)
Residential robbery involving a vulnerable adult.
R v Inwood (2009)
Acted for the defendant at trial in a case of dangerous driving. The jury were directed to return a not guilty verdict at the close of the Crown’s case.
R v Rooney (2011)
Appeared on behalf of the local authority in a case of blackmail and fraud by a tradesman.
R v RC (2010)
Defence counsel in a case of serious sexual assault involving a fourteen year old defendant and six year old complainant.
R v IF (2010)
Defence counsel in a case involving a serious attack on a mental health nurse within a psychiatric hospital. Victoria particularly advised on issues of fitness to plead and fitness to stand trial.