Police Law: Mainly Claimant: All Circuits

THE SET Doughty Street Chambers is the dominant police law set in what is a limited field. It houses the majority of the most able practitioners and has great strength in depth. "All of their barristers can be relied upon to know the area of law very well," and appear in cases all the way up to Supreme Court. Members cover the whole range of actions against the police, from judicial reviews to civil claims and benefit from the support of a fine clerking team that engages in "first-class communication" with instructing solicitors.

SILKS Heather Williams QC is armed with an "incredible intellect," is "analytically brilliant," and has "all the advantages of a senior barrister without any of the pomposity others bring to the role." "A fantastic team player," she is praised for her "ability to explain complex legal issues and strategic points to clients." Williams commands the respect of opponents who say she "drives me mad sometimes because her arguments are so comprehensive." Frequently involved in some of the leading cases in the field, she has recently successfully represented a severely disabled young man who was arrested during a school trip. The County Court found in favour of the claimant, who had suffered breaches of Articles 3, 5 and 8 ECHR.

The "phenomenally intelligent" Phillippa Kaufmann QC shoots up the rankings this year due to exceptional feedback from market sources. "Extremely committed" to her clients, she is sensational both before and during a trial because she is able to "bring an incisive analysis to every case she considers." "A real joy to work with" she was involved in the last stages of Austin v United Kingdom, one of the first cases examining the legality of kettling. The case reached the ECHR which found that the claimant's Article 5 ECHR had not been infringed by the police.

Fellow silk Patrick O'Connor QC is praised for being "extremely bright." He has been involved in a large number of appeals concerning miscarriages of justice and is also noted for his work in inquiries. Sources say that he is "impressive at cross-examinations."

Hitherto Nicholas Bowen QC was known in the main for his work in education law, an area in which he still reigns supreme. Over time he has developed his practice, however, and he now handles a wide range of public law matters, police law cases amongst them. His recent cases include Michael v South Wales & Gwent Police, and Lynch v Warwickshire Police.

Paul Bowen QC was described to researchers as "a Renaissance man of public law, human rights and civil liberties work." He has worked on numerous cases of police accountability, many of which have contributed to the development of the law in this area. Examples of his work include Diedrick v The Chief Constable of Hampshire Constabulary & Others, and R (T) v Metropolitan Police Service, which concerned the collection and retention of confidential 'warning notice' data under the Human Rights Act and the Data Protection Act. 

Leader of the police team, Stephen Cragg QC "has a wealth of experience" and is an "excellent police action lawyer." Widely admired for his "impressive case analysis and attention to detail" he is "formidable when handling judicial reviews." He recently acted in GC v Metropolitan Police Commissioner in the Supreme Court as leader, a case which found that the current policy regarding retention of DNA samples and fingerprints was unlawful.  

JUNIORS The "very impressive" Henrietta Hill displays "forensic attention to detail" and brings a "creative and detailed approach to new and challenging cases." "Extremely experienced," she is "confidence-inspiring," "meticulous and approachable." She was involved in Lynford v Chief Constable of Sussex Police in which she successfully claimed sex discrimination for a police officer which resulted in a very substantial payout. She then successfully defended the award in the EAT.

"Extremely bright and innovative," Ruth Brander is  "very thorough and very good with clients." Noted for her "fantastic attention to detail," she is also "impressive in her advocacy," and is well known for her work defending protesters rights. She is involved in the High Court hearing which will examine the legality of the pre-emptive arrest and detention of 15 people on the day of the royal wedding.

The "very competent" Alison Gerry has a particular specialism in defending prisoners rights. Sources say "she's not afraid to put emotion into a case, but in a balanced way. She gets the message across without being confrontational."

"Personable and enthusiastic," Nick Stanage is "a very charming lawyer." Particularly lauded for his exceptional analysis and his "first-rate advice, he is further appreciated for the fact that he is "not a head-banging advocate like some lawyers, but very smooth and the more effective for it." "Never one to move away from a difficult case," he has been involved with a long-standing group claim for damages concerning breaches of Article 10 and 11 ECHR.

Nick Brown has "plentiful experience of handling inquests" and displays "phenomenal attention to detail in his case analysis." He is "very forward thinking, and is good at anticipating issues that might arise." Noted for his "practical mind," Brown is able to "go straight to the main issues," and once in court he proves "thorough and relentless in his cross-examination."

THE SET Garden Court offers "some very impressive barristers with a broad range of skills" who are all "dedicated to their work." The set has extensive experience of handling actions against the police and other detaining authorities, and is well known for its work on inquests and judicial reviews. Sources further praise it for having "fantastic" clerks who are "quick to deal with queries" and "always willing to help." One interviewee commented: "You can feel the personal touch there when the clerks get to know you by name and always greet you with a friendly hello."

JUNIORS Promoted to star junior, Leslie Thomas is a "dyed in the wool claimant barrister" whose performances are "equal or above those of QCs in practising in the field." One peer notes that he is "relentless in front a jury" and say that he is an "excellent cross-examiner," and "one of the best advocates I've ever seen." Recently, he has been involved with the proposed inquest into the death of Mark Duggan, whose death precipitated the Tottenham riots in 2011 that eventually spread through the country.

Stephen Simblet "is first class when it comes to the more technical side of arguments," say sources. "Extremely bright and motivated by complex legal points," he has been involved in some "real key judicial reviews." Recently, he has brought a successful claim against the police for false imprisonment, malicious prosecution and assault, which resulted in substantial damages for his client.

Making waves in this sector, Anna Morris is "one of the up-and-coming lawyers and is experienced and insightful beyond her years. She has an "impressive breadth of knowledge and huge commitment to cases" and is also "very diligent, exceptionally clever" and has "a great eye for detail and real commitment to her clients." "Fantastic on her feet" and "really robust" in her approach, she "builds a very good rapport with clients" and "is sensitive to the families needs and shows that she is there to fight in their corner."

Sarah Hemingway "is at the top of her game" and "impresses with her advocacy." Noted for her ability to dig through a huge amount of written work in a short time she is celebrated by those that use her for being "a thoughtful barrister, with a human touch." "Tenacious" in her approach, she has represented a number of claimants in civil actions against the police, and recently tackled an interesting case challenging the reasonableness of stop and search decisions.

Colin Hutchinson has a "lovely down-to-earth manner," "builds excellent relationships with our clients" and is a also a "brilliant advocate in court." He was involved with the inquest into the death of Keith Richards, who was killed by police when he fired a series of crossbow bolts.

Deirdre Malone is "able to work quickly and efficiently," can build "brilliant relationships" with clients, and "does well in the more complex inquests." She advises on a broad range of actions against the police including false imprisonment, misfeasance and claims under the Human Rights Act.

THE SET This stellar set is particularly noted for the quality and number of silks it has, who undertake actions against the police at the highest level. "Dedicated and clever," the members of this set are particularly noted for their creativity and for pursuing "interesting arguments of law" - "they bring a large number of claims against police forces where they are pushing the envelope."

SILKS Hugh Tomlinson QC is a barrister in his prime who "knows his stuff inside out." Opposing counsel are quick to concede that he is a "first-class" performer. Recently, he has successfully acted for a former policeman in claims of misfeasance in public office and future loss of earnings against his old employers, Cleveland Police.  

Tim Owen QC is "one of the leading civil liberties silks" and "is just absolutely fantastic when it comes to dealing with complex parts of the law." Solicitors say: "If I want a really good silk for actions against the police, the first that comes to mind is Tim Owen." Recently, he acted for Christopher Jefferies, the former landlord of Jo Yeates, regarding his claim against the police for false imprisonment and trespass. 

"Fantastic advocate" Matthew Ryder QC is "never ruffled in court," and presents as "an extremely cool performer who is a real fighter." Solicitors like him as he is "a great communicator," who "explains legal arguments in such a way that, whoever you are, you comprehend them." Inside the courtroom he is "devastating in cross-examination" and has "all the tools he needs to tackle anyone who gets put in front of him." He led in the recent Ian Tomlinson case, and also led on the successful criminal appeals of 20 environmental protesters who had been infiltrated by police spy Mark Kennedy.

New silk James Laddie QC is a leading police action lawyer, who also acts for officers who have been arrested or prosecuted. Specialising in claims with a discrimination aspect, he recently represented a retired business man who was pursued by police in a lengthy car chase that culminated in an officer smashing the businessman's car window.

JUNIORS The "incredibly reliable and bright" Alison Macdonald is "a standout performer" who is "open and accessible to her clients." She is noted for having "a powerful and logical brain, which she applies when weighing ideas up very carefully." "Fantastic with solicitors," she "works very well as part of a team," and is "more than happy to get involved with the nitty-gritty evidential assessment." Of late, Macdonald has acted for the family of Ian Tomlinson who died at the G20 protest in a hearing that concluded that he was unlawfully killed, which led to an officer being charged with manslaughter.

Helen Law is noted for her "very good work" and for the fact that she picks up on "interesting points of law." She was recently led before the Supreme Court in GC & C v Metropolitan Police Commissioner, a case regarding the lawfulness of the policy of retaining all samples of DNA from arrested persons regardless of guilt.

THE SET Filled to the brim with "fantastic barristers," this set is lauded for its strong practice representing claimants against the police. Cases handled concern unlawful detention, malicious prosecution, racial discrimination and human rights breaches, as well as judicial reviews. 

SILKS The "excellent" Hugh Southey QC "is a very scholarly lawyer" who "knows human rights back to front." He is frequently involved with trials that question the powers of the police, and recently acted in a case examining the compatibility of Articles 8 and 14 with regards to robbery stop and search provisions in the context of knife crime.

JUNIORS Joint head of chambers Patrick Roche is "very approachable and thorough," and has an extensive appellate practice. Recently, he has been involved with a number of challenges relating to false imprisonment, including one where he represented two soldiers against the Ministry of Defence.

Jude Bunting has been making an impression in the market. Sources agree that he is "definitely one to watch" and say that "he will rise to the top phenomenally quickly." Lauded for his "absolutely tremendous advice and great attention to detail" he is a "very approachable" figure who is "very easy to work with."

The "incredibly brainy and clever"  Adam Straw  is "very much in demand" because he "knows his stuff," he "pushes the boundaries" and "he picks his points carefully and with skill." This "very charming and very good lawyer" is currently representing Mark Duggan's family in the pending inquest into his death.