Doughty Street Chambers Recruits Manchester Housing Experts

Doughty Street Chambers is pleased to announce that Alex Durance and John Hobson have joined us from Garden Court North Chambers. Both of these well established and highly regarded practitioners will operate principally from our Manchester office, working mainly with our Housing & Social Welfare Team. ►►

Abuse of Process Appeal Allowed in the Court of Appeal of Hong Kong

Edward Fitzgerald QC appeared in the Court of Appeal of Hong Kong, representing Mr Wong in the case of Wong v The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The appeal of Mr Wong was allowed on the basis that the listening into a privileged conversation of one of the defendants by the ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) constitutes the abuse of process and justified the stay of the proceedings.

Tim Otty QC joins Doughty Street Chambers

Doughty Street Chambers is delighted to announce that, with effect from 1st February 2010, Tim Otty QC will be a member of Chambers. ►►

Ex TalkSport presenter wins right to Ofcom challenge

Former TalkSport presenter, Jon Gaunt (represented by Gavin Millar QC and Mark Henderson instructed by Howe & Co.), has won the right to a judicial review of the decision by media regulator Ofcom finding him in breach of the Broadcasting Code for remarks made on air.►►

Ex IRA prisoner acquitted of conspiracy to blackmail

Ex IRA prisoner, Ronnie McCartney (represented by James Wood QC and Steven Powles) who served 20 years in prison between 1976 and 1996 for shooting at police when being part of an IRA unit has been acquitted of conspiracy to blackmail ►►

Right to anonymity for terror suspects denied

The UK Supreme Court has ruled that orders for the anonymity of terror suspects subject to asset-freezing be recalled in one of the first cases to be heard at the newly instituted court in which the media were represented by Geoffrey Robertson QC and Anthony Hudson ►►

Right to legal representation at disciplinary hearing reaffirmed

The Appeal Court has upheld the right of a school employee (represented by Paul Draycott) facing allegations of sexual misconduct to legal representation at disciplinary hearings ►►

First no-jury criminal trial for 350 years

Four defendants including Glen Cameron (represented by Kirsty Brimelow and Benjamin Newton) have appeared in court in the first juryless crown-court trial to be held in England & Wales for over 350 years ►►

Gary McKinnon granted judicial review

On the basis of new medical evidence, Gary McKinnon (represented by Edward Fitzgerald QC and Ben Cooper) has been granted permission for a Judicial Review of the Home Secretary's decision not to halt McKinnon's extradition to the US ►►

Control order revoked

Libyan national Faraj Faraj Hassan Al-Saadi (represented by John RWD Jones as junior counsel) who has been under restriction for the past 6 years in the U.K. on terrorism charges has won his long court battle to have his control order revoked (BAILII report read). John RWD Jones had previously successfully represented him in a joint case before the European Court of Justice, in which Simon Cox appeared for the other client, Chafiq Ayadi (judgment read). ►►

Jean Charles de Menezes memorial unveiled at Stockwell Tube Station

A permanent memorial outside Stockwell Tube station will be unveiled on 7th January 2010 to remember JEAN CHARLES DE MENEZES, the innocent man shot dead by police in 2005. (Henrietta Hill represented the family at the inquest into the death of Mr. de Menezes).

Jury find police restraint killed Mikey Powell - damning narrative verdict

The jury at the inquest into the controversial death in police custody in 2003 of Michael Lloyd Powell (known as Mikey) have returned a damning narrative verdict and found that the way that he was restrained resulted in his death from positional asphyxia. Henrietta Hill represented the Powell family. ►► - for more on 'narrative verdicts' in The Guardian read

Liberty/JUSTICE Human Rights Award for Gurkha Justice Campaign

The Gurkha Justice Campaign has won the annual Liberty/JUSTICE Human Rights Award for 2009 at a ceremony in London on 10th December 2009. The award was collected by a group of Gurkhas featuring two of the world's seven surviving Victoria Cross holders and their legal team including Doughty Street barristers Edward Fitzgerald QC and Mark Henderson ►►

"Anything but relaxed"

The non-traditional ethos of life at Doughty Street Chambers is described in a recent blog in The Lawyer read

'The Future of Human Rights in The UK' debate in memory of Sir Henry Hodge

To help raise money for Leukaemia Research and in memory of Sir Henry Hodge (founding member of Hodge Jones & Allen solicitors, Doughty Street held a debate between Dominic Grieve MP, Shadow Justice Secretary and Lord Falconer of Thoroton - Times Online read