Henrietta Hill

Henrietta Hill specialises in inquests, discrimination law, claims against the police and related public law work.

She has many years' experience representing the families of those who have died at the hands of state agents, in custody, or in other suspicious circumstances, and has appeared in several of the most high-profile inquests in recent years. These include the inquests into the deaths of Jean Charles de Menezes (details), Mikey Powell (who died after being run over and restrained by West Midlands Police officers) (details), Diana, Princess of Wales/Dodi Al Fayed, Harry Stanley (who was shot by Metropolitan Police officers when carrying home a table leg), and Ruddock and others (the second New Cross Fire inquest). She has a particular expertise in police shooting cases and has represented the families in several so-called "suicide-by-cop" cases. She has also appeared in many prison cases where it is alleged that the state has failed adequately to protect a vulnerable prisoner from the risk of self-harm. Most recently, she represented the family of Ian Tomlinson (who died after being struck by a Metropolitan Police officer at the G20 demonstrations in 2009) (details).

In addition, Henrietta regularly represents Claimants alleging sex, race, disability and other forms of discrimination in the workplace, often instructed by trade unions. She has been very involved in the successful race discrimination cases brought by former Gurkhas against the Army (Thapa v MoD and Budha v MoD) and frequently represents police officers alleging discrimination by their forces. She represented the Claimant in Lynford v Chief Constable of Sussex, a widely publicised sex discrimination claim brought by the only female officer in the Gatwick Airport firearms squad (details), in which the Claimant was awarded over £350,000 in damages (believed to be one of the largest awards made in a public sector discrimination case). She is also instructed in Bullock v Norfolk County Council (a test case seeking to establish "worker" status for foster carers).

She is also frequently instructed in cases of assault, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution and other causes of action against the police. She has particular expertise in bringing discrimination claims against the police, prisons and other public authorities and service providers, having authored Blackstone's Guide to the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, the Act which was the starting point for such claims. She is also experienced in bringing civil claims arising out of inquests, and for example, played a key role in settling the civil claim on behalf of the de Menezes family.

Henrietta's public law work arises out of her main practice areas. Recent examples include R (Mendys) v IPCC and others CO/1732/2009 (successfully challenging the failure of the Independent Police Complaint Commission to ensure that officers involved in allegedly assaulting and abusing a father and son faced disciplinary proceedings) and R (De Menezes) v Inner South London Coroner (the de Menezes family's challenge to the Coroner's refusal to leave an unlawful killing verdict to the jury).

She is also very experienced in mediations and round table settlements, and expects to be fully qualified as a mediator herself by mid-2011.

Henrietta is listed as a leading junior in police law, civil liberties, public and administrative law and employment law in Chambers and Partners 2011, which describe her as a "lauded expert" in her various fields, with "the sensitivity to handle difficult issues, and the judgement to know which points to run with and how to run with them". She was also recognised for her "practical advice and succinct presentation of complex matters" and described as a "friendly and approachable" barrister who "relates well to her clients". The 2010 directory described her as "fantastic on her feet, very tenacious, on the ball and extremely capable" and "a very switched-on advocate who is hugely cost-effective." She is also listed in the Legal 500 and Legal Experts directories.

Henrietta regularly writes and lectures in her specialist areas. She has co-authored Promoting Equality and Diversity: A Practitioner's Guide and three editions of The Study Guide to The Human Rights Act. She also has a wide international experience including several cases before the European Court of Human Rights (including some on behalf of Fair Trials Abroad) and Privy Council work (both civil and criminal), work with the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York and teaching/research in Colombia, Montenegro and Hong Kong. Henrietta is a former recipient of the Liberty/JUSTICE Peter Duffy Award (previously the Young Human Rights Lawyer of the Year Award).

Year of Call

1997

Education

* Emmanuel College, Cambridge University - BA (Hons) Law, 1st Class * Harvard Univ. - Herchel Smith Fellow * Pegasus Fellow (2001) - Center for Constitutional Rights, New York (sponsored by Inner Temple)

Email Address

h.hill@doughtystreet.co.uk

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Specialist Teams

Member :

• Actions Against the police
• Direct Public Access
• Employment and Discrimination
• Human Rights
• International Law Group
• Prisoner's Rights
• Public and Administrative Law