INQUEST benefit night

Doughty Street Chambers is delighted to sponsor a benefit performance in support of INQUEST of a production inspired by the life and tragic death of Mischa Niering who died following a police pursuit ►►

Family can sue over fatal shooting

The House of Lords has ruled that the family (represented by Keir Starmer QC and Richard Hermer) of a man shot dead during a police raid can sue Sussex police. ►►

Spain drops bid to extradite freed Guantanamo Bay prisoners

Spain has dropped its bid to extradite on terrorism charges two British residents (represented by Edward Fitzgerald QC and Ben Cooper) freed from Guantanamo Bay in December. ►►

New tenant - Judith Farbey

We are delighted to welcome Judith Farbey, formerly of Tooks Chambers, as a new tenant at Doughty Street. As well as being one of the leading juniors at the immigration bar, she will be also welcomed by the prisoners' rights and extradition teams for her work in these areas.

Appeal Court Blocks Deportations to Libya and Jordan

Edward Fitzgerald QC, instructed by Birnberg Peirce solicitors and TRP solicitors, has won two appeals of decisions from the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC). ►►

Administrative Court takes action on delays

The Public Law Project chaired by Stephen Cragg has welcomed the recent announcement by the Administrative Court that it intends to take action on the unacceptable level of delays currently occurring in the Court regarding the listing and hearing of public law cases. ►►

Challenge to PCT's failure to protect life, welfare and dignity

On Monday 7 April 2008 Ian Wise and Caoilfhionn Gallagher, instructed by Yogi Amin of Irwin Mitchell, took the case of a severely disabled quadriplegic woman who has become a prisoner in her Birmingham home to the Court of Appeal. ►►

ECHR deliberates retention of DNA

The European Court of Human Rights has heard argument on whether the State should be allowed to retain fingerprints and DNA samples of the accused and use them for the purpose of detecting crime - read article in Times Online. Stephen Cragg argued for the applicants. ►►

Training in Rwanda

On 13 and 14 March 2008, John Jones will be training members of the Rwandan judiciary in international criminal and humanitarian law and practice at a seminar in Kigali, Rwanda. ►►

OSCE Counter Terrorism and Human Rights manual launched

Protecting human rights in the fight against terrorism is the focus of a new manual written by Jonathan Cooper OBE of Doughty Street Chambers on behalf of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented in Vienna on 21 February. ►►

Media gains right of access to judicial review "defences"

The media has established a right of access to defences in judicial review claims in an important case on access to court documents brought by the FT, Guardian News and Media and Times Newspapers Limited. The media applicants were represented by Andrew Nicol QC and Guy Vassall-Adams. ►►

Raissi completely exonerated

The Court of Appeal has said the words that Lotfi Raissi (represented by Edward Fitzgerald QC and Stephen Cragg) has waited six years to hear. The strongly worded judgement said "he has been completely exonerated" of the allegations of terrorism. ►►

Potential victim of violent crime entitled to duty of care

The Court of Appeal has ruled that that the police owed a duty of care to a potential victim of violent crime (represented by Heather Williams QC) to take reasonable steps to prevent a foreseeable attack by an identified perpetrator. ►►

NHS faces unlawful killing (corporate manslaughter) verdict

An inquest jury has ruled that a new mother, Mayra Carbera, (represented by Gerwyn Samuel) mistakenly given a fatal dose of anaesthetic was unlawfully killed and her case will now be re-examined by the CPS. ►►

Thousands able to sue for false imprisonment

The Court of Appeal has ruled that a 16-year old offender, represented by Stephen Cragg, was unlawfully detained. ►►

Butterworth's New Law Guide: Mental Capacity Act 2005

The Butterworth's New Law Guide: Mental Capacity Act 2005 has been written by : Aswini Weereratne, Ulele Burnham, Sally Hatfield and Alison Gerry and is to be published on 26th March 2008. ►►

Blackstone's Guide to the Mental Health Act 2007

Blackstone's Guide to the Mental Health Act 2007, written by Paul Bowen, has just been published by OUP. ►►

Under New Management

Following the departure of Peter Thornton QC to be Senior Circuit Judge and an internal reorganisation, we are delighted to announce the election of the following members to senior posts within Chambers:
Joint Head of Chambers - Keir Starmer QC (together with Geoffrey Robertson QC)
Deputy Head of Chambers (Management Committee) - Gavin Millar QC
Deputy Head of Chambers (Barristers' Forum) - Heather Williams QC

Chambers & Partners 2008 rankings

Doughty Street Chambers continues to score highly in the Chambers & Partners 2008 with rankings in eleven categories (including two first and six second rankings). ►►

Peter Thornton QC appointed Senior Circuit Judge

Doughty Street Chambers is delighted to announce the appointment of Peter Thornton QC as a Senior Circuit Judge to sit at the Central Criminal Court (the Old Bailey). ►►

Control orders breach human rights

The House of Lords has declared that key aspects of the system of control orders imposed on terrorism suspects breach human rights standards. Doughty Street Chambers barristers Edward Fitzgerald QC and Keir Starmer QC represented HH and NN in JJ and others, and Kate Markus (with Tim Owen QC and Ali Bajwa) represented MB in the cases. ►►

Keir Starmer QC is Human Rights Silk of the Year

Doughty Street Chambers is delighted to announce that Keir Starmer QC was honoured with the Chambers & Partners Silk of the Year award for Human Rights & Public Law at its annual awards ceremony on 4th October. ►►

Media Team advertorial in The Guardian

The Guardian published an advertorial on Doughty Street's Media and Defamation Team in its Media Law supplement on 17th September read ►►