Zia Nabi, David Rhodes and Associate Tenant Ruth Brander Appointed as Recorders
Doughty Street Chambers is delighted to announce that Zia Nabi, David Rhodes and Associate Tenant Ruth Brander have been appointed as Recorders, sitting on the South Eastern Circuit (Family & Crime).
The Lord Chief Justice has deployed Zia Nabi to the South Eastern Circuit for the jurisdiction of family and David Rhodes and Ruth Brander to the South Eastern Circuit for the jurisdiction of crime.
The appointments will take effect on 30 May 2023.
Zia is the joint head of the Housing and Social Welfare Team. He is a very experienced public and civil lawyer specialising in judicial review, statutory appeals, community care, children and the Court of Protection. He also sits as a deputy district judge and as a legally qualified chair on the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service. Read his full profile here.
David is a versatile advocate who deliberately maintains an eclectic and diverse practice. Recent instructions range from heavyweight allegations of homicide, serious violence and organised crime, to cases of rape and ‘historical’ sexual offences requiring a delicate touch, to esoteric and intellectually challenging fraud work.
In addition to criminal trials, David advises on and conducts fresh criminal appeals and is a contributor to the leading textbook, Taylor on Criminal Appeals (OUP 2023).
David also has expertise in crime-related public law, extradition, courts martial, actions against the police and inquests. Read his full profile here.
Ruth is an Associate Tenant at Doughty Street. Her background is in civil actions against the police, public law, prisoners' rights, inquests and international and constitutional law. She has a particular interest in the rights of protestors and of vulnerable, young or mentally disordered detainees. She has extensive experience of representing bereaved families at inquests and in civil proceedings.
Between 2016-2021, Ruth represented the non-police, non-state core participants in the Public Inquiry into Undercover Policing. Her Supreme Court work includes DSD & NVB v Metropolitan Police Commissioner, a claim brought by two of the victims of the serial rapist John Worboys, the former black cab driver; and R (Hicks) v Metropolitan Police Commissioner concerning the lawfulness of police powers to preventatively detain individuals in connection with anticipated breaches of the peace. She acted for the claimant in the judicial review that led to the establishment of the independent review into the self-inflicted deaths of 18-24 year olds in custody. She has acted for the Death Penalty Project and the Human Dignity Trust. She provides consultancy work to the Centre for Women’s Justice. Read her full profile here.
