We act in cases to ensure that the police, Home Office and other state authorities are held accountable for their conduct through all available avenues. These avenues include complaint schemes, judicial reviews, and civil claims for compensation, including claims arising out of the Human Rights Act and the Equality Act.
We act for individuals and groups who have been affected by the actions of the state. Examples of claims and cases we do include:
- Police law – complaints and civil claims, most commonly for wrongful arrest, assault, false imprisonment, malicious prosecutions and other unlawful actions. We also act for victims following failures of the police and justice system to investigate rape, sexual assault and domestic violence.
- Claims against the Home Office – claims arising in the immigration detention context, including assault, misfeasance and false imprisonment and the unlawful detention of children, torture victims and the mentally ill
- Claims against the Ministry of Justice – Miscarriages of justice and civil claims arising from assaults and misfeasance in prisons
- Claims against the government and intelligence services – challenging their complicity in torture and rendition
- Claims against Social Services – acting for those who were in care and subject to abuse and/or neglect
- Claims against the Crown Prosecution Service – public law challenges to failures of the CPS including failure to prosecute sexual offenders and perpetrators of domestic violence
- Judicial Reviews – We also act in challenging decisions of the state arising from all of the matters outlined above.
Who we are
Our team consists of 12 solicitors who have a broad range and depth of experience:
Solicitors
Irène Nembhard
Marcia Willis Stewart KC (Hon) EA Carol Thomas
Sarah Kellas
Ronald Graham
Rory Hearty
Elizabeth Forrester
Hazel Metcalfe
Paul Ham
Tara Mulcair
Ilaria Minucci
Constance Collard
Becky Sillis
Consultant Solicitors
Sarah McSherry
Kate Thomas
Paralegals
Aisha Bailey
Aneeka Shah
Ben Nakama
Ciara Dunphy
Emilia Barter
Grace Kneafsey
Matthew Barbier Cox
Richard Carruthers
Funding
Where no legal aid is available, we offer competitive rates, we will always discuss our charges with you at the outset of your case.
New enquiries
We receive new enquiries online only. In exceptional cases, we take enquiries over the telephone on Thursdays between 11am and 12pm.
Prospective clients are asked to complete the form below in order that we can understand your potential case, what you hope to achieve and whether we can assist you. If we require further information in order to consider your enquiry, a member of the team will contact you.
If you are unable to submit the form below, please send a brief email which includes your answers to the below questions, to civilenq@birnbergpeirce.co.uk.
The areas of law this team specialises in are detailed above. We are not able to respond to new enquiries relating to areas of law outside of our expertise.
Please ensure you are contacting the correct department within the firm.
If your enquiry relates to an area of law this firm does not specialise in, for example Employment, Housing, Family, Commercial, or Clinical Negligence (list is non-exhaustive), please visit the Law Society’s Find A Solicitor service.