Human Rights & Judicial Review

Upholding human rights is the core work of Hickman & Rose’s civil litigation team. One of the ways the firm achieves this is by making innovative use of public law remedies to hold decision makers in public bodies to account. 

Led by Daniel Machover, who is described as a ‘renowned human rights practitioner’ by the Chambers & Partners legal directory, the team has particular expertise acting in cases relating to State abuse of power.

The firm’s civil team are leading experts addressing some of the most serious abuses by police and other detaining authorities, including the use of force and arrest and decision making in the police station. Clients are victims, suspects and detainees from all walks of life, including professionals who have not previously been involved with the police until their rights have been breached.

The firm regularly assists clients in quashing police cautions, deleting data improperly retained by the police and others and preventing the unnecessary disclosure of harmful information. The firm also specialises in data law and in freedom of information including securing access to files held by The National Archives.

The team regularly represents bereaved families whose loved ones died following interaction with a state body, and who seek answers and, if appropriate, compensation.

Another core area of expertise is achieving legal remedies for people who have been ill-treated in prison or immigration detention. This can include prisoner-on-prisoner violence and sexual abuse, false imprisonment, and assaults or discrimination by prison staff. The team also specialise in actions against the police and securing statutory compensation for victims of miscarriages of justice.

Hickman & Rose makes innovative use of universal jurisdiction to help victims bring the perpetrators of international crimes, including war crimes and torture committed abroad, to justice in the UK.

Chambers and Partners UK 2024 recommends the firm “for its work on complex administrative and public law challenges involving the criminal justice system. The team handles judicial reviews, statutory challenges and human rights claims against the police, CPS and government departments. It is also extremely capable in inquests and cases involving an international dimension”.

Chambers and Partners UK 2024 also quotes a referee saying “Hickman & Rose have a fantastic team. If I had a really complicated point of law, they would be my first choice to turn to.”