Associate
Laura Chapman has extensive experience in acting for individuals who have suffered harm and had their human rights breached by the state and its agents.
Laura specialises in representing people who have been failed by state bodies, particularly by the police and prison service. She advises individuals in civil claims for compensation, police complaints and public law challenges. Laura has also acted for the bereaved families of those who have died in state custody or following contact with the state, during inquest proceedings.
Laura is committed to protecting the fundamental rights of her clients and using the law as a means to help people achieve accountability, and compensation, where their rights are infringed. She is passionate about ensuring that the law remains accessible to all and capable of being utilised to hold the state to account.
Prior to joining Hickman & Rose, Laura worked as a solicitor at a number of law firms specialising in actions against public authorities and civil liberties. During this time, she also worked on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry on behalf of a group of the bereaved, survivors and residents.
Before qualifying as a solicitor in 2022, Laura worked at a law firm specialising in criminal defence and volunteered for LIBERTY, Prisoners Advice Service and Hackney Community Law Centre. These experiences exposed Laura to the realities of how various state bodies cam abuse their power and can act in conjunction with one another to do so. Laura adopts a holistic approach to her practise and is committed to ensuring that the legal process provides an opportunity for individuals to reclaim their power.
Laura is a member of the Police Action Lawyers Group (PALG), the Inquest Lawyers Group (ILG) and Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights (LPHR).
Laura is a highly experienced inquiries lawyer who has worked on both the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and Undercover Policing Inquiry.
She represents bereaved families who have lost a loved one in state custody or following contact with the state, in inquests and subsequent civil claims for compensation.
Laura has extensive experience acting for individuals in civil claims against state bodies. This includes claims arising from the misuse of stop and search powers, the use of excessive force as well as claims for discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 and breaches of the Human Rights Act 1998.
She has successfully acted on behalf of individuals who have been unlawfully stopped and searched, arrested and prosecuted, and people whose homes have been unlawfully entered and searched by the police. She has also settled claims on behalf of individuals and groups of environmental and political activists who have been arrested and prosecuted following their participation in protests.
Laura has acted for prisoners who have been assaulted by prison officers and other prisoners, and consequently sustained significant injuries. She has also acted in cases concerning discrimination in prison.
In such cases, Laura has assisted her clients in obtaining financial compensation, an apology, and deletion of their biometric data.
Laura has experience representing victims of serious crime, including survivors of sexual and domestic violence, in challenges arising from the police and/or CPS’ investigative failures.
She also has experience acting for migrants in a range of public law challenges, including age assessment disputes and challenges to asylum accommodation.
Laura is passionate about using the law to prevent the state from causing harm to our most marginalised communities. Her personal and professional experiences have highlighted the importance of using the law as a mechanism to stop the State from making decisions intended to curtail fundamental freedoms and disempower the public.
Laura regularly acts for individuals in complex complaints against the police, and subsequent appeals. She recognises that the police complaints process is often an important mechanism by which individuals can obtain answers about the wrongdoing they have suffered and achieve accountability. She can advise and prepare complaints on behalf of individuals and assist individuals to navigate the process.
If you would like any further information, or have any questions please call:
+44 (0)20 7702 5331 or email us.
