Fatima has a broad public law and civil liberties practice, with a focus on state accountability.
Her broad practice enables her to provide effective advice and representation in cases with a crossover of areas of law. Fatima is particularly suited to instruction in cases involving complex mental health issues, because of her background and expertise in mental health research.
Inquests and Inquiries
Overview
Fatima regularly represents bereaved families in Article 2, jury inquests. She has built a specialism in inquests concerning deaths from suicide in psychiatric detention, prison and in the community. She is particularly suited to cases involving very complex mental health conditions or presentations given her background in mental health research.
Fatima also has experience in major and high profile public inquiries, across disclosure, advocacy and submissions.
She was most recently instructed in the UK Covid-19 Inquiry: Children and Young People (Module 8) on behalf of Children’s Rights Organisations: Just for Kids Law, including the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, the Save the Children Fund, Centre for Young Lives and Child Poverty Action Group. This module examined how pandemic measures affected children’s rights, including the rights to education, health, family life and protection from harm, and the unequal impact of the pandemic on vulnerable children and those living in poverty, in custody or under the care of the state. Her role included reviewing disclosure, drafting questions for senior counsel to put to senior ministers, questioning the Prisons Minister on the rights of children in custody (one of three key areas of focus for the Children’s Rights Organisations), and drafting opening and closing submissions.
Fatima was also instructed in Module 2 (Core UK Decision-making and Political Governance) of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, on behalf of organisations tackling violence against women and girls: Southall Black Sisters and Solace Women’s Aid. Her role was to review and manage a substantial amount of disclosure, draft key chronologies, draft questions for key decision makers, including senior ministers, and draft legal arguments and written submissions.
Fatima continues to have a keen interest in public inquiries, in particular those concerning state powers and state detention.
Fatima is a member of the INQUEST lawyers’ group.
Fatima has been ranked as a rising star in Inquests and Inquiries by both Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.
Notable Cases
Instructed in Module 8 (Children and Young People) of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on behalf of Children’s Rights Organisations: Just for Kids Law, including the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, the Save the Children Fund, Centre for Young Lives and Child Poverty Action Group. This work was covered extensively in the press, including:
- Government ‘probably did go too far’ with lockdown rules, Johnson says
- Covid exercise messaging left children stuck indoors, UK inquiry hears
- Covid inquiry hears of ‘grievous harm’ suffered by children behind closed doors
- UK government owes children apology for damaging Covid errors, inquiry hears
Instructed in Module 2 (Core UK Decision-making and Political Governance) of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, on behalf of organisations tackling violence against women and girls: Southall Black Sisters and Solace Women’s Aid. Reporting on this included:
- Lack of diversity in No 10 led to women’s deaths in lockdown, Covid inquiry told
- ‘Domestic abuse victims died as too few women decision-makers’, Covid inquiry hears
- Domestic abuse survivors tell Covid inquiry of ‘nightmare’ lockdown
- Lockdown messaging on domestic violence came ‘too late’, Covid inquiry told
Contact Fatima
Protest Rights
Overview
Fatima has built a specialism in protest law across practice areas and has been involved in cases in the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.
She regularly represents protesters in claims against the police arising from incidents of unlawful arrest, false imprisonment and assault during protests. She also represents protesters in cases where large commercial organisations are seeking civil injunctions to prohibit protests and in committal proceedings arising out of alleged breach of civil injunctions.
She regularly advises environmental charities on legal challenges and recently represented Friends of the Earth as interveners in a seminal Supreme Court case highlighting the impact of wide injunctions on protest rights and in their application to the European Court of Human Rights.
She has a particular interest in challenging the arbitrary and excessive use of police powers at protests.
Fatima was a founding Director of Black Protest Legal Support, where she volunteered as a Legal Observer, provided legal support and contributed to drafting bust cards explaining protesters’ rights.
Fatima contributed to the Second Edition of The Protest Handbook. She has also held a number of webinars related to defending protesters’ rights.
Notable Cases
Wolverhampton City Council and others (Respondents) v London Gypsies and Travellers and others (Appellants) [2023] UKSC 47
The Supreme Court ruled that wide injunctions have negative impact on Gypsies and Travellers’ ability to pursue traditional nomadic way of life. However, the Court allowed the use of such wide and draconian injunctions in protest-related injunctions. Friends of the Earth press release here.
Friends of the Earth have filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) challenging the use of anti-protest injunctions in the UK. Further information here.
UK Oil & Gas Plc v Persons Unknown (2021)
High Court radically scales back wide-ranging UK Oil and Gas protest injunction granted in 2018 against protesters at oil and gas sites.
Thames Valley Police v DB [2021] (Milton Keynes County Court)
Committal proceedings against HS2 protester dismissed for lack of notice of the civil injunction.
R v MM & Ors [2020] (City of London Magistrates’ Court)
Protester acquitted of criminal damage, having glued their hands to the window of an Oxford Circus store.
Contact Fatima
Court of Protection
Overview
Fatima accepts instructions on behalf of the Official Solicitor, Accredited Legal Representatives, other litigation friends and family members in matters before the Court of Protection.
This work is closely aligned to her inquest practice, bringing a valuable understanding of mental health conditions, mental health services and community support frameworks. She also has extensive advocacy experience, including the questioning of expert witnesses and state witnesses, enabling her to scrutinise expert evidence effectively, and explore the adequacy of care, treatment and support provided to vulnerable individuals.
Contact Fatima
Claims Against the Police and Public Authorities
Overview
Fatima regularly represents families in claims against public authorities following deaths in state detention.
She also regularly represents Claimants in claims against the police including false imprisonment, assault, malicious prosecution, misfeasance in public office and claims under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010. Fatima has acted in settlement hearings in actions against the state, for children and vulnerable adults who lack capacity. She also advises on claims relating to false imprisonment in immigration detention.
Fatima is a member of the Police Action Lawyers Group (PALG).
During her pupillage, she worked with Stephen Simblet KC on a number of highly specialist claims against the police as well as jury trials in false imprisonment and malicious prosecution claims.
Contact Fatima
Administrative and Public Law
Overview
Fatima has a particular interest in systemic challenges concerning detention in prison, psychiatric hospitals and immigration detention. She is also interested in challenges against the use of police powers at protests.
Fatima is building a varied practice in judicial review claims, including challenges to the provision of asylum support under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, community care provision, unlawful detention, age assessment challenges and decisions under the National Referral Mechanism.
