Juliet Spender > Irwin Mitchell > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Juliet Spender

Work Department

Public Law & Human Rights

Position

Associate Solicitor

Career

Juliet has developed expertise over a number of years working on behalf of clients in cases against Public Authorities. She is a solicitor specializing in civil liberties. She has joined the Public Law and Human Rights team in August 2017 and is based in our London office. She is a member of the coordinating committee of StopWatch, a charity which was set up to address the disproportionate and discriminatory use of stop and search powers by police. She is also part of a network of lawyers from across Europe and the USA sharing knowledge and expertise on how to address ethnic profiling. The network is run by the Open Society Justice Initiative.

Juliet has advised and represented clients on a broad range of issues including:

Inquests:
She represents family members at inquests and have predominantly worked on inquests following deaths in state detention or after contact with public authorities.

False imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and assault:
Juliet acts for clients who have been wrongfully detained, prosecuted, or assaulted by the police, prison, or immigration authorities. She has settled a large number of claims, securing clients significant financial compensation for their losses and apologies.

Discrimination on grounds of race, gender, or other characteristics:
Juliet’s previous cases include advising transgender clients on discrimination by police, and assisting clients with physical disabilities to secure suitable adaptations, courses, or work placements within the prison system.

Human Rights Act and Data Protection Act issues:
She assists with a broad range of human rights issues and has particular expertise in privacy cases against the police arising out of the retention or disclosure of personal data. She brings claims for degrading treatment following unlawful use of force.

Immigration detention:
She acts for clients who have been unlawfully detained by the immigration authorities due to breaches of Home Office policy.

Unlawful stops and searches:
She advises on whether a traffic stop, stop and search, or strip search is unlawful and support clients to bring a claim when appropriate.

Police complaints:
She assists with making police complaints, or with pursuing an appeal if a complaint is not upheld.

Judicial review:
Juliet assists clients with challenging decisions made by public authorities. She has particular expertise in challenging decisions by the CPS, prison and probation services, and the police.

Trespass to land/goods by police:
She helps with challenging police searches of business premises or homes, with a view to obtaining an apology, preventing further interference and securing financial compensation.

Adverse criminal records:
Her previous work has led to the successful removal of police cautions, arrest records, and other information held by the police. She can advise on criminal record certificates (“CRB checks” or “DBS checks”).