Irwin Mitchell

Public Law and Human Rights

Partner

I’m a partner in our Public Law and Human Rights team based in Manchester. I represent adults and children, as well as their families involved in complex disputes with local authorities, the NHS and other public authorities.

With more than 20 years' experience in this field, I’ve developed a practice focused on securing access to treatment, social care services and the assistance people need to live safely and self-sufficiently. Protecting the rights of adults and children who need support is at the heart of my work.

I specialise in community care and healthcare matters, including Court of Protection welfare work. Much of my work involves challenging decisions made by local authorities and NHS organisations, particularly where those outcomes affect access to support packages, medical treatment or safeguarding arrangements.

I also regularly advise on deprivation of liberty and capacity issues, together with health and welfare disputes and broader human rights concerns.

The issues at the centre of my cases often concern where someone lives and the support they receive, as well as choices about medical treatment. These are deeply important questions that can have a lasting impact on both the person concerned and those closest to them. I help people understand the legal framework surrounding those issues and, where necessary, challenge decision-makers to ensure they get the services, protection, and appropriate treatment they’re entitled to.

I’ve been involved in many of the most significant cases in this area. My experience includes acting in the landmark Supreme Court decisions of Cheshire West and AGNI, key judgments concerning deprivation of liberty, as well as the widely reported cases of Briggs v Briggs and Tafida Raqeeb. I have also represented people in life-sustaining treatment and end-of-life care matters, as well as proceedings involving children and adults before the Court of Protection, High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

I regularly act for the Official Solicitor and Independent Mental Capacity Advocates (IMCAs), as well as family members involved in Court of Protection cases. I have also secured accommodation and essential services for disabled refugees and others through challenges brought against local authorities in relation to their statutory duties.

I’m a founding member and national committee member of the Court of Protection Practitioners Association, having previously served as national co-chair for five years. I also jointly lead Irwin Mitchell’s Public Law and Human Rights team’s Court of Protection special interest group. I have contributed to several publications examining developments in deprivation of liberty and human rights issues, together with capacity-related legislation.