Human rights and public law
Protecting civil liberties
Protecting the rights and freedoms of ordinary people and challenging discrimination are at the heart of Bindmans’ work - and have been for more than 30 years.
The firm was founded in 1974 by the leading civil liberties lawyer Sir Geoffrey Bindman. Today, it has one of the biggest dedicated public law departments in the country and remains a legal pioneer both nationally and internationally.
Our lawyers’ expertise and commitment to this complex field are unrivalled. We take on an unparalleled range of cases and regularly litigate in the highest UK courts, as well as the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights.
Our clients
Individuals
We act for individuals and groups of people who believe their human rights are being violated by the state or other powerful bodies. We specialise in judicial review: the process by which the Administrative Court ensures that public bodies act fairly.
Organisations
We also act for organisations, such as public authorities, businesses, and NGOs. We offer timely, clear advice on how organisations can lawfully exercise their powers - or advise when they are facing a challenge from an individual about previous decisions. We help our clients ensure that their decision-making is fair and robust.
Activists and pressure groups
We regularly work with activists and pressure groups, where the legal case will be just one strand in a wider campaign or protest. Our lawyers often appear in the media, explaining the legal issues involved, where it is in the interests of our client’s case to do so.
Our work
Not all of our human rights and public law work is high-profile. Most of our cases never hit the headlines, but they are every bit as significant and important to those involved. Whatever the nature of the case, we provide the same level of commitment and expertise.
As the list of cases below shows, Bindmans’ lawyers have a breadth of experience in human rights and public law work which is unmatched by other firms. Our lawyers are creative and pioneering; we continue to push at the boundaries of human rights law in this country. We have the knowledge and expertise to take challenging, often one-off, cases and achieve the best possible results for our clients.
Key cases
- Duty to investigate deaths and suicide attempts in custody
- Race discrimination in awarding compensation to World War II Japanese prisoners of war
- Denial of British citizenship and representation to a prisoner interned in Guantanamo Bay
- Refusal of General Medical Council to pursue complaints against doctors
- Review of decisions relating to the extradition of General Pinochet
- Challenge to the grant of overseas aid for construction of the Pergau Dam in Malaysia
- Ban on gays and lesbians in the armed forces
- Prohibition on political advertising on commercial television and radio
- Access to the courts for torture victims
- Environmental regulation and regulation of animal welfare
- Parliamentary Ombudsman’s exercise of power to investigate, and the government’s refusal to accept the Ombudsman’s report on, occupational pensions
- Professional regulation
- Housing Corporation’s power to regulate registered social landlords
- Proscription of organisations under the Terrorism Act
- Exercise of police powers to prevent individuals participating in peace demonstrations
- Powers of coroners
- Rights to personal privacy and data protection and access to information
- Powers and duties of external auditors to local government, NHS trusts and police authorities
- Corporate governance of public authorities
- Rights of Turkish nationals under the Turkey/EU (Ankara) agreement
We are also experienced at taking cases on behalf of individuals against foreign governments, including Turkey, Latvia, Hungary, Romania, France, and Saudi Arabia.
