Background
Ahmed is a solicitor who works in our public law and actions against public authorities teams. He is committed to using the law to protect vulnerable individuals from state and corporate abuse. His casework includes complex and high-profile public law and human rights litigation, including strategic and high-profile judicial reviews.
He has represented clients in both judicial review and civil damages claims against the state in a number of areas, in particular asylum support, trafficking, actions against public authorities, unlawful detention, discrimination and human rights. He is particularly focused on judicial review claims concerning the mistreatment of asylum seekers in the UK through false imprisonment or placement at mass military accommodation sites. His cases include challenging unlawful NRM trafficking decisions. He is experienced in working with vulnerable individuals and is passionate about helping them overturn unlawful or discriminatory state decisions.
Ahmed has acted for Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch in separate interventions challenging the UK’s licensing of arms exports to Saudi Arabia and Israel. He has represented asylum seekers in high-profile legal challenges concerning the legality of the Home Office’s decision to accommodate them at RAF Wethersfield and the Bibby Stockholm barge. His past cases include the successful Napier Barracks judicial review, the Brook House and Grenfell Tower Inquiries, obtaining release from immigration detention for people with learning disabilities and seeking damages for disabled athletes discriminated against in transport.
He is also interested in assisting survivors of torture to use law and policy such as “Magnitsky” style sanctions regime to seek accountability and justice against persons involved in torture. He is known for his initiative, commitment, efficiency and determination. He can advise in both Arabic and English and is able to advise on Legal Aid and alternative litigation funding options.
Ahmed joined Deighton Pierce Glynn in March 2017 before accepting a position as a Paralegal and then completing his training contract with the firm and qualifying as a Solicitor. He trained with Sue Willman, working on a range of complex and high-profile human rights, and social justice litigation.
Prior to joining Deighton Pierce Glynn, Ahmed worked in non-profit organisations in the wake of the Arab Spring and helped set up an NGO focused on advocating for human rights in the Gulf.
Sample cases
R (NB and Others) v SSHD [2021] EWHC 1489, [2021] 4 WLR 92: Judicial review successfully challenging the legality of conditions at Napier Barracks and the Defendant’s system for allocating asylum seekers to barracks accommodation.
R (Lewis) v Welsh Ministers [2022] EWHC 450 (Admin): obtained successful order from the Administrative Court in Wales in favour of environmental activist, overturning a costs order against her of £30,328.50. Mr Justice Eyre decided that her judicial review claim against the Welsh Ministers was covered by the Aarhus Convention, which guarantees the right to access to justice in environmental cases.
R (FF) v Director for Legal Aid Casework [2020] EWHC 95 (Admin): successful judicial review on the question of whether proposed proceedings against the Home Secretary have the potential to produce a “benefit” within the meaning of that term in Paragraph 19(3) LASPO.
R (Gabriel Clarke-Holland) v SSHD & Ors, Claim No. CO/1539/2023: Planning law challenge concerning the Home Office asylum accommodation centre at RAF Wethersfield.
The Brook House Inquiry.
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
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