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 judicial reviews.
He currently works alongside Sue Willman, Emily Soothill and Clare Hayes representing clients in both judicial review and civil damages claims against the state in a number of areas, in particular asylum support, actions against public authorities, unlawful detention, discrimination and human rights. He is particularly focussed on judicial review claims concerning the mistreatment of asylum seekers in the UK through false imprisonment or placement at mass military accommodation sites.
His past cases include the successful Napier Barracks judicial review, Brook House Inquiry, obtaining release and accommodation from immigration detention for people with learning disabilities, seeking damages for disabled athletes discriminated against in transport provision and an intervention for NGOs in the Court of Appeal challenging the UK’s licensing of arms exports to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen.
He is also interested in assisting torture survivors 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.
He 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 se up an NGO focused on advocating for human rights in the Gulf.
Sample cases
R (Gabriel Clarke-Holland) v SSHD & Ors, Claim No. CO/1539/2023: Judicial review challenging the government to set up an asylum accommodation centre at Weathersfield Airfield (ongoing).
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.
The Brook House Inquiry
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