The Public Order Team at Hodge Jones & Allen is led by Raj Chada, a nationally renowned protest law expert, who has acted for clients in most of the major demonstrations and protests of the last decade.
Cases can range from a lone protestor outside Parliament to the Occupy movements that appeared in cities all over the world in 2011. It can only involve cases of violence during the London Riots to peaceful sit-ins. People caught up may be committed activists or first time demonstrators.
Whatever the circumstances, specialist knowledge and skill is required. Prosecution cases need to be forensically analysed to determine how and why police were using their legal powers and whether those powers are consistent with the safeguards of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Where the case involves a political cause, then Hodge Jones and Allen lawyers will consider the political campaigning objectives of their clients and apply this to any ongoing criminal case.
Raj leads a team which is unique in the range of expertise that it offers.
Firstly, much of the advocacy is conducted in-house so that one lawyer will have oversight of the case from police station to trial. This means that the strategy for winning the case is set at an early stage.
Secondly, we are able to draw on expertise from other lawyers in the firm. So, our housing lawyers may assist the case if you are charged with a squatting offence or our Civil Rights Team will give specialist advice on police misconduct. A remarkable feature of our cases has been the number of successful claims for compensation after we have secured acquittals at trial.
Finally, many of our lawyers have been involved in campaigning themselves – on green issues, on anti racism, or against public sector cuts. Most importantly, we treasure and value the right to free speech and ensure that our lawyers fight for that right.
We can help if:
