Practice Areas
Partner and Head of Actions against Police and State.
Since becoming a solicitor in 1996 Jules has represented individuals, journalists, politicians and action groups. He is known particularly for his work involving complex claims for false imprisonment, assault, malicious prosecution, discrimination, deaths in custody and judicial review.
Jules has a formidable reputation for challenging over-zealous and pre-emptive policing operations, and obtaining full redress for those affected. Whilst success for Jules and his team is often achieved at the pre-litigation stage, he has also had a number of high profile successes in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
Career
Jules qualified in 1996, and joined Bindmans from Tuckers in 2014, as a partner.
Jules’ cases include:
Covid 19 Regulations – Extinction Rebellion
Successfully overturned police restrictions on protest with the threat of judicial review. Then assisted XR each day of the September 2020 Rebellion navigate the web of regulations; enabling Covid aware protesters to proceed and avoid 100s of arrests
TBS v Metropolitan Police Commissioner
Was fathered and abandoned by an undercover police officer who duped his mother into a sexual relationship. TBS only discovered the true identity of his father as an adult. Succeeded in securing an apology and damages
Julian Cole
Julian a university student was left brain damaged and paralysed for life following an incident in which Bedfordshire police officers restrained him outside a nightclub in 2013. Represented Julian’s family in disciplinary proceedings where three of the officers were dismissed in 2018 for gross misconduct. Representing the family in civil claims against the Chief Constable of Bedfordshire
Big Brother Watch
Represented Big Brother Watch in an application to the Court of Appeal to intervene in the case of Dolan v Secretary of State for Health concerning the legal standing of regulations imposed in response to the Covid -19 pandemic
Bianca Williams and Ricardo Dos Santos v Metropolitan Police Commissioner
Represents GB sprinter Bianca Williams and Portuguese sprinter Ricardo Dos Santos, in relation to allegations of dishonesty and discrimination against Metropolitan Police officers following a stop and search in July 2020
Paul Gambaccini
Successfully represented Mr Gambaccini in obtaining an apology and substantial damages following a claim against the Metropolitan Police Service for the misuse of Mr Gambaccini’s private information. Previously represented Mr Gambaccini in claims against the Crown Prosecution Service; also for misuse of private information; which also resulted in an apology and compensation
Paddy Armstrong – Guildford Pub Bombing
Paddy is one of the ‘Guildford Four’; the name attributed to the four people who were convicted and later acquitted of the Guildford Pub Bombing murders in 1974. Represented Paddy in an application to be recognised as an “interested person” at inquest proceedings into the deaths that commenced in 2020
The Grenfell Inquiry
Representing families of the bereaved, as well as survivors and residents of Grenfell Tower at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, following the fire on the night of 14 June 2017
The Undercover Police Inquiry
Representing victims of undercover policing, and in particular women duped into sexual relationships by undercover police officers; and families whose dead relative’s identities were taken and used as cover identities by undercover officers
Darrell Simester
Obtained apologies and damages from two police forces who had failed to intervene; when the opportunity arose; in the modern-day slavery case that saw Mr Simester detained and subjected to forced labor for thirteen years
Extinction Rebellion – Right to Protest
Baroness Jenny Jones , David Drew MP, Eleanor Chowns MEP, Adam Alnutt, Caroline Lucas MP, Clive Lewis MP and George Monbiot v The Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis
Represented XR supporters in two successful judicial review cases against the Metropolitan Police Commissioner for imposing ‘bans’ on protests in London. The successful challenges rendered unlawful many hundreds of the arrests of the protesters
AJA, ARB, Sarah and others.
Successfully represented five people in the High Court in relation to being duped into sexual relationships by undercover police officers
Other notable cases:
9/11 – Lotfi Raissi
Lotfi Raissi was wrongly accused of masterminding the 9/11 terror attacks in New York in 2001 and was arrested by the Metropolitan Police at his home in London. Successfully challenged the Home Secretary’s refusal to permit Mr Raissi to claim compensation under the ex gratia scheme following the successful defence to the extradition proceedings
Hillsborough
Represented Joan Hope and her family at the Hillsborough Inquest where the jury returned a verdict in 2016 that the 96 football fans had been unlawfully killed
First case in the Supreme Court – R (Mohammed Al-Ghabra) and others v Her Majesty’s Treasury
Represented Mr Al Ghabra in the first case heard by the UK Supreme Court. These appeals were selected to be first case heard because of what Lord Phillips, the President of the Court, described as their ‘obvious public importance’. They involved a successful challenge to anti-terror legislation which the government introduced by Orders in Council rather than by primary legislation
Ian Tomlinson
Represented the family of newspaper vendor Ian Tomlinson, who was killed by Metropolitan Police Officer PC Harwood on 1 April 2009 during the G20 protests. Succeeded in securing an unlawful killing verdict at the inquest, the sacking of the officer for gross misconduct and damages and an apology later in civil proceedings after against the force
Royal Wedding Challenge
Represented a claimant pre-emptively detained to prevent a breach of the peace ahead of the royal wedding in April 2011. R (Hicks, Middleton & others v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis)
