Ranking tables

Police Law: Mainly Claimant | UK Bar

All Circuits

This ranking table features the best sets and barristers who represent claimants in bringing actions and judicial review proceedings against the police, the IPCC and coroners, including issues relating to unlawful arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, treatment in custody and inquests.

Rankings overview for Sets

All Sets profiles

1

Band 1

  1. Doughty Street Chambers
    1
    Doughty Street Chambers
    Police Law: Mainly Claimant
    2026 | Band 1 | 20 Years Ranked

    Doughty Street Chambers offers a "range of expert barristers who have excellent experience" in cases against the police. They are esteemed for their work in high-profile civil claims relating to arrests and assault, negligence, discriminatory policing and the failure to investigate. Members have notable experience in sensitive claims arising from deaths in custody or during operations, and frequently appear for families in associated inquests. The set routinely handles the most significant cases in the field, including the civil claim for misfeasance concerning the police cover-up of the Hillsborough disaster. Barristers from the set have also attracted major instructions for non-police participants in public inquiries, including the Undercover Policing Inquiry. An interviewee notes that "Doughty Street contains noted experts in their respective fields. Barristers from the set provide a consistently high quality professional service. It is the go-to set in many fields."

    Sian Wilkins is the senior civil clerk.

  2. Garden Court Chambers
    1
    Garden Court Chambers
    Police Law: Mainly Claimant
    2026 | Band 1 | 20 Years Ranked

    Garden Court Chambers is a renowned civil liberties-focused set which focused on civil claims and inquests centred on police shootings and deaths in custody, noted for their "commitment to representing bereaved families". The set is praised as a "go-to chambers because of their ethos and the quality of the barristers'" counsel in actions against the police, including those concerning malicious prosecution, false imprisonment, misfeasance and assault, as well as investigative or operational failures. The set's members are known to "have always had a human rights reputation in terms of generating passionate advocates who uphold the rights of individuals" and have acted in highly significant matters including the Undercover Police Inquiry and, most recently, the investigation into the death of Rebecca Ikumelo during the Brixton Academy crowd crush.

    Colin Cook is the director of clerking.

2

Band 2

  1. Matrix Chambers
    2
    Matrix Chambers
    Police Law: Mainly Claimant
    2026 | Band 2 | 20 Years Ranked

    Matrix Chambers is a superb human rights and public law set whose barristers are frequently instructed in a range of actions against the police, including claims pertaining to fatalities, discrimination, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution, and human rights claims in relation to the police's failure to investigate. Members are praised as being "consistently excellent, including their most junior members who handle complex cases with considerable care, thoughtfulness and passion". They have appeared in cases including the Jermaine Baker public inquiry and the Daniel Morgan civil claim. They also act for core participants in the Undercover Policing Inquiry.

    Paul Venables is the senior practice manager.