Chez Cotton

Chez specialises in actions against the police and other detaining authorities, with particular expertise in complex cases involving assault, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, discrimination (including disability) and claims under the Human Rights Act. She also conducts judicial review, particularly arising from her areas of specialism within the criminal justice arena.

Case history:

• Acts for the National Union of Journalists and its’ members arising from treatment journalists have received and ‘freedom of press issues’ arising from policing at Climate Camp, G20 and other politically sensitive events.
• Marc Vallee v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis:
  Obtained an out of court settlement and apology for Mr Vallee, a respected photojournalist, who suffered injuries because of the actions of the police, when he was reporting at the ‘Sack Parliament’ protest outside the Houses of Parliament.  The case was bought on the basis that the police have no legal power or political responsibility to restrict what the media reports, and that freedom of the press was one of the cornerstones of a democratic society.
• Jason Paul v Chief Constable of Humberside:
  Successful in the Court of Appeal and at a trial, achieving a jury decision that the Humberside Police charged Jason Paul, a young black man, to draw attention away from their own misconduct in allowing Christopher Alder, another black man, to die on the custody suite floor with his hands handcuffed behind his back and his trousers round his knees.
• Civil juries against various police forces:
  To trial for all aspects of police mistreatment and misconduct, including Iris Luppa the Chief Constable Thames Valley, Lisa De Sousa and Aubrey Thomas the Chief Constable of Surrey Police, successfully obtaining damages.
• Disability cases against detaining authorities:
  Acts for several disabled wheelchair using prisoners and detained individuals, where disability discrimination is an issue, including redress for wrongful chaining of inmates attending for funerals and medical treatment; and also successfully obtaining compensation for the civil claims against the Home Office/Ministry of Justice, arising from discriminatory treatment within the prison system (Roger Zoppola v Home Office, Michael Ford v Home Office, Colin Jacklin v Home Office, Paul Anderson v Home Office, Julian Bell v Home Office).

Chez’s litigation is highly innovative and has been covered on Newsnight, BBC News, Radio 4 and in The Guardian, The Independent and Private Eye.

Chez studied law at the London School of Economics and qualified as a Solicitor in 2000. She has specialised in actions against the police since that time. 

Chez is a member and convenor of the Police Action Lawyers Group. She is a member of the Law Society Domestic Human Rights Reference Group.

What the professional directories say:

Sources describe her as a "razor-sharp, reliable and shrewd" lawyer who manages also to be "incredibly down-to-earth and easy to work with." (Chambers 2011)

Chambers 2011
Civil Liberties (Band 3)
Police Law: Mainly Claimant (Band 1)
Civil Liberties: Prison Law (Band 3)
Chez's full profile and ranking status on Chambers 2011

Chambers 2010
Civil Liberties: UK-wide (Ranked as Up and coming)
Police Law: Mainly Claimant - UK-wide (Ranked in Band 1)
Chez's full profile and ranking status on Chambers 2010

Chambers 2009
Civil Liberties: Best of the UK (Ranked as Up and coming)
Police Law: Mainly Claimant - Best of the UK (Ranked in Band 1)
Chez's full profile and ranking status on Chambers 2009