Investigation Team

Paul Bowen Q.C. (Call, 1993; QC, 2012) is a barrister at Brick Court Chambers and a former solicitor at Clifford Chance. He practises across the spectrum of public and administrative law, often with significant human rights, EU or other international law elements. He is a member of the ‘A’ Panel of Counsel to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and is an Honorary Professor at the University of Sussex School of Law and Politics. Paul was appointed a Recorder (a part-time judge) of the Crown Court in March 2018.

Adam Wagner (Call, 2007) is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in London. He has acted in a number of major public inquiries and has extensive experience of inquests and human rights law. He is recommended for Inquests and Inquiries, Human Rights and Civil Liberties and Public Administrative Law in the leading legal directories. He is well-known for his human rights advocacy work and is the founder of RightsInfo, a human rights public information charity. He is a member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission ‘B’ Panel of Counsel and was previously on the Attorney General’s Panel of Counsel for five years.

Charlotte Haworth Hird is currently on maternity leave. 

Charlotte is a solicitor at Bindmans LLP. She advises and assists on a wide range of health and public law issues including inquests and mental health. Her practice focuses mainly on representing vulnerable individuals and their families in a variety of cases including families whose loved ones have died in custody or whilst in the care of the state. Charlotte is recognised in both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 for civil liberties and human rights, Court of Protection and healthcare.

Salima Budhani is a solicitor at Bindmans LLP. Salima’s broad practice encompasses public law and human rights, health and community care, information rights and discrimination law, with a special focus on representing vulnerable or marginalised people.  Salima is recognised in Chambers & Partners for administrative and public law and in the Legal 500 for both administrative and public law, and civil liberties and human rights.  She is a trustee of Unlock, the national charity for people with convictions.  Salima is covering Charlotte Haworth Hird’s maternity leave.

Molly Cox is a solicitor at Bindmans LLP.  She has experience on a wide range of police complaints and compensation claims against the police and other state bodies including for unlawful arrest, false imprisonment, assault and battery, misfeasance in public office, malicious prosecution, negligence, trespass, discrimination, breaches of the Human Rights Act and Data Protection Act, and judicial review.  Molly also acts for bereaved families in inquests involving state bodies such as the police, mental health institutions, ambulance service and prisons.

Jim Barron is a former senior civil servant who worked for the Cabinet Office for 27 years. During his career he was for 11 years Secretary to several independent bodies, including the Civil Service Commissioners and the Commissioner for Public Appointments. His most recent post was Chief Executive of the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. He left the Cabinet Office in 2016 and now carries out review and inquiry work for a number of Government departments. He is also a member of the Security Vetting Appeals Panel.