Fatima Jichi

Year of Call: 2019

“Her knowledge of the law is first class. She is someone who will literally leave no stone unturned in her pursuit of justice and fairness for the client.”

Sean Richards, Partner, TV Edwards LLP, 2020

“Fatima is always thorough, professional, and personable. She is always very clear when explaining the law and procedure and has had positive feedback from our clients. Fatima is an asset to the Bar.”

Marina Desira, Legal Manager, Bail for Immigration for Detainees, 2020

“Fatima is tirelessly committed to assisting people gain access to justice. She deserves acknowledgment for taking it upon herself to volunteer with Advocate at the peak of COVID-19 when the need for legal assistance was at its highest. Fatima is a future star of the Bar.”

Shirin Hasan, Senior Caseworker, Advocate, 2020

“Fatima was unflappable and remained graceful. I feel in safe hands with Fatima. I am so pleased to be working with her!”

Hetal Hathiwala, Trainee Solicitor, Broudie Jackson Canter 2020

“From my experience of working with Fatima it is clear how deeply she cares about the plight of her clients and she fights fiercely to help them find justice. This approach quickly gains the confidence of our clients who are routinely impressed with Fatima’s advocacy.”

Adam Spray, Solicitor and Legal Manager, Bail for Immigration for Detainees, 2020

Contact

To get in touch:​ Or you can contact the relevant​ Practice Team Clerks directly and they will be happy to assist with your enquiry.

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Fatima has a broad public law and civil liberties practice, with a focus on state accountability.

Her broad practice enables her to provide effective advice and representation in cases with a crossover of areas of law. Fatima is particularly suited to instruction in cases involving complex mental health issues, because of her background and expertise in mental health research. 

Fatima became a tenant in October 2020 after the completion of her pupillage under the supervision of Stephen Simblet QC (civil liberties) and Lucie Wibberley (criminal defence).

Administrative and Public Law

Fatima is building a varied practice in judicial review claims, including challenges to community care provision, unlawful detention, age assessment challenges and decisions under the National Referral Mechanism.

Fatima has a particular interest in systemic challenges concerning detention in prison, psychiatric hospitals and immigration detention. She is also interested in challenges against the use of police powers at protests.

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Inquests and Inquiries

Fatima regularly represents bereaved families in Article 2 inquests. She has particular experience of inquests concerning deaths from suicide in the community, prison and psychiatric detention context.

Fatima is a member of the INQUEST lawyers’ group.

Fatima welcomes instructions in public inquiries, with a particular interest in police/state powers and state detention. During pupillage, Fatima gained experience of public inquiries, working with her supervisor, Stephen Simblet QC, on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

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Community Care Law

Fatima regularly advises and acts in judicial review proceedings relating to the provision of asylum support under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. She also has an interest in building a practice across the spectrum of community care law work, including the provision of accommodation and support under the Children Act 1989 and the Care Act 2014.

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Claims Against the Police and Public Authorities

Fatima regularly advises and represents Claimants in claims against the police including false imprisonment, assault, malicious prosecution, misfeasance in public office and claims under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010. Fatima has acted in settlement hearings in actions against the police, for children and vulnerable adults who lack capacity. She also advises on claims relating to false imprisonment in immigration detention.

Fatima is a member of the Police Action Lawyers Group (PALG).

During her pupillage, she worked with Stephen Simblet QC on a number of highly specialist claims against the police as well as jury trials in false imprisonment and malicious prosecution claims.

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Protest Rights

Overview

Fatima represents protesters in a variety of cases including civil injunctions taken out by commercial organisations and the police, committal proceedings, and those charged with a range of criminal offences.

Fatima also regularly advises in actions against the police arising from incidents of unlawful arrest, false imprisonment and assault during protests. She has a particular interest in challenging the arbitrary and excessive use of police powers at protests, with a special interest in anti-racism protests.

Fatima is a founding member and Director of Black Protest Legal Support (BPLS), who support protesters and activists in the Black Lives Matter and anti-racist movements. Fatima leads the group’s strategic litigation team. She is also a volunteer Legal Observer and regularly provides legal updates to volunteer legal observers on the ground as well as contributing to drafting bust cards explaining protesters’ rights.

Fatima contributed to the Second Edition of The Protest Handbook. She has held a number of webinars related to defending protesters rights.

Notable Cases

UK Oil & Gas Plc v Persons Unknown (2021)
High Court radically scales back wide-ranging UK Oil and Gas protest injunction granted in 2018 against protesters at oil and gas sites.

Thames Valley Police v DB [2021] (Milton Keynes County Court)
Committal proceedings against HS2 protester dismissed for lack of notice of the civil injunction.

R v MM & Ors [2020] (City of London Magistrates’ Court)
Protester acquitted of criminal damage, having glued their hands to the window of an Oxford Circus store.

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Mental Health Law

Fatima acts for detained patients in the First-Tier Tribunal (Mental Health) and for patients in displacement of nearest relatives proceedings. She is also seeking to build a practice in Court of Protection work and welcomes instruction in this area.

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National Security

Fatima is building a practice in the Special Immigration Appeal Commission and is currently junior counsel on a high profile deprivation of citizenship case. She also advises on actions against the state in cases arising out of the unlawful use of counter-terrorism powers. She has a particular interest in privacy law and surveillance.

Fatima’s background in counter-terrorism law makes her suited for instruction in such cases. She previously worked with the former Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation to review the operation of the Terrorism Acts as well as their impact on community and individual rights. As part of her role, she reviewed the use of terrorism law powers by counter-terrorism police during the investigations into the Westminster Bridge, London Bridge and Manchester Arena attacks of 2017.

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Pro Bono

Fatima has a strong commitment to pro bono work. She is regularly instructed by Bail for Immigration Detainees and Advocate.

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Notable Cases & News

Supreme Court rules wide injunctions have negative impact on Gypsies and Travellers' ability to pursue traditional nomadic way of life

Marc Willers KC, Tessa Buchanan & Owen Greenhall represented London Gypsies and Travellers (LGT), Friends Families and Travellers (FFT) and the Derbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group (DGLG). Stephanie Harrison KC, Stephen Clark & Fatima Jichi represented FFT.

29 November 2023

Garden Court barristers contribute to Legal Action Magazine's Environmental Law Update (November 2023)

Members of the Garden Court Environmental Law and Climate Justice Team have written for Legal Action Magazine.

6 November 2023

UK Covid-19 Inquiry Module 2 Continues - Opening statement on behalf of Core Participants

Several Garden Court Barristers are representing core participants at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

4 October 2023

UK Covid-19 Inquiry Module 2 - Opening statement on behalf of Core Participants

Several Garden Court Barristers are representing core participants at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

3 October 2023

Garden Court Chambers and Garden Court North remember Ian Macdonald QC

Garden Court Chambers and Garden Court North were honoured to host a memorial event for Ian Macdonald QC 1939-2019 at Middle Temple Hall on Tuesday 7 February 2023.

17 February 2023

Krystian Kilkowski: Inquest finds that serious failures by police and emergency services contributed to his death

Krystian’s family are represented by Stephen Simblet KC and Fatima Jichi of Garden Court Chambers. Counsel instructed by Eva Luna Roszykiewicz of Bhatt Murphy solicitors.

8 November 2022

Garden Court secures top tier rankings in the Legal 500 2023

Garden Court Chambers is proud to be recognised as a Top Tier set again in the Legal 500.

30 September 2022

Members of the Garden Court Chambers Crime Team support escalating proposed CBA action to include days of action

17 June 2022

Coroner concludes death of Blessing Olusegun was accidental with no way of ruling out third-party involvement

25 May 2022

Stephanie Harrison QC, Chair and Joint Head of Garden Court Chambers, comments on the Nationality and Borders Bill receiving Royal Assent

29 April 2022

Garden Court Crime Team statement on no returns action

30 March 2022

Garden Court secures number one rankings in Chambers UK Bar Guide 2022

21 October 2021

Garden Court Chambers Crime Team shortlisted for Crime Set of the Year by Chambers Bar Awards 2021

We are delighted to announce that the Garden Court Chambers Crime Team has been shortlisted by the Chambers Bar Awards 2021 for Crime Set of the Year.

27 August 2021

High Court radically scales back UK Oil and Gas protest injunction

Stephanie Harrison QC, Stephen Simblet QC and Fatima Jichi represented Weald Action Group protestors. Stephen Clark also represented protestors.

9 February 2021

Four new pupils join Garden Court Chambers

We are delighted to welcome Zehrah Hasan, Fatima Jichi, Luke McLean and Angharad Monk who have joined Garden Court Chambers as pupils.

25 October 2019

All related news

Background

Prior to joining the Bar, Fatima worked as a medical statistician at the Institute of Psychiatry at KCL and later as the lead statistician at the Division of Psychiatry at UCL. Her research changed clinical practice across Europe and she received recognition for her lecturing, winning a UCL Arena Award.

Fatima helped set up Sufra Food Bank in NW London in 2013 and was an active trustee until 2019. Her community engagement inspired her to retrain as a barrister focusing on social justice issues. The food bank won the Special Recognition Award at Brent Council’s Pride of Britain Awards 2017.

During her legal studies, Fatima worked with the then Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, Max Hill QC, to review the operation of the Terrorism Acts as well as their impact on community and individual rights. She then worked as a consultant for Forward Thinking, an organisation that connects policymakers with marginalised communities, scrutinising the impact of counter-terrorism police raids.

Fatima is the legal affairs editor of an online comment site, The Platform, which advances marginalised narratives.

Publications

Co-author of Legal Action Magazine - Environmental Law: Update (October 2023)

Fatima contributed to the Young Legal Aid Lawyers' 2018 report on Social Mobility in a Time of Austerity.

Training and Seminars

Fatima spoke at Garden Court Webinars 'Police Surveillance Tactics at Protests' (Oct 2021) and 'Rights & Children: Using convention rights in youth justice cases' (Nov 2020).

Fatima chaired Garden Court Webinars 'Malicious prosecution, misfeasance in public office and damages after Rees' (June 2021), 'Immigration Law for Criminal Lawyers - Particular Implications for Children in the CJS' (Feb 2021) and 'From Mangrove to Black Lives Matter Protests' (Jan 2021).

Fatima organised and chaired a Garden Court Webinar on 'Another counter-terrorism bill: Necessary or a knee-jerk reaction?' Panellists included Amanda Weston QC and Shina Animashaun (both of Garden Court Chambers) and Lord Anderson. (June 2020)

Fatima was invited by the British Institute of International and Comparative Law to chair a seminar on Returning ISIS Women and Fighters: What are the Options? Panellists included Amanda Weston QC (of Garden Court Chambers) and Lord Anderson. (March 2019)

Awards

International Scholarship, The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple (2019)
Ubuntu International Scholarship, City Law School (2019)
BPTC Scholarship, City Law School (2017)
BPTC Major Exhibition Award, The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple (2017)

Education

Bar Professional Training Course, City Law School
Graduate Diploma in Law, BPP Law School
MSc Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
BSc Mathematics, Queen Mary, University of London

Professional Membership

INQUEST Lawyers' Group
Police Actions Lawyers’ Group
Administrative Law Bar Association (ALBA)
Black Protest Legal Support (BPLS)
Liberty

Languages

Arabic

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