Rajeev Thacker

Year of Call: 1993

"He combines charm with incisive legal skills - respected by the court and opponents as much as by my clients."

Legal 500, 2024 (Police Law)

"Rajeev is capable and has a good instinct in litigation. His manner is very polite and charming, but also effective."

Chambers UK, 2024 (Police Law)

"He is very good with clients. He is very insightful and is always all over complex legal issues."

Chambers UK, 2023

"He is a barrister with a really encyclopaedic knowledge not only of police law but civil procedure."

Legal 500, 2022 (Inquests and Inquiries)

"Rajeev has excellent drafting skills and produces great quality work. I cannot rate him highly enough, he is one of my favourite people to work with on a case."

Legal 500, 2022 (Civil Liberties and Human Rights)

"An excellent advocate who has a good insight into complex legal issues arising during the course of a hearing."

Chambers UK 2021 (Police Law, Band 1)

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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Rajeev has a wide-ranging practice, dealing in areas as diverse as immigration detention and criminal due process. His focus is on public law, claims against public authorities, claimant-oriented work in the discrimination field and inquests, in particular, state failings involving victims of domestic abuse.

Rajeev is ranked in Band 1 in Chambers UK for Police Law (Claimant) and is also ranked in the Legal 500 for Police Law (Claimant) and Inquests and Inquiries.

Inquests and Inquiries

Overview

Rajeev has acted on behalf of families in a number of cases. He has particular expertise in deaths involving victims of domestic abuse.

Notable Cases

Inquest into the Death of Joseph Phuong, Royal Courts of Justice, October 2017
Death of a mentally ill young man in a mental health hospital

Inquest into the Death of Darren Neville, St Pancras Coroner's Court, June 2015
Death of man suffering from acute behavioural disorder who was restrained by police

Inquest into the Death of Maria Stubbings, Essex Coroner's Court, (September-October 2014)
Police failure to investigate numerous allegations of domestic abuse.

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Claims Against the Police and Public Authorities

Overview

Rajeev specialises in claims against the state, with particular expertise in equality law.

Notable Cases

Sylvester v Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis, Central London County Court (March 2015)
Successful claim for damages arising out of police use of a taser.

Michael and Others v Chief Constable of the South Wales Police and Another [2015] UKSC 2, [2015] 1 AC 17322 WLR 343
Liability of the police in negligence and under the Human Rights Act.

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Pro Bono Work

Rajeev has a strong commitment to the pro bono movement and has carried out such work throughout his career. He is aware of the difficulties that are faced by claimants in obtaining funding for cases and is willing to consider conditional fee arrangements in appropriate cases.

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Notable Cases & News

Inquest into the death of Zara Aleena concludes failures across multiple agencies contributed to her death

Rajeev Thacker of Garden Court Chambers represented the family of the deceased.

27 June 2024

Commissioner finally apologises for fist bump stop and search in February 2018

Rajeev Thacker of Garden Court Chambers represented the claimants, instructed by Carolynn Gallwey of Bhatt Murphy Solicitors.

9 December 2022

Police officers found guilty of gross misconduct for failing to protect victim of domestic homicide

Rajeev Thacker was instructed by Sophie Naftalin of Bhatt Murphy to represent the family of Linah Keza.

13 March 2019

Garden Court and Stephanie Harrison QC shortlisted for Human Rights and Public Law awards

Garden Court has been shortlisted at the Chambers Bar Awards, whilst Stephanie and our Public Law Team are shortlisted at the Legal 500 Awards.

21 October 2016

Alice Gross found to have been unlawfully killed

Alice's family was represented by Rajeev Thacker of Garden Court Chambers, instructed by Liberty.

5 July 2016

Alice Gross inquest will examine authorities’ role

Coroner rules that the inquest engages Article 2 ECHR. Rajeev Thacker is representing Alice’s family.

14 December 2015

Chambers UK Bar Guide ranks Garden Court in Band 1

Garden Court Chambers recognised as a leading set for immigration, social housing, civil liberties, police law, Court of Protection, crime and inquests and public inquiries.

30 October 2015

Crucial decision expected on scope of inquest into death of Alice Gross

Rajeev Thacker of Garden Court Chambers is representing the family of Alice Gross.

7 July 2015

Inquest highlights police failings after vulnerable man dies following police restraint

The family were represented by Rajeev Thacker, barrister at Garden Court Chambers.

15 June 2015

Victory for Daniel Sylvester in claim against police for unlawful use of taser

Daniel Sylvester was represented at court by Rajeev Thacker of Garden Court Chambers.

25 March 2015

Inquest finds a catalogue of police failings contributed to death of Maria Stubbings

Maria Stubbings, murdered by her ex-partner, was failed by Essex Police. Rajeev Thacker represented the family.

15 October 2014

Refuge and Liberty intervene in domestic homicide Supreme Court case

Rajeev Thacker instructed in landmark case attempting to remove police immunity from negligence claims.

29 July 2014

Inquest finds systematic failings in police response to domestic violence

An inquest jury has today found that there were systemic failings in the police response to domestic violence, when returning a verdict of unlawful killing in the inquest into the death of Mavis Clift. Rajeev Thacker was instructed for the family.

28 February 2014

Garden Court Chambers ranked Band 1 in Chambers UK 2014

We are once again delighted to have been ranked as a leading set by Chambers and Partners in the Chambers UK 2014 directory.

31 October 2013

Police failings contributed to domestic violence killings

An inquest has found that police failings contributed to the death of Rachael Slack and her two-year-old son. Rajeev Thacker was instructed for the Slack family.

22 October 2013

Rajeev Thacker acting in the inquest into the deaths of Rachael and Auden Slack and Andrew Cairns

Rajeev Thacker is currently instructed for the Slack family in the inquest into the deaths of Rachael Slack, her two year old son Auden and her ex-partner Andrew Cairn.

16 September 2013

Coroner finds that failures in communication contributed to soldier's death

Following a five-day inquest, a coroner sitting at Preston has found that confused orders and failures in communication meant that opportunities were missed to save the life of a young soldier.

28 June 2013

Garden Court barristers recognised in Black Letter Law directory

Garden Court Chambers was delighted to learn that a record number of members of Chambers have been identified in the latest edition of Black Letter Law Directory. In total, 12 barristers have been highlighted for being in the news or as notable practition

15 January 2013

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Background

Rajeev is a Recorder of the Crown Court and the county court. He was a part-time employment judge from 2005 to 2010. He was previously a visiting lecturer in criminal law and public law at the University of Westminster.

Rajeev joined Garden Court in 2001, having previously been a tenant at a multi-disciplinary set at 4 Brick Court. He was chair of the board of Trustees of Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) from 2007 to 2015.

Publications

Rajeev is a contributor to the LAG book on ASBOs (2006), the LAG book on Mediation (2012) and McDonald on Immigration Law and Practice (2014).

Training and Seminars

Rajeev regularly carries out training work for external organisations and contributes to the internal training courses run by Chambers.

Education

  • LLB (Wales)

Languages

  • French (conversational)
  • Spanish (conversational)

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