LAWYER IN THE NEWS

Michael HanleyWilson & Co42-year-old partner in four-partner north London firm Wilson & Co.Why is he in the news? Represents four Kurdish asylum seekers from Iraq, who last week won a landmark ruling in the High Court that their detention in Oakington Detention Centre in Cambridgeshire was unlawful and breached their human rights.

The four men, three of whom have now been granted asylum, were held at Oakington for a week while their claims were being assessed.

The court decided that there was no reason to believe that they would abscond and that the government had no legal right to deprive them of their liberty.

Home Secretary David Blunkett has lodged an appeal, which will be heard early next month.Background: BA (Hons) in law from Pembroke College, Cambridge 1978-81, followed by Law Society finals at the College of Law in London.

He qualified in 1985 with Geo J Dowse in London, joining Stuart Miller in 1985 as an assistant.

In 1989, the firm split, and Mr Hanley joined Andrew Wilson in partnership to form Wilson & Co.Route to the case? 'It was referred to me from the Refugee Legal Centre, for whom I do a lot of work.'Thoughts on the case: 'This case is a powerful reminder to the government that asylum seekers have legal rights which should be respected in this country.

These men were not criminals and should never have been treated like criminals - they have always co-operated fully with the system, so why lock them up like animals? The case was never brought for the purposes of getting compensation.

It has never been discussed with my clients and of the 11,000 who have passed through Oakington, only one has contacted me with regard to getting an award.'Dealing with the media: 'I'm very disappointed that all the press has been interested in is the financial aspect of the potential compensation claims.

The figures they have been suggesting are absolute fantasy anyway, and without doubt the Daily Mail are the worst offenders.

I don't think that the tabloids are doing themselves any favours by personally criticising the lawyers or the judge and it won't cut any ice with the Court of Appeal.

That said, there has been some positive coverage, such as in an editorial in The Independent.'Victoria MacCallum