Lawyer in the news

Who? Sadiq Khan, 32-year-old partner at eight-partner London human rights firm Christian Fisher Khan.

Why is he in the news? Represents the family of Marcia Lawes , who was stabbed to death by Delroy Denton - an illegal immigrant allowed to remain in the country because of his role as a police informant.

The family was this week given permission by the Court of Appeal to sue the police and Home Office for failure to protect the public from dangerous criminals, after the original claim was struck out in the county court.

Denton received a life sentence for the murder.

Background: LLB from University of London 1989-92, followed by Law Society Finals at Guildford College of Law.

Joined Christian Fisher as a trainee in 1993, qualifying in 1995.

Became a salaried partner in 1998 and an equity partner last year.

The firm changed its name to Christian Fisher Khan in July 2002.

He is also chairman of human rights group Liberty.

Route to the case: The firm's senior partner, Louise Christian, was recommended by a journalist who reported the case.

The firm has been undertaking high-profile and complex cases against the police and public authorities since 1985.

Thoughts on the case: 'We were told at the outset that the case was impossible to bring due to limitations in the laws of negligence and misfeasance in public office.

However, this case has established that it is not necessary for a claimant to establish that someone is a predictable victim or in a class of predictable victims - as is required in negligence.

It is sufficient to prove merely that someone would probably be harmed and it was this person.

Also there is no principle of law that excludes an action for misfeasance in public office purely because the consequence was death rather than loss or damage to property.

This case will allow the vexed issue of informants and the police to be properly examined.'

Dealing with the media: 'I have acted in a number of high-profile cases in the past - including for Kenny Hsu, who received the largest ever pay-out by jury in a case against the police, and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan - so I know what to expect from the media.

Experience has taught me that most journalists are after a good story.

The facts in this case are upsetting but raise matters of huge public interest that deserve to be reported in a mature manner.'