Narotam Bhandal, Gladstone Solicitors



Who? Narotam Bhandal, 42-year-old partner at Derbyshire firm Gladstone Solicitors, who specialises in criminal law.


Why is he in the news? He represents two of the six suspected Iraqi terrorists who had their control orders quashed by the High Court last week. Mr Justice Sullivan ruled that the restrictions imposed on the men's liberty, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, were so severe that they breached article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights (right to liberty) and the home secretary had no power to make them. Under the orders, the men were banned from leaving their residences for 18 hours a day, could not use mobile phones or the Internet, and any visitors had to provide the authorities, in advance, with their name, details and photographs. The judge commented: 'Their liberty to live a normal life within their residences is so curtailed as to be non-existent for all practical purposes.' A spokesman for the Home Office said the secretary of state will seek to overturn the judgment, and the orders will remain in force pending the Court of Appeal's decision. He added that public safety was the top priority and the obligations contained in the orders were necessary and proportionate to the threat posed by the individuals.


Background: A degree in tropical crop protection at Bangor University followed by a PhD in neuropharmacology at Nottingham University, before taking the common professional exam and the legal practice course at Nottingham Law School. He completed his training contract at Nottingham firm Bhatia Best, and after qualifying in 1997 remained with the firm, and was made a partner in 2003. In 2005, he and a colleague set up a new firm, Gladstone, which now has offices in Newark and Derby.


Route to the case: 'We had previously dealt with terrorism-related offences. One of these control order cases came as a recommendation from local community leaders and the other one was referred to us from another firm in London.'


Thoughts on the case: 'We all abhor terrorism, but because we face threats from terrorism, there has been a tendency for the government to pass hasty legislation which begins to erode the principles of liberty, human rights and the rule of law. Once a government starts doing that, it can be the thin end of the wedge. In this case, it wasn't that we challenged the legislation itself, but that the government had not followed it properly and the home secretary did not have the power to act in the way he did. Some commentators have said critically that this case has put the government and the judiciary at loggerheads, but I think it is a demonstration to the national and international community that we have a robust and independent judiciary that is not afraid to challenge the government when it has overstepped the mark. This judgment will hopefully go a long way to demonstrate that we still have a great system of justice in this country that works well - one that should be cherished and preserved, not undermined.'


Dealings with the media: 'We have really shied away from the media spotlight as much as possible. Whilst raising awareness of the issues is important, there has been a real fear that unwarranted intrusion by certain sections of the media may actually be counter-productive to our clients' best interests.'


Catherine Baksi