Former human rights solicitor Sadiq Khan was today named shadow lord chancellor, as new Labour leader Ed Miliband assembled his first shadow cabinet.

Khan, who was a partner at London human rights firm Christian Khan before standing as Labour candidate for Tooting in the 2005 general election, was previously shadow transport secretary. He served as a transport minister in Gordon Brown’s government.

Khan has previously served as vice-chair of the Legal Action Group, and was chair of the National Council for Civil Liberties, now Liberty, for three years.

Baroness Patricia Scotland was named as shadow attorney-general. Scotland became the first black attorney general when Gordon Brown appointed her to the post in 2007.