Mirren practises across public and human rights law, including bringing judicial review claims related to prison law, housing, immigration and community care matters, as well as civil actions against the police and other state bodies. Mirren also practises in inquests and inquiries and parole board hearings.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Mirren was an award-nominated journalist, most recently working as an investigative journalist for the human rights organisation Liberty, where she focused on disproportionate policing. In addition to her work as a barrister, Mirren chairs a local police scrutiny group.
Public Law
Mirren is regularly instructed in judicial review matters across a broad range of areas including prison law, migrant rights, housing and homelessness and community care. Mirren has appeared unled in the High Court and led in the Court of Appeal and works across all stages of judicial review proceedings.
Inquests and Inquiries
Mirren represents bereaved families at inquests and has a particular interest in inquests involving failures by the police and/or prisons.
Mirren is currently instructed on an inquest concerning the seemingly natural death of a prisoner for which she has made successful submissions on Article 2 engagement and the need for a jury. She is also instructed on inquests into the death of a person in police custody, the death of a prisoner on remand and the death of a patient while under section.
Mirren has recently finished two jury inquests into the suicide of a sectioned patient while on unescorted leave and the death of a prisoner from psychoactive substances for which the juries found causative and non-causative failures. She has previously represented families in inquests concerning the deaths of two young children and the death of a patient in a psychiatric hospital, for which she made successful submissions on the need for a neglect rider to be added to the conclusion.
Mirren is interested in developing an inquiries practice and is currently instructed as a junior on an ongoing inquiry.
Civil Actions Against the State
Mirren is regularly instructed in civil actions against police forces and prisons and has experience bringing cases concerning trespass to the person, unlawful arrest and breaches of the Equality Act 2010. Mirren’s prior journalistic experience means she is particularly skilled at determining what evidence is needed to bring a successful claim and how to obtain it.
Prison Law
In addition to her work on prison inquests and civil actions against prisons, Mirren represents prisoners in Parole Board hearings and has additional experience with both complex finding of fact and public parole hearings.
Human Rights Lawyers’ Association
Inquest Lawyers’ Group
Association of Prison Lawyers
Co-convenor, Police Action Lawyers’ Group
Chair, Tower Hamlets Community Monitoring Group
BPP, Bar Training Course, High-Level Distinction (previously referred to as an Outstanding)
BPP, Postgraduate Diploma in Law, Distinction
King’s College London, MA Terrorism, Security and Society, Distinction – first in year
University College London, BA English Literature, 2:1
Scholarships
Gray’s Inn, Roger Cox Bar Course Scholarship
BPP, Advocacy Scholarship
Gray’s Inn, Enoch Dumbutshena GDL Scholarship
For information on hourly rates and fees