Graeme Rothwell

Solicitor - Director & Solicitor

SRA ID: 365515

I am a Director at Duncan Lewis Solicitors and Head of the firms’ Actions Against Public Authorities department. My expertise lies in bringing civil claims against the State, with a particular focus on claims against the police, immigration detention authorities, and prisons. I also support and represent bereaved families at inquests following the death of their loved ones whilst in prison, police custody, or during their contact with mental health services. I have significant experience and expertise in cases that involve fatalities and injuries resulting from police use of firearms, service dogs, and immigration removal incidents. I am dedicated to holding public authorities accountable and ensuring justice and closure in these tragic situations. I started my career by handling civil and commercial litigation cases. My interest in representing individuals against the State developed whilst I underwent training as a solicitor. Throughout this time, I brought several successful challenges against Local Authorities who sought to evict residents from their homes. In 2007, after qualifying as a solicitor, I practiced in criminal defence for over a decade. During that time, I conducted thousands of direct challenges and defences against allegations and accusations made by the State against individuals. I provided representation in police station interviews, trial advocacy in the Magistrates' Courts, and contested applications for bail, as well as litigation support in the Crown Court and Appeals Court. Whilst working with a civil liberties firm in central London, I developed a strong interest in bringing legal actions against the police and other government bodies. My experience in advocacy, combined with my interest in challenging the State, has led me to specialise primarily in this type of work. As a result, I started to represent bereaved family members in inquest proceedings. I joined Duncan Lewis Solicitors as an associate in 2016 and quickly became a heavy presence in establishing the firm's Claims Against Public Authorities department. I was subsequently promoted to Director in 2018. I have been, and continue to be, instructed in high profile cases that attract significant public interest and wide spread media coverage. I have represented families affected by the Grenfell Tragedy, the Windrush scandal, and the Plymouth Mass Shootings.