Claims against the police

Should you wish to sue the police, at Pannone we have a team of specialist solicitors and legal advisers who deal with these types of actions.

Our solicitors have experience in winning civil actions against the police for people who have been mistreated in some way by false imprisonment or assault by a police officer.

You may be able to sue the police if any of the following apply:

• the police breached your human rights
• you have been assaulted by a police officer
• a police officer trespassed on your property
• you were falsely imprisoned or held by the police longer than necessary or allowed by law
• the police took a malicious prosecution against you
• a police officer committed trespass to goods and conversion, meaning he or she damaged your property or seized it and refused to return it
• a police officer is guilty of misfeasance of public office, meaning he or she used their position as a police officer in an inappropriate way
• the police were negligent against you and you have suffered loss as a result
• you were the victim of racial discrimination

Compensation claims against the police

The police complaints system is now overseen by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and we have experience in dealing with these complaints.

Solicitors at Pannone also handle claims for compensation against the police which arise out of miscarriages of justice, including circumstances where there has been a wrongful conviction. We also represent those who have suffered loss when someone close to them has died whilst in custody and where the Coroner holds an Inquest.

If you wish to make a claim we will advise you of your options and discuss with you the likely outcome of your police compensation claim as we fully understand that taking action against the police can be a very daunting prospect. We will consider carefully with you how it is best to fund your case.

Options for funding include: legal expense insurance which you may already have, public funding (legal aid) or, in certain situations, on a conditional fee basis (no-win no-fee). In appropriate cases we will also consider dealing with your claim on a private client basis. If a claim is successfully made to the Home Secretary for wrongful conviction (a miscarriage of justice case) then there is scope for payments to be made to solicitors for your legal costs.

The police rarely issue apologies and as a result, compensation is the most likely outcome of any police claim. This compensation falls into one of three categories:

• basic damages - an amount of money designed to compensate the Claimant
• aggravated damages - damages for injured feelings. If aggravated damages are awarded, they will not be less than £1,000
• exemplary damages - designed to punish the conduct of a police officer which is arbitrary, oppressive or unconstitutional. If exemplary damages are awarded, they will be not less than £5,500.

If you have sustained injuries as a result of crime violence it may also be possible to make a claim for compensation to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. The amount of compensation awarded by the Criminal Compensation Authority is determined according to a Tariff Scheme and is assessed according to the injuries sustained.

We consider the human rights implications of every enquiry we receive and our specialist solicitors will advise you whether it appears you have suffered a human rights violation at the hands of the police.

If you need to choose a solicitor to sue the police, in order to ensure that you get the best representation possible, use a solicitor who is a specialist in the area of police compensation claims. Pannone's police actions solicitors will be able to advise you on how best to proceed with your case to ensure you get the highest level of compensation possible.

Claims against the police

For a free 'no obligation' meeting with solicitor who specialises in claims against the police, please click here or call us free on 0800 0384 384.
We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.