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Emily-Jade Defriend

Associate

Actions Against Police and State

Emily-Jade Defriend

Emily-Jade is an associate in our Actions Against Police and State team. She specialises in civil claims and public law challenges against the police and state. She has acted for several families in inquests following the death of their loved ones. 

Emily-Jade is instructed on the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry and is a Recognised Legal Representative for families who are bereaved and for survivors of the fire. 

Emily-Jade successfully acted for Shao Jiang in his claim against the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police for false imprisonment, assault and trespass to his property. The claim arose from his arrest after peacefully protesting during the Chinese State Visit in London in 2015.

She was part of the legal team which successfully challenged the Metropolitan Police’s unlawful ban on Extinction Rebellion’s October 2019 uprising. Following the High Court’s decision in the case of Baroness Jones that the banning of the protests in London had been unlawful, the Metropolitan Police Service conceded early that their earlier ban on 8th October 2019 should also be quashed. After the High Court quashed the bans, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped charges against hundreds of Extinction Rebellion protesters. 

Emily-Jade successfully acted for Paul Gambaccini in his claim against the Metropolitan Police Service for a misuse of private information. Mr Gambaccini was awarded substantial damages and an apology. 

Other successful cases include overturning the Metropolitan Police Service’s decision not to prosecute a suspect in a case of serious sexual assault. 

Emily-Jade has particular expertise in representing clients in claims arising from unlawful stop and searches and wrongful arrests. She has successfully represented a number of clients in claims for assault, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, misfeasance, racial discrimination, and for breaches of the Human Rights Act 1998. 

Experience

Emily’s current cases include:

  • Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry
  • False imprisonment and assault claim against the police for an unlawful stop and search
  • Negligence and breach of Article 2 (right to life) claim against the police
  • Inquest into the death of a man who died in police custody
  • Victims’ Right to Review on behalf of a victim of serious sexual assault
  • Complaint against the police for racial discrimination and an unlawful stop and search
  • Article 3 claim against the police for a failure to investigate a complaint of sexual assault

Emily’s recent successes include:

  • A v Chief Constable of South Wales Police – civil claim for substantial damages arising from an unlawful arrest at a protest and subsequent prosecution.
  • B v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis – civil claim for substantial damages and an apology for a misuse or private information
  • Successful Victims Right to Review Challenge, overturning the police’s decision not to prosecute a man suspected of committing a serious sexual offence
  • Upheld police complaint on behalf of a BAME individual who was unlawfully stopped and searched
  • Upheld police complaint on behalf of a BAME individual who was unlawfully detained by the police

In the news

Recent directory and client quotes
  • Emily is ranked as a “Associate to Watch” in Civil Liberties & Human Rights & Police Law: Mainly Claimant.
  • “She is a great solicitor.”
  • “I can always trust Emily-Jade. She manages to settle cases in clients’ favour.”

Legal 500 2025
  • Emily-Jade is recommended in the editorial commentary for Civil Liberties and Human Rights.

Chambers and Partners UK 2024
  • Emily was ranked as a “Associate to Watch” in Civil Liberties & Human Rights & Police Law: Mainly Claimant.
  • “She is a talented, passionate and really intellectually strong lawyer.”
  • “Emily-Jade is extremely clever and an asset to the team.”
  • “Emily is a very bright solicitor.”

Publications and press releases

Emily-Jade co-authors The Liberty Library blog. Her recent articles include:

  • ‘The rules governing police pursuits must change’
  • ‘Police stop and search: ineffective yet harmful’
  • ‘Opposing PSPOs’

Press releases:

Professional memberships

Emily-Jade is a member of the Police Actions Lawyers Group and the Inquest Lawyers Group

Education and career
  • Emily-Jade graduated with a BA in Politics from the University of Exeter
  • She worked at two large solicitors’ firms from 2012 to 2018
  • Emily-Jade then joined Bindmans in April 2018