Birds Solicitors

Address: 61 Wansworth High Street, London, SW18 2PT, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 8874 7433
twitter @birdssolicitors

Specialist areas of work and services:
  • Civil law
  • Compensation
  • Judicial Reviews
  • Public law
  • Child law
  • Criminal Law
  • Criminal appeals
  • International criminal law
  • Compliance
  • Age dispute
  • International humanitarian law
  • Prison law
  • Extradition
  • Human rights

Description:
Birds solicitors is one of the leading modern slavery & human trafficking firms, covering an array of complex legal work relating to modern slavery.

Experience, Background and Services:
Birds solicitors is one of the UK's leading modern slavery firms. It has been involved modern slavery and human trafficking cases at a number of different levels including defending criminal proceedings brought against victims of trafficking, appeals against such convictions, judicial review of decisions by the Competent Authority as to the status of an individual, civil actions against authorities for non-investigation, applications for compensation following convictions being overturned, intervention representation for interested parties in important cases and compliance advice in relation to the obligations of organisations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Birds Solicitors has firmly established itself as one of the leading firms in relation to the law involving modern slavery and human trafficking. Their Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Department defends the rights of victims of exploitation and forced criminality. It also provides expert and specialist legal advice on all criminal offences linked to human trafficking and modern slavery, as well as related international, public law and human rights issues.

Birds Solicitors has been involved in many significant cases on this topic, including being lead legal team in the landmark case of R v L & Ors [2013] EWCA Crim 991; [2013] 2 Cr App R 23 concerning the non prosecution and criminalisation of victims of human trafficking.

Their work in this area includes representing individuals at first instance both in the police station and in subsequent court proceedings in the Magistrates’, Youth or Crown where they may be using the defence now afforded to them under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 or where they seek to persuade the prosecuting authorities to abide by the State’s obligations under the EU Directive and Treaty not to prosecute victims of trafficking for acts committed as a direct result of their trafficked status.

Birds advises on civil actions against the police and other authorities for failure to investigate and identify victims of trafficking and can assist in securing victims compensation and correct victim identification. The modern slavery team at Birds Solicitors is dedicated to protecting the rights of victims of trafficking and the firm is heavily involved in developments and training in many aspects of law in this area.

The firm accepts instructions by interested parties on interventions at the Court of Appeal on cases that raise important legal issues concerning victims of trafficking and in which we are not already instructed for the appellant.