Chris Topping

How can I help you?

On a daily basis I bring challenges against the Police, Prison Service and hospitals, primarily when the rights of an individual have been abused or removed. This may involve allegations of unlawful detention or assault, and my team and I are committed to ensuring the rights of individuals are upheld and that the state is held to account.

I’m proud to be recognised in the Chamber Guide as one of the leading solicitors in the country in this area of work and to lead our Actions against the Police department. We have developed a national reputation for dealing with complaints and claims of Police malpractice and cover cases across the country.  

A little about me

I’ve been a Director at Broudie Jackson Canter since 1993 and was a Board member from 1993 to 2020. I’m passionate about access to justice, in particular, ensuring those that need legal advice are able to obtain it. I have campaigned against Legal Aid budget cuts by successive governments and, sadly, have to continue to do so.

Until recently I was a member of the Law Society Mental Health Tribunal Panel, having conducted over 500 tribunals and representing those whose liberty has been removed under the Mental Health Act 1983. I’m still very much involved in Judicial Review proceedings and compensation claims arising from the misuse of the Act. A number of the most important cases in the leading textbook, ‘The Mental Health Manual’ have been taken by my colleagues and I.

My experience

I was honoured by the Law Society at the 2016 Excellence Awards, winning the prestigious Human Rights Lawyer of the Year award in the same year our firm won Excellence in Pro Bono.

My notable cases include Keegan v United Kingdom in which the European Court made it clear that Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights needed to be at the forefront of Police thinking before people’s homes were raided. I was the solicitor in the case Queen on behalf of Aru v Chief Constable of Merseyside Police which defined the routes of appeal in judicial review proceedings.

I was delighted to have been appointed as the President of Liverpool Law Society in 2018/19. It was a great honour to help shape the future of an organisation which has existed for nearly 200 years. It was also an opportunity for me to ensure that the areas of law that I’m passionate about were not missed off the agenda. The Liverpool Law Society has always been at the forefront of campaigning on issues of justice and I hope that I helped to maintain that proud tradition whilst I was in office.

As a member of the Police Action Lawyers Group, a national organisation of solicitors and barristers, I’m dedicated to assisting those who come into contact with the Police.