Sarah Ricca

Information about the specialist

Practice Areas

In the Chambers legal directory Sarah is top ranked in police law and in civil liberties and human rights. She is described as “an amazing tactician” and “a tough negotiator” who is “very clever and very committed”.

Sarah has significant expertise in all areas of litigation relating to the criminal justice system and issues of human rights and civil liberties. She represents families bereaved as a result of failings of public authorities, as well victims of police misconduct and prisoners denied fundamental rights.

Sarah is especially sought after to represent families whose loved ones have died through state failings or abuses. These cases involve assisting the family through the investigative stage, the decision whether to bring disciplinary and/or criminal charges, the inquest or public inquiry process and civil proceedings seeking damages and/or a declaration for any wrong doing.

Sarah represents victims of crime in cases concerning the right to equal protection from the law. She has represented a number of families in inquests and civil claims arising from violations of the state’s article 2 obligations to protect women facing domestic violence. She has secured findings by juries that failings of the police, social services and mental health services have contributed to the death of women at the hands of their violent partners. She has helped her clients to secure disciplinary action against officers and substantial compensation in civil claims.

She has represented victims of disability hate crime and their families who are failed by the police, social services and other authorities. She has brought public and private law claims for women subjected to sexual violence who have been failed by the criminal justice system.

Sarah has acted for protestors in successful civil claims against the police for assault, false imprisonment, misfeasance, malicious prosecution and human rights and Equality Act breaches. She has brought successful claims against the Ministry of Justice on behalf of prisoners for various abuses by prison officers, including assaults, breaches of human rights and disability and race discrimination. Sarah also has expertise in cases concerning immigration detention, bringing a number of successful claims for assault, false imprisonment and human rights breaches.

Sarah receives referrals from a number of charities, campaigning organisations and activists, including those campaigning for abused women, vulnerable young people in prison and immigration detainees.