Meet our Inquiry Team

Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Inquiry Team

Toufique Hossain

I am the Director of Public Law at Duncan Lewis and I am leading a dedicated team of expert solicitors and caseworkers on Covid-19 Inquiry matters. I bring a wealth of experience having represented clients in some of the most politically contentious public inquiries of recent years.

I represented a core participant in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. This involved working sensitively with the client covering distressing issues to help them provide written and live evidence.

I currently act on the Brook House Inquiry, which is investigating the mistreatment of detainees Brook House Immigration Removal Centre exposed in 2017 by the BBC Panorama documentary ‘Undercover: Britain’s Immigration Secrets.’ I represent a number of clients in the inquiry, both core participants and witnesses, working closely with them to ensure that their voices may be heard and justice is served.

I am a highly experienced and well-regarded solicitor, with a practice dominated by judicial review challenges, representing individual claimants and NGOs to challenge executive decisions, policies and practices.

My full public law profile can be found here – Toufique Hossain | Duncan Lewis Solicitors

Rubin Italia

I am a director in the criminal law department at Duncan Lewis with more than 20 years’ experience and recognised as a leading lawyer in my field.

I supervised a joint multi-disciplinary team from public law and crime, which represented, during Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the principal core participant in whose flat the initial fire started. The role primarily involved assisting my client to give his witness statement and going through relevant parts of the disclosure that needed to be commented upon as far as his statement to the police.

This work involved a great deal of sensitivity as many of the participants were bereaved survivors.

My full criminal law profile can be found here – Rubin Italia | Duncan Lewis Solicitors

Nicholas De Freitas

I am a Director of Criminal Law. I was previously involved on Phase One of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which lasted over 2 years.

I oversaw the day-to-day running of a team of solicitors from public law, criminal law and actions against public authorities. Our principle aim was to safeguard our client who was a core participant in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

Our objectives were to go through the voluminous material to make sure our client was fully exonerated of any potential criminal or civil actions against him.

My full criminal law profile can be found here - Nicholas De Freitas | Duncan Lewis Solicitors

Lewis Kett

I am the lead solicitor at Duncan Lewis on the Brook House Public Inquiry, supervising and leading a team of solicitors and caseworkers on the firm’s work on the Inquiry. It is a deeply emotive case involving evidence of abuse and mistreatment at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre in 2017. It is the first public inquiry of its kind into immigration detention.

During the resulting public inquiry I represented the lead claimant in the judicial review, one of the main victims who was filmed in the BBC documentary. We also represent a former senior G4S manager turned whistle-blower who is highly critical of the way in which G4S and the Home Office ran Brook House.

My role as lead solicitor was to develop our strategic approach to the inquiry’s investigation, oversee preparation of witness evidence, analysis of disclosure, advise clients, and much more. I have developed significant experience in representing, advising and guiding vulnerable individuals through their engagement with a public inquiry.

My full profile can be found here - Lewis Kett | Duncan Lewis Solicitors

Nicholas Hughes

I am a part of the core team at Duncan Lewis working on the Brook House Inquiry, having been the principal caseworker assisting on all matters since January 2021. The Brook House Inquiry was set up to investigate the mistreatment and abuse of detainees in Brook House Immigration Removal Centre. Since joining the inquiry team in January 2021, I have worked full-time on it. The very nature of this inquiry means it covers distressing and difficult issues, which has meant that I have worked hard to ensure that each client is given the opportunity to share their experiences in a manner which meets their needs, both physically and mentally.

My role extends to the consideration of vast amounts of documentary evidence, liaising with barristers, clients and solicitors to the inquiry, working closely alongside our legal team in preparing and presenting our clients’ cases. This has necessitated a close and detailed understanding of inquiry procedures to guide and assist our clients to navigate through the inquiry process.

My full profile can be found here: Nicholas Hughes | Duncan Lewis Solicitors

Charlotte McLean

I am part of the core team at Duncan Lewis working on the Brook House Inquiry.

This public inquiry is investigating whether mistreatment of people detained at Brook House in 2017 amounted to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, and / or inhuman or degrading punishment. I represent several individuals who are core participants, advising and supporting them throughout the inquiry process. This primarily involves assisting my clients to provide written and live evidence to the inquiry about the extensive mistreatment and abuse they suffered whilst detained at Brook House, and the impact those experiences had on them, as well as reviewing and analysing voluminous disclosure evidencing what took place at Brook House, and working closely alongside our team of solicitors, caseworkers, and barristers in preparing and presenting our clients’ cases.

My full profile can be found here – Charlotte McLean | Duncan Lewis Solicitors