Deborah Britstone
Director
Profile
A leading professional discipline and regulatory lawyer, Deborah specialises in representing members of regulated professions and senior police officers. She has acted for clients in major public inquiries, professional tribunals, inquests and Crown and Appellate Courts. Her cases often shape public policy and feature as headline news.
Deborah lectures to senior police officers on policing law and is an editor of the PLOD podcast (Police Law on Demand).
In her voluntary capacity, Deborah sits on the Boards of the Jewish Representative Council and Manchester Maccabi Community and Sports Club.
Notable Cases
- Represented a Chief Inspector accused of assaulting a colleague at a workshop at New Scotland Yard.
- Represented a senior police officer who was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to commit blackmail, malicious communications and misconduct in public office.
- Represented a Chief Superintendent in misconduct proceedings in relation to an allegation that he inappropriately influenced the investigation of a junior colleague. The investigation started as a criminal investigation and ultimately was concluded by way of the lowest available sanction – management advice. The officer was unable to retire due to the investigation which lasted over 2 years.
- Represented a Superintendent investigated for breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour of challenging and reporting improper conduct and duties and responsibilities. This investigation concluded after interview with the Notice being withdrawn.
- Represented a Chief Superintendent accused of breaches of the Standards of Professional Behaviour of Use of Force, Equality and Diversity and Authority, Respect and Courtesy.
- Represented a Superintendent accused of making inappropriate comments of a sexual nature to colleagues.
- Advised a chief officer in relation to allegations of misconduct following a public complaint concerning a murder investigation.
- Advising a chief officer in relation to allegations of inappropriate comments made to female colleagues.
- Represented a senior officer facing an IOPC criminal investigation into allegations of Corruption and breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998.
- Represented retired Chief Constable Mick Creedon in an IOPC investigation into allegations of Conspiracy to Pervert the Course of Justice and other misconduct matters. Mr Creedon was found to have no case to answer in respect of all criminal and misconduct allegations.
- Advised a Chief Officer in an IOPC investigation into allegations of misconduct relating to the investigation and production of a final report in a professional standards investigation.
- Acted for Chief Constable Simon Byrne who was accused of 74 allegations of breaching the Standards of Professional Behaviour by allegedly bullying subordinate officers and staff said to amount to Gross Misconduct. Mr Byrne was acquitted of all allegations. He is now the Chief Constable of the PSNI.
- Acted for retired Assistant Chief Constable Steven Heywood who was accused of misleading the public inquiry into the shooting of Anthony Grainger, following a criminal and misconduct investigation by the IOPC. GMP decided to offer no evidence against Mr Heywood and no findings were made against him.
- Acting for Cmdr Julian Bennett in relation to allegations of breaches of the Standards of Professional Behaviour of Discreditable Conduct, Honesty and Integrity and Orders and Instructions.
- Advised two former senior Metropolitan Police Service officers in respect of their responses to criticisms in the report of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel.
- Advised a Superintendent in relation to a review being undertaken by a retired member of the judiciary including drafting detailed and comprehensive representations as part of the Maxwellisation process.
- Represented retired Chief Constable Mick Creedon, who was a Core Participant in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in relation to the investigation into alleged sexual abuse by Lord Janner.
- Represented retired Commander Richard Gargini, who was a Core Participant in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse relating to the Children in the Care of Lambeth Council investigation.
- Advised two senior officers in respect of their evidence to the Manchester Arena Inquiry.
- Advising a local authority in relation to their contribution to the Covid 19 Public Inquiry.
- Advised a senior officer in relation to his account to the Angiolini Inquiry.
- Advising members of a local authority requested to provide evidence to the Fuller Independent Inquiry.
- Advised a Social Worker in Fitness to Practise proceedings relating to allegations of inappropriate use of language in group therapy sessions. The allegations were discontinued and no impairment was found.
- Represented a pharmacist who was accused of making inappropriate, inaccurate and misleading statements to a patient. The Fitness to Practise Committee made a finding that the facts in the allegations were not proved.
- Advising a pharmacist in relation to an investigation by the General Pharmaceutical Council in to the activities of an online pharmacy.
- Advising a pharmacist accused of making inappropriate comments to junior female colleagues.
- Advised a pharmacist in the provision of his witness statement to the Inquest relating to the death of a patient who had ordered medication from an online pharmacy.
Contact Details
deborah@3d-solicitors.com
0161 250 7566
07495 485402
Expertise
Professional Discipline
Police Law
Inquests
Public Inquiries
“Unbelievably hardworking, bright and personable – she is very much on the up and is very highly thought of.”
Legal 500
“You led me through the legal maze from beginning to end. Your expertise and skill resulted in a complete acquittal and allowed me to rebuild my life and career.”
“My public thanks must go to Daniel Berke whose creative legal strategy so clearly unnerved Twitter as to engender a complete capitulation on their part.”
“Daniel advises like he’s a member of our team: sensible, to the point and supportive of our ambitions, while keeping an eagle eye on the regulatory environment that is relevant to our business.”