Weightmans LLP
Lawyers
Daniel Rutherford
- Profilewww.weightmans.com
Position
Daniel is a Principal Associate based in our London office and specialises in defending actions against the police. He is listed in the Chambers and Partners UK 2021 guide as an "Associate to watch". Interviewees reported to Chambers and Partners UK that he works "incredibly hard" and is a "trusted player".
Daniel represents a number of police forces and is frequently instructed in high profile claims and inquests. Daniel represented Sussex Police in the litigation which arose following the drone incursions at Gatwick Airport in December 2018. He has represented the British Transport Police in a number of sensitive claims including the high profile acquittal of a male accused of sexually assaulting an actress from Game of Thrones at Waterloo station and a claim which resulted from the use of a spit hood at London Bridge station where footage of the incident went viral.
Daniel represented Surrey Police at two of the three Deepcut inquests from 2018-2019. He represented the British Transport Police at the inquests into the terrorist attack at London Bridge and Borough Market. This included representation of PC Wayne Marques GM who was stabbed on multiple occasions whilst challenging the three terrorists. Daniel is currently instructed in the inquests into the terrorist attack at Fishmongers’ Hall, the inquests into the Guildford Pub Bombings in 1974 and the inquests into the Croydon Tram Crash.
He has been involved in the two leading cases addressing the applicability of qualified one way costs shifting (QOCS) to actions against the police. He successfully advised the Metropolitan Police Service in Jeffreys v The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2017] EWHC 1505 and in the Court of Appeal case of Brown v (1) The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (2) Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police and the Equality and Human Rights Commissioner (Intervener) [2019] EWCA Civ 1724.
Notable cases include:
Countess of Caledon v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2016] EWHC 2214 (QB);
Chergui and Stewart v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2017] EWHC 1307 (QB);
Jeffreys v The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2017] EWHC 1505 (QB);
Dr Pal v The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2018] EWHC 2988 (QB);
Brown v (1) The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (2) Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police and the Equality and Human Rights Commissioner (Intervener) [2019] EWCA Civ 1724.
Notable inquests include:
Inquest into the death of Private Sean Benton at Deepcut barracks (2018)
Inquest into the death of Private Geoff Gray at Deepcut barracks (2019)
Inquests into the terrorist attack at London Bridge and Borough Market (2019)
Inquests into the five deaths arising from the Guildford pub bombings in 1974 (2019-2022)
Inquests into the seven deaths arising from the Croydon tram disaster (2019-2021)
Inquests into the deaths following the terrorist attack at Fishmongers' Hall (2020-2021)