Park Square Barristers

Civil Fraud, Children Law, Crime, Court of Protection & Adult Care, Employment, Regulatory & Public

Crime

Leila is a tenacious criminal advocate whose charming and down-to-earth character sets her apart in terms of her advocacy. This allows her to build lasting relationships with clients from all walks of life and win over juries in trials.

Leila has a wide-ranging criminal caseload spanning an array of offences including drugs, sexual violence, dishonesty and other serious violence. Leila has a particular interest in cases of domestic abuse, 'honour' based violence and forced marriage.

Leila's experience in criminal regulatory work spanning civil and quasi-criminal applications has given her an understanding of how civil proceedings complement the criminal process in POCA cases. She is regularly instructed in criminal confiscation proceedings (R v S.A and R v I.K) and has successfully acted on behalf of the police/HMRC in forfeiture applications, as well as successfully defended such civil applications (R v A.B, R v B.H and R v S.A), often involving large amounts of cash and property. Leila has experience prosecuting fraud cases brought on behalf of the SoS for Business and Trade (R v HC and R v RSI).

Before practising at the Bar, Leila worked within the international development sector in Iraq, Turkey and Syria working for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other Non-Governmental Organisations. Her understanding of cultural sensitivities is informed by her experience of working within international environments including places of hardship.

Leila's background of campaigning on issues of social justice is what informed her career path. She, therefore, takes pride in representing vulnerable people and leaving no stone unturned.

Regulatory & Public

Leila is one of 11 Inclusion and Diversity panel members who appear on behalf of Rugby Football Union (RFU) to hear disciplinary cases relating to rugby involving allegations of discriminatory behaviour.

Leila has represented the police in regulatory applications that often foreshadow criminal proceedings, including Stalking Protection Orders, Slavery Trafficking Risk Orders, SROs, Forced Marriage Protection Orders, SHPOs and DDTROs (to shut down county lines drug dealing).

Leila has also represented different councils and license holders in taxi licensing appeals in the courts (which have run parallel to criminal allegations), and at premise licensing meetings at the Town Hall.

Leila is regularly instructed in cases of civil confiscation, contempt proceedings by breach of restraint order (R v N- where D disposed of a major asset and the proceeds linked to it), applications for variation orders, and civil applications for seizure and/or further detention of assets and cash.

She has also been instructed in committal for contempt proceedings for breach of civil injunctions (NB v MA) originally imposed for stalking/harassing behaviour.

Leila has experience appeals to the Mental Health Tribunal, parole board adjudications and private prosecutions involving breach of CBOs (Wakefield Council v MD), dangerous dog matters and offences in breach of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (Borough Council of Calderdale v S.A).

She is currently instructed as a disclosure junior on a very high-profile civil case concerning allegations of malicious prosecution and failures of disclosure in substantive criminal proceedings. She has been instructed as a Junior Junior counsel on behalf of the Government Legal Department (GLD) to redact documents and draft witness statements human rights claims of Personal Injury and Use of Force against the Ministry of Justice.

Employment

Leila is able to grasp the complexity of an employment law case whilst still ensuring the ‘bigger picture’ is not lost before a tribunal.

Leila has appeared in cases involving a multitude of claims involving unfair dismissal, discrimination, unlawful deduction of wages and breach of contract on behalf of Claimants and Respondents.

She uses her expertise in criminal law including jury advocacy to bring a flair to the presentation of her employment cases.

She also regularly drafts advices on appeal, remedy and merits of claims.

Call 2018  2014-2016 Project & Advocacy Manager at JUST Yorkshire (racial justice organisation)

2016-2017 (S)GBV |& Communications consultant at ICLS (intercultural communication and leadership school)

2018-2019 Partnership & Grants Co-ordinator at Bahar Organisation, Turkey/Iraq

2019-2020 UNDP Iraq

2020 Pupil at Park Square Barristers

2021 Tenant at PSQB

2021

CPS Level 1 Prosecutor

2023

CPS Level 2 Prosecutor

2025

CPS Level 3 Prosecutor

Appointments: 2016-present - Trustee/Management Committee member at Anah Project (local domestic violence refuge for BAMER women)

Inner Temple

2013 Lancaster University / Universitat Trier (1 year Erasmus) - LLB (Hons) European Legal Studies, 2:1

2015 University of York - MA Applied Human Rights

2018 University of Law Leeds - BPTC, Very Competent