Bilal Rawat

Practice Areas

Bilal’s practice encompasses public law, prison law, inquests and inquiries, national security, police law and healthcare law. Bilal has recently been re-appointed to the Attorney General’s A Panel of Civil Counsel. He has been a member of the Attorney General’s Panel of Special Advocates since 2009.

Some of his recent high- profile cases include:

BVI Commission of Inquiry [2021-2022]: leading counsel to the Commission of Inquiry investigating corruption amongst public officials in the British Virgin Islands.

Inquest into the death of Sudesh Amman [2021]: leading junior for NPS in the investigation into the Streatham terror attack.

R3 v SSHD [2020]: SIAC appeal brought against a decision to deprive an individual who had travelled to Syria of his citizenship (instructed as a special advocate).

Grenfell Tower Inquiry [2018 to present] – as counsel to the inquiry.

Called in 1995, Bilal was a research scientist working in the biomedical sciences before establishing a career at the Bar. He gained early experience in criminal and family law before focusing on a civil practice.

Bilal now acts for government departments, police forces, local authorities and quasi-public companies in public and civil law matters. He is often instructed in complex cases where the issues require sensitive handling and have reputational impact.

Bilal regularly provides training in his areas of interest to law firms and government bodies.

Please visit the 5 Essex Chambers website for Bilal’s profile, which sets out full details of his practice including relevant work of note.