MEET OUR TEAM
Ian Hislop
Ian Hislop has been the editor of Private Eye for nearly 40 years. The Eye has always given prominence to miscarriage of justice cases from longstanding cases such as the Bridgwater Four, Tony Stock, Sam Hallam, to the post office scandal today. Ian has also been a Team Captain on Have I Got News For You since its inception in 1990.
Dame Emma Thompson DBE
Award-winning actor, writer and activist Emma Thompson played solicitor Gareth Peirce in the film In the Name of the Father, based on the true story of the Guildford Four, four people wrongly convicted of the 1974 Guildford pub bombings. Since then Emma has been a passionate supporter of those fighting against miscarriages of justice. In addition to her support of APPEAL, Emma is chair of the Helen Bamber Foundation, a patron of the Refugee Council and an active Greenpeace supporter.
Photo credit: © Chris Levine and Sphere9 Ltd. All rights reserved DACS 2024
Charlie Falconer, Baron Falconer of Thoroton, PC, KC
Charlie Falconer is a barrister, former Lord Chancellor (2003-2007), and King's Counsel. He is also a partner at the law firm Gibson Dunn.
Michael Mansfield KC
Michael Mansfield KC, Head of Nexus Chambers, has been involved in helping overturn some of the most notorious miscarriages of justice. These include the Guildford 4, the Birmingham 6, the Orgreave miners, the Tottenham 3, Bridgewater 4 and the Cardiff 5. He also represented the family of Stephen Lawrence. His most recent book is The Power in the People, Not the People in Power (Monoray, 2023).
Winston Trew
Winston Trew spent nearly 50 years fighting to clear his name. He was fitted up by one of Britain’s most racist corrupt cops. You can read his story in his co-authored book with Graham Satchwell, Rot at the Core (The History Press, 2021).
Emma Torr
Co-Director
Emma is a Barrister and APPEAL's Co-Director working alongside Matt Foot. Emma is a fearless advocate who fights for individuals who have suffered a serious miscarriages of justice, working closely with APPEAL's specialist investigators to uncover fresh evidence and overturn convictions through the CCRC and, ultimately, the Court of Appeal.
Prior to joining APPEAL in September 2020, Emma worked for over 15 years as a criminal defence barrister. Previously practising at One Pump Court Chambers, before moving in-house to work in a specialist firm of criminal defence lawyers. Her practice encompassed a broad range of serious criminal offences, developing an expertise in representing women and the most vulnerable and marginalised in society.
Before practising as a Barrister, Emma worked at Public Concern at work (now Protect), the whistleblowing charity.
Emma holds a LLB (Hons) in Law and was awarded the Jules Thorn Scholarship from the Honourable Society of Middle Temple. She was called to the Bar in 2001.
Emma is a committee member of the Criminal Appeals Lawyers Association and the Bar Council's Pro Bono and Social Responsibility Committee and the Employed Barristers' Committee.
Emma is an Honorary Legal Fellow of the University of East London. Emma was shortlisted for the 2024 Employed Bar Awards.
Matt Foot
Co-Director
Matt is APPEAL's Co-Director, leading aspects of both the law practice and charity alongside Emma Torr. He is a solicitor. Matt has previously worked as a defence solicitor at the law firm Birnberg Peirce for more than 17 years, building a reputation as one of the country’s top miscarriage of justice lawyers and acting in a number of high-profile criminal appeals, including those of Sam Hallam and Eddie Gilfoyle, as well as specialising in protest cases.
Alongside his legal practice, Matt has established himself as a leading voice in the fight to make the system fairer for those at the sharp end of criminal justice. Most recently he co-authored Charged: How the Police Try to Suppress Protest – an investigation into violent and authoritarian police tactics. Previously he co-led the campaign to protect legal aid, co-founding Justice Alliance; and to review the use of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs).
Matt has written extensively in the media, including in the Guardian and the London Review of Books.
Photo Credit: Jess Hurd
Nadiyah Akoo
Resource Development and Operations Lead
Nadiyah is APPEAL’s Resource Development and Operations Lead, working on grant applications, crowdfunding and other income generation, as well as supporting Co-Directors with all operational aspects of running APPEAL.
Graduating with a BSc in Business Management and Marketing, Nadiyah worked in the higher education marketing sector before joining an inner London secondary school and sixth form where she worked as a School Business Manager, leading on all operations including premises and facilities, marketing, administration, catering, IT, HR and finance.
Aware of the miscarriages of justice faced by many in the UK, Nadiyah has a personal motivation in contributing to the work of APPEAL.
James Burley
Investigator
James is an Investigator at APPEAL working on cases at the CCRC and Court of Appeal levels, as well as on evidence access challenges in the Administrative Court.
Prior to joining APPEAL in March 2016, James interned at the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center in New Orleans, helping to investigate pre-trial death penalty cases with a particular focus on using public records law to obtain records.
Before this James volunteered on the death penalty team at Reprieve as a researcher. He has also worked at Skoob Books, and was news editor of London Student.
James has a BA in philosophy from University College London and holds an Advanced Professional Certificate in Investigative Practice.
Tara Casey
Women’s Justice Lawyer
Tara is APPEAL’s Women’s Justice Lawyer, working on individual cases at the CCRC and Court of Appeal levels, and contributing to campaign efforts. She qualified as an attorney in the State of New York, USA in October 2022, and as a solicitor in England and Wales in November 2023.
Tara has previously worked as a student attorney at the Capital Punishment Clinic at the University of Texas at Austin and the Family Law/Domestic Violence Clinic at the Legal Services Center at Harvard Law School.
She has also volunteered for the Clann Project and Justice for Magdalenes Research in Ireland, two organisations which campaign for effective redress for women and children who were institutionalised in industrial laundries and mother and baby homes throughout the twentieth century.
Following completion of an L.L.M. , Tara joined APPEAL as a Fellow in August 2019 having been awarded the Kaufman Fellowship by Harvard Law School.
Nisha Waller
Racial Justice Lead
Nisha lead's APPEAL's work on racial justice which aims to raise awareness of and challenge discriminatory practices in the criminal justice system. Her work primarily involves conducting and overseeing the development of research.
Nisha holds a PhD from the University of Oxford. Her PhD research investigates racialised processes of prosecution in the context of ‘joint enterprise’, particularly focusing on the experiences of young Black men.
Nisha also holds an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Oxford, and a BA in Sociology and Criminology from the University of Westminster.
Mya I
Racial Justice Researcher
Mya is a researcher specialising in racial justice within the criminal justice system. Her work critically examines structural inequality, policing practices, and the criminalisation of Black and minoritised communities in the UK.
Mya completed her undergraduate degree in Criminology and Criminal Psychology at the University of Greenwich. Through her work, Mya aims to contribute to transformative understandings around justice, accountability, and structural change within the criminal justice system.
Sue Beere
Survivor Advocacy Co-Lead
Sue is a Survivor Advocate at APPEAL, supporting Bound by Injustice (BBI), a community made up of APPEAL clients and their loved ones. With Cath Snow, she develops opportunities for BBI members to share their experiences of miscarriages of justice and campaign for change in the criminal justice system, as well as providing pastoral support.
Sue previously worked in a primary school for 22 years. She worked as a Family Liaison Officer supporting families and children whilst also overseeing the school’s Nurture Group which encourages children to develop their emotional and social skills. She is qualified in ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support), WWP (Working With Parents) Behaviour and Attendance.
Sue not only has professional experience of supporting prisoners’ families but also has personal experience – for 11 years her husband served a 24 year sentence for a wrongful conviction. Sue is an active member of APPEAL’s Bound By Injustice community.
During the early years of her husband’s sentence, Sue volunteered for a local Barnardo’s project, Community Support for Offender’s Families (CSOF) where she co-facilitated training to professionals across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The training raised awareness of the impact on families of the justice system and gave professionals tools with which to support children and families.
Sue has shared her husband’s story across various media channels over the years including on Victoria Derbyshire Programme, podcasts, and news articles.
Mona Kermani
Solicitor
Mona is a Solicitor at APPEAL working on miscarriage of justice cases. She is dual-qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales and as an attorney in the USA. Prior to joining APPEAL Mona worked at the Harris County Public Defender’s Office in Houston, Texas, representing individuals charged with a range of misdemeanour and felony offences. Mona specialised in cases involving mental illness and worked in a specialist criminal mental health court, representing individuals with severe mental illness facing serious felony charges.
Earlier in her career, Mona spent five years working on death penalty cases in Texas at both the trial and appellate level. She later became Deputy Mitigation Director at Texas Defender Service, where she advised death penalty trial teams across the state and supervised a team of mitigation specialists.
Mona holds a BSc in Psychology from the University of Birmingham, an LLB from the University of Law, and an LLM in International Law & Capital Punishment from the University of Texas at Austin.
Fatou Kane
Finance Manager
As APPEAL's freelance finance manager, Fatou oversees the management of financial records and the payroll. Fatou holds a BSc in Business Information Systems, and Accounting and Finance and she is an ACCA affiliate. She has worked in the non profit sector for over 10 years.
Gunnjeet Gill
Legal Intern
Gunnjeet completed her undergraduate law degree at the University of Oxford and is currently pursuing an LLM in Legal Practice, having also recently completed the SQE exams to qualify as a solicitor. She is driven by a deep commitment to systemic change and equality, demonstrated through founding the Oxford Women of Colour Society and undertaking specialised training in capital defence with Amicus ALJ. Gunnjeet is excited to contribute to APPEAL’s mission of investigating miscarriages of justice and promoting a fair justice system.
Andy Dennis
Legal Intern
Andy joins APPEAL from Legal Action Group, where he worked since graduating with an LLB in Law with Criminal Justice and Human Rights from Goldsmiths. Alongside his role at APPEAL, Andy is studying for an MSc in Inequalities and Social Science. Andy hopes to combine his academic and professional background with his lived experience of the criminal justice system to contribute to APPEAL’s invaluable work.
Jodie Trundle
Legal Intern
Jodie completed her undergraduate degree in Criminology and Forensic Studies at the University of Portsmouth in 2024 and has recently completed the Graduate Diploma in Law. Her undergraduate dissertation examined miscarriages of justice, false confessions and reform frameworks by analysing how different countries' criminal justice systems operate. She has a research and reform-based approach to criminal justice, miscarriages of justice and the protection of vulnerable individuals.
Rosa Curling
Chair of Trustees
Rosa is a lawyer co‑director of Foxglove, a charity which undertakes strategic litigation to ensure technology is used fairly and does not harm the public. She has acted in landmark cases before UK, European and international courts, securing victories that have protected refugees, challenged government surveillance, and upheld vital public services. Rosa also chairs the board of Shadow World Investigations and sits on the board of Videre Est Credere.
Jacob Bindman
Trustee
Jacob is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers specialising in serious crime, financial crime and national security. Jacobs practice also covers extradition, protest and related public and international law. He has previously worked as a Judicial Assistant at the Supreme Court and as a fellow at the Centre for Constitutional Rights in New York. Jacob was previously an Executive Committee member of the Bar Human Rights Committee for whom he visited the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in 2020. Jacob retains a longstanding interest in miscarriages of justice and issues arising from the War on Terror.
David Corker
Trustee
David is a leading criminal and regulatory litigator, renowned for his expertise in complex financial crime, serious fraud and international investigations. He is described as an “original thinker” with a formidable reputation, ranked across Chambers UK and The Legal 500 for his work in financial crime, POCA, white‑collar fraud and asset forfeiture. David has acted in many of the most significant Serious Fraud Office cases and brings decades of specialist experience in corruption, money laundering and cartel matters.
Christopher David
Trustee
Chris is a solicitor and Partner at Clifford Chance. He specialises in white collar crime, including allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption, insider dealing or money laundering. In his role at APPEAL, Chris focuses on engaging other major law firms in working on a pro bono basis on APPEAL’s cases.
Emma Goodall KC
Trustee
Emma is a leading criminal silk at Doughty Street Chambers with extensive experience in high‑profile, serious and sensitive cases at first instance and on appeal. Her appellate practice includes making submissions to the Criminal Cases Review Commission and acting in appeals against conviction and sentence before the Court of Appeal and judicial review proceedings. Emma is a contributor to the practitioner guide Taylor on Criminal Appeals. She sits as a criminal Recorder in the Crown Court and is the Vice Chair of Women in Criminal Law.
Yusuf Solley
Trustee
Yusuf is a criminal barrister who exclusively defends, specialising in serious and complex cases and representing young and neurodivergent defendants, including those with ASD and ADHD. He has significant experience advising on appeals to the Court of Appeal and progressing cases through the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Yusuf also serves as a Commissioner for the Westminster Commission on Joint Enterprise, launched in 2024 by the APPG on Miscarriages of Justice.
Mair Williams
Trustee
Mair is a barrister with more than fifteen years experience in criminal and regulatory law. She is dual qualified, having been called to the California Bar in 2016. Before becoming a Trustee, Mair worked on a number of cases and initiatives with APPEAL, including Andrew Malkinson's case.
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APPEAL is the working name of the Centre for Criminal Appeals, a Charitable Company Limited By Guarantee and a law practice authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
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