A law firm partner who has spent over a decade defending the rights of children and vulnerable migrants has been appointed legal director of high-profile campaign body Public Law Project.
Victoria Pogge von Strandmann, joint head of the public law and human rights department at Simpson Millar, will join Public Law Project as legal director in September.
Pogge von Strandmann’s practice has covered challenges under the Children Act 1989 in relation to looked after children, care leavers and age assessment cases, challenges to trafficking decisions, Care Act challenges for those without settled status, and challenges in respect of asylum support decisions and unlawful detention.
Pogge von Strandmann said: ‘PLP’s cases are game-changing for the clients they represent, whether they are individuals or NGOs. Too many parts of the state are not working as they should. From immigration and welfare to technology and legal aid, there are ineffective systems and unlawful decision-making that cause harm to those most vulnerable in society.’
Meanwhile, Arianne Griffith has joined PLP as research director.
Griffith, admitted to the bar of Trinidad and Tobago, led the corporate accountability team at Global Witness which focused on securing a new EU Directive to increase accountability for the adverse human rights, environmental, and climate impacts of business activities. Prior to that, she was a senior research and policy fellow at the University of Nottingham’s Rights Lab, where she led work to improve business responses to forced labour and labour abuses in supply chains.
‘It is more important than ever that decision-makers and policy makers understand how individuals and communities are being left behind by unlawful state decision-making and let down by a broken system of justice,’ Griffith said.
PLP chief executive Shameem Ahmad said: ‘With Arianne’s leadership, our research team will continue to conduct rigorous research to expose systemic injustices and provide a pathway forward for the state. Victoria will amplify our casework team’s ability to fearlessly and intelligently hold the state to account.’
