Legal Personality of the Year: Imran Khan

Imran Khan, the solicitor who represents Neville and Doreen Lawrence, has won The Lawyer’s Legal Personality of the Year Award.

Khan will be honoured at The Lawyer Awards, sponsored by NatWest Bank, tomorrow night (Tuesday). He found himself thrust into the media spotlight as, alongside Michael Mansfield QC, he fought to prove that “institutionalised racism” within the police had hampered inquiries into the murder of the Lawrence’s son, Stephen.

Sean Brierley, editor of The Lawyer, says: “Imran Khan’s work has had a major effect on the criminal justice system and the public’s perception of lawyers. At a time when the profession is under attack for its materialism, it is right that a man should be recognised for his commitment to justice and the law. It is not just Khan’s contribution to the Lawrences’ victory, it is also his contribution to the whole profession, that this award recognises.”

Legal Personality of the Year, sponsored by Sweet & Maxwell, is the only one of The Lawyer Awards that is voted for by the whole profession. Previous winners include Lord Irvine and Cherie Booth QC.