Janet Farrell

Janet is an assistant solicitor in the immigration detention team currently specialising in civil claims brought by children and families detained by the Home Office. Janet joined Bhatt Murphy in September 2009 to finish her training, and qualified as a solicitor in January 2010.

Janet is committed to using the law to protect and promote the rights of vulnerable groups, and has developed a particular interest in the rights of immigrants. Janet is an accredited immigration practitioner and worked for Refugee & Migrant Justice for a number of years as a caseworker and manager in the fast track process at Oakington, and later in the litigation team conducting public law challenges on a variety of issues. Prior to qualifying as a solicitor she also acted as a children’s advocate for children within the care system, volunteered as a director in a social enterprise and worked in a support role in a youth homelessness project.

Janet carried out her initial training at the Cambridge Law Centre in a number of areas of social welfare law, including community care, housing and welfare benefits. She went on to finish her training at Bhatt Murphy working with Mark Scott on civil claims for false imprisonment within the immigration estate, and an inquest into the death of an opiate dependent prisoner.

Janet graduated with a degree in English literature from the University of Cambridge (BA Hons, 2:1). She went on to complete the Graduate Diploma in Law at De Montfort University (distinction) and the LPC at Anglia Ruskin University (distinction), coming top of her year in both.

Janet is a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association, the Foreign National Prisoners Network, Police Action Lawyers Group and Inquest Lawyers Group.