Lawyer who pursued war veterans denies fraud charges
Human rights champion accused of dishonestly touting for alleged victims of army brutality in Iraq
AFORMER human rights lawyer accused of fraud over legal claims brought by civilians against Iraq War veterans denied all charges when he appeared in court on Monday.
Phil Shiner, 65, from Birmingham, was once voted Human Rights Lawyer of the Year and presented himself as a champion of Iraqi victims of alleged brutality by British soldiers during the conflict of the early 2000s.
His is accused of three counts of fraud over allegations he dishonestly touted for alleged victims of brutality dating back to 2007.
Shiner was charged last week following a five-year probe by the National Crime Agency, Britain’s equivalent of the FBI.
These charges include two counts of dishonestly failing to disclose information to make a gain and one count of fraud by false representation.
The former lawyer, who founded defunct firm Public Interest Lawyers, is accused of failing to disclose that information he had obtained in relation to alleged brutality by British soldiers in Iraq was obtained by cold calling.
He is accused of twice failing to disclose that he obtained information through call calling in legal aid applications in 2007 and misleading the Solicitors Regulation Authority in 2015.
Court documents state that between September 18, 2007, and September 20, 2007, he applied for a judicial review of the Ministry of Defence’s application not to hold an independent inquiry into Iraqi Khuder Al Sweady’s nephew’s death when he allegedly failed to disclose he had engaged in cold calling and payment of referral fees.
The second charge states that between October 11, 2007, and October 13, 2007, when challenging the decision to refuse funding for the application, he allegedly enclosed a statement as corroboration in relation to Mr Al Sweady’s allegation which had been obtained by cold calling, that he did not disclose.
The third charge said that between April 1, 2015 and April 30, 2015 he allegedly lied to the legal watchdog, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, by failing to disclose he cold called clients in Iraq in relation to alleged killings of Iraqi civilians by British soldiers at the ‘Battle of Danny Boy’ in 2004.
Appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court via video link from his home wearing a black suit and tie, he spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, address in Birmingham and reply “not guilty” as each charge was read out to him by the court clerk.
He was granted legal aid to fight his case.
During his time as boss of PIL, Shiner bought thousands of criminal complaints to the Iraq Historic Investigations Team (IHAT), which was set up by the Ministry of Defence to investigate soldiers. None were ever charged and the company was shut down in 2017.
The charges relate to the fallout from the al-Sweady inquiry, which
was set up by the government to examine claims British troops had massacred Iraqi civilians at the socalled Battle of Danny Boy in Southern Iraq in 2004.
The inquiry cost £25 million but found the claims of torture and murder were completely fabricated and a product of deliberate lies.
The first two charges carry a maximum sentence of a year behind bars while the third carries a maximum of six months in prison.
John Ojakovoh, prosecuting, told the court the charges - which can be dealt with at magistrates or crown court - were too serious to be dealt with at by magistrates.
Richard Thomas, representing Shiner, made no representations during the hearing.
District Judge Daniel Sternberg told the defendant: “I accept the position agreed by both parties that this matter is too serious to be dealt with in this court.”
He will next appear at Southwark Crown Court next month for a trial preparation hearing.