Sophie Naftalin is a partner at Bhatt Murphy in the police law department. She has expertise in all aspects of litigation relating to the criminal justice system and specialises in representing bereaved families in inquest proceedings.
Sophie’s caseload has a strong emphasis on representing victims of violence against women and girls. Her work focuses on holding the police and other state agencies to account for failing to investigate or protect, particularly in cases of domestic homicide and unexplained deaths in the context of domestic abuse. Sophie acts for victims of sexual violence and abuse in complaints and claims against the police and has successfully challenged a number of decisions not to prosecute by way of the Victims Right to Review scheme, eventually resulting in charges and convictions. Sophie also brings claims against public authorities arising out of historic child abuse.
Sophie is also a specialist in discrimination law and continues to act for victims of police misconduct and brutality.
Sophie has experience in seeking accountability for victims and their families by way of civil claims, inquest proceedings, judicial review, CICA claims and in other investigative processes such as domestic homicide reviews.
Sophie was Law Society Lawyer in the News in 2019 following her work arising out of the domestic homicide of Linah Keza. The interview with Sophie can be seen here.
In 2021 Channel 4 News interviewed Sophie about her work on the inquest of Jessica Laverack where a Coroner recognised the link between domestic abuse and suicide. The film can be watched here.
Prior to qualifying as a solicitor, Sophie was an accredited police station representative and she continues to draws on her criminal defence experience in her civil work.
Sophie convenes the Introduction to Actions Against the Police course for Legal Action Group.
Sophie is a founder member of the Femicide Working Group convened by the Centre of Women’s Justice. She is also a member of Police Action Lawyers Group, Inquest Lawyers Group and the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers (ACAL). She is a former board member of Newham Monitoring Project.
