National success for Sheffield solicitor

One of Sheffield’s best known solicitors has been named as criminal defence lawyer of the year in the prestigious national Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards.
 
Peter Mahy, a partner with Howells LLP, has been recognised for his landmark case before the European Court which established that the UK government’s policy of retaining the DNA of innocent people is unlawful.
 
Peter beat off a challenge from two other shortlisted solicitors with a national reputation for the coveted prize of Legal Aid criminal defence lawyer of the year. 
 
John McSweeney, Managing Partner of Howells, said the firm was delighted with Peter’s success.
 
“We have a strong reputation for our work across many areas of law, with particular strengths in the areas of civil liberties and human rights and it is great to get this recognition, both for Peter personally and for the firm as a whole. Although we’ve had many excellent results over the 30 years that we’ve been in the business of providing expert legal help for individuals, we haven’t always shouted about our success, so it’s brilliant to have our work highlighted in this way. We were all delighted that Peter came out the winner on the night – it was a well-deserved tribute to his skills, expertise and immense commitment in the field of human rights.”
 
Carol Storer, of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group, which organises the awards, said that despite the pressures on the legal aid sector, the calibre of entrants this year was higher than ever.
 
The judging panel included Cherie Booth, QC, who presented the awards, Doreen Lawrence of the Stephen Lawrence Trust and legal journalist Joshua Rozenberg,  among others.