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We are delighted to share that Public Law Director Toufique Hossain was presented with the Outstanding Achievement award at the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards 2024.

The Outstanding Achievement category was the final award of the evening and is the top accolade that the judges can give. Toufique, who was presented with the award in central London on 5th July, was recognised his invaluable contributions to the legal aid arena, particularly his leadership in the string of successful legal challenges which cumulated in the Rwanda Supreme Court victory.

The LALYs judges praised the Rwanda litigation as a case requiring “not only legal brilliance, but tenacity and personal courage. A case where lawyers found themselves singled out by a hostile media, nobody would have out themselves at such personal risk without a strong burning desire for justice.” LALY’s compere broadcaster Symeon Brown described the Rwanda case as “more highly contested than probably any other litigation”.

In his acceptance speech, Toufique reflected on times during the case when “the pressure, the political climate seemed unbearable”. He condemned the Rwanda policy as “incompetent, cruel, an affront to the rule of law and to basic human dignity”. 

During his powerful speech, Toufique also expressed deep gratitude for his exceptional team, which he has grown from six people in 2013, when Toufique became a director, to more than fifty solicitors, trainees and caseworkers today. Toufique commended their collective dedication to fighting injustices on behalf of those affected by unlawful government practices, and the life changing work that they carry out on a daily basis.

Toufique paid tribute to his team, saying, “What you did in the last couple of years was super human and each one of you achieved the impossible with humility”. To his clients, he added, “You’ve gone through unimaginable pain…it was an honour representing you. Doing our bit as part of a wider resistance, in disrupting those who walk down the corridors of power... it was personal for us”.

Duncan Lewis Solicitors is a multi- award-winning national law firm, renowned for its exceptional legal services and commitment to justice. The company employs a team of highly skilled solicitors offering top-tier representation in 25 fields of law. It is proudly ranked by the Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 directories as a top-tier law firm, and is also named as a Time Top 250 Law Firm. Headquartered in the City of London, the company is well-known for its excellence in people management, holds the Investors in People Gold Standard Accreditation and is a paperless company which embraces employee hybrid-working.