Imogen Sadler

Imogen has a broad public and administrative law practice, with particular experience of judicial review, immigration and litigation involving government departments and other public authorities.

She completed pupillage at the Government Legal Department and has experience across all stages of judicial review proceedings, from pre-action advice and interim applications through to substantive hearings and appeals.

Imogen is regularly instructed by central government departments and has acted as sole counsel for the Department for Work and Pensions, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. She was appointed to the Attorney General's Civil C Panel in 2025.

Notable cases

• KGT & Ors v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWHC 2583 (Admin): Instructed on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Home Department in a significant judicial review concerning the decision to close a tranche of asylum hotels. Imogen was substantially involved in advising and drafting in advance of the substantive hearing. The proceedings raised issues concerning the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Tameside duty of inquiry and the circumstances in which the Administrative Court will determine an otherwise academic claim. The claim was dismissed.

Inquests

Imogen has been ranked a Leading Junior in the Legal 500 for Inquests and Inquiries. She has considerable experience of representing interested persons in complex and sensitive coronial proceedings.

She is regularly instructed in Article 2 inquests, particularly those concerning deaths in custody and the conduct of public authorities. She has acted for a range of interested persons, including police forces, government departments and local authorities, and has appeared in a number of high-profile and media-sensitive cases.

Imogen frequently acts as sole counsel, including in multi-week inquests involving complex factual and legal issues. She advises and represents clients at every stage of proceedings, including the identification and scope of issues, disclosure, preparation of witnesses, advocacy at pre-inquest review hearings and final hearings, and matters arising from Prevention of Future Deaths reports.

Her experience includes:

• Inquest touching on the death of Sydney Pyper: Instructed as sole counsel on behalf of the Metropolitan Police Service in a high-profile inquest concerning the disappearance of an elderly man following a medical appointment.

• Inquest touching on the death of Jack Zarrop: Instructed as sole counsel on behalf of the Metropolitan Police Service in a complex Article 2 inquest concerning the death of a serving prisoner.

• Inquest touching on the death of RF: Instructed as sole counsel on behalf of the Ministry of Justice in a multi-week Article 2 inquest involving complex issues of causation.

• Inquest touching on the death of TB: Instructed as sole counsel on behalf of the Ministry of Justice in an inquest concerning the death of a prisoner held in a prison segregation unit.

Public Inquiries

Imogen has experience of major statutory public inquiries, having acted both as part of inquiry counsel teams and on behalf of core participants. Her work has included the preparation of Rule 9 requests, Rule 10 questions, oral hearings and warning letters.

She was previously instructed as second junior counsel to the Undercover Policing Inquiry and as junior junior counsel to the Brook House Inquiry. Before commencing pupillage, she worked as lead paralegal for a major core participant in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Imogen has extensive experience of immigration and asylum law, having previously worked within the Government Legal Department's immigration litigation team, where she advised on statutory appeals and judicial reviews of immigration decisions.

She is regularly instructed in substantive judicial review proceedings in both the Administrative Court and the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), as well as in applications for interim relief and statutory appeals.

Her practice encompasses a wide range of immigration matters, including unlawful detention claims, challenges to decisions concerning asylum support and accommodation, and public law challenges to the exercise of immigration powers. She has experience of advising and representing clients at all stages of proceedings, from pre-action correspondence through to appeals.

Imogen has experience representing parties in a range of police law proceedings, including applications for Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, Sexual Risk Orders and Stalking Protection Orders.

Her wider experience of representing police forces in sensitive and complex inquests complements her police law practice.

Imogen has particular expertise in election law and has appeared in proceedings before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, as well as acting as sole counsel in electoral registration appeals.

She advises and represents local authorities in election law matters and has contributed to legal opinions on electoral issues alongside senior members of chambers. She also writes regularly on election law for Arena Magazine.

Her notable cases include:

• Dayal v Jugnauth [2023] UKPC 37: Appeared before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, led by Timothy Straker KC, in a high-profile challenge concerning the election of the Prime Minister of Mauritius and the interpretation of the law relating to bribery and treating.

• Birch v Jaspal & Ors and Birch v Wolverhampton City Council & Hibbert: Acted as sole counsel in electoral registration appeals concerning decisions of the local authority.

Imogen advises and represents local authorities across a range of public law and local government matters.

She has previously undertaken a secondment to the legal department of a local authority, during which she advised on homelessness and housing matters.

Her experience includes homelessness appeals, anti-social behaviour injunctions, possession proceedings and appeals under section 204 of the Housing Act 1996. She has also acted in cases involving equality and human rights issues.