Dr Hilary Pickles – Treasurer
Hilary first became aware of immigration detention when she was the Director Of Public Health for Hillingdon, the district that hosts Colnbrook and Harmondsworth IRCs. Now retired, she continues to be concerned by the way the system damages immigration detainees, especially their mental health.
Emma Norton
Emma is a lawyer and the founder Director of the Centre for Military Justice, a specialist charity that provides legal services to bereaved military families at inquests, victims of military abuses and women who have suffered male sexual violence. Before setting up the CMJ she worked at the human rights organisation Liberty for ten years and was the head of the legal team. She has acted for a number of detainees in immigration detention, including FGP, a detainee who was handcuffed while receiving outside medical treatment in hospital, and a female victim of sexual violence detained in breach of policy at Yarls Wood IRC.
Janahan Sivanathan
Janahan gained his law degree in 2021, having been motivated to study law after experiencing the UK’s immigration system first-hand, as a Tamil refugee. He was named runner up for the Future Legal Mind award 2020, for his essay on discrimination against Foreign National Offenders embedded in the UK immigration system. He is also a Trustee at Birkbeck, Students Union. Currently works as the Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants.
Dr Linda Burke
Linda is a Non-Executive Director at Hillingdon Hospital, a Councillor for the London Borough of Ealing and a Governor at Drayton Green Primary School. She has a long track record as Senior Executive with board experience in Health, Higher Education and not-for-profit most recently as Executive Director, Education and Quality at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Before that Linda held the position of Pro Vice Chancellor for the Faculty of Education and Health at the University of Greenwich. Linda joined the University from the Nursing & Midwifery Council, where she was Head of Revalidation. Linda also held Senior leadership positions at NHS London, as Head of Strategy and Development; as Associate Dean at St George’s Medical School & Kingston University; at the Department of Health and at London South Bank University. An Economic & Social History graduate, she went on to train as a nurse, with a special interest in oncology. Linda also has a PhD, a Masters in Education and is a qualified coach
Phil Haywood
Prior to being called to the Bar, Phil Haywood qualified as a solicitor and worked as a Legal officer at the Refugee Legal Centre. His practice encompasses advocacy and representation at all levels, including the Immigration Tribunals, where he has represented in numerous cases, and the Administrative Court and Court of Appeal. Phil gives training sessions on medico-legal report writing to Medical Justice volunteer clinicians.
