Garden Court is pleased to report that Dexter Dias QC, who has recently returned from academic sabbatical, has won the Lopez-Rey Prize at Cambridge University for the highest Distinction (First Class) awarded by the Institute of Criminology in its MPhil degree.
Dexter spent the year at Cambridge researching the use of coercive force on young vulnerable people in custody. He became concerned about the topic when (leading Brenda Campbell of chambers) he represented Pam Wilton, the mother of Gareth Myatt, at the inquest into her child's death. Gareth, who was 15 at the time of his death, remains the only child to die following restraint in custody and is one of the youngest children to die in a penal institution. The case revealed disturbing patterns of injury inflicted upon detained children across the country, and Dexter determined to investigate the question of restraint practices further. He hopes to develop his research and formulate concrete proposals for reform.
For more information about Dexter's practice and background, click here to read his profile.
