Who? Kiran Daurka, 36, principal employment lawyer at national firm Slater & Gordon.

Why is she in the news? Acted for a black woman police officer who was awarded £37,000, including aggravated damages, after a tribunal found that the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) had treated her in a ‘vindictive… spiteful… insulting, malicious and oppressive’ manner.

The Central London Employment Tribunal ruled in July that PC Carol Howard had been victimised because of her race and gender by acting inspector David Kelly for almost 12 months. Kelly’s offences included ordering junior officers to ask Howard about her sex life, the tribunal found.

On 2 September, at a hearing to award damages to Howard, the tribunal criticised the MPS for trying to deflect attention away from its earlier ruling by releasing information to the media about her arrest following a dispute with her husband.

In addition to paying £37,000 damages, the MPS was ordered to hold an independent review of its internal grievance procedure and re-examine the handling of all complaints since 2009.

A spokesman for the MPS said: ‘This case is in the process of being fully reviewed.’ He added that there had been ‘no intent to deflect attention’ and that ‘we are deeply regretful of any additional distress this caused PC Howard’.

Thoughts on the case: ‘Any internal complaints system must be transparent and hold the perpetrators to account. My client hopes that her ordeal will help ensure that internal grievances are handled better in future. My hope is that the House of Lords takes note of this case and allows the tribunal to retain its present power to make a real difference in the workplace.’

Career high: ‘This case, which exemplifies why I became a discrimination lawyer.’

Career low: ‘As a trainee, I stood in a two-mile queue outside the Home Office in Croydon in mid-winter from 4am – only to be turned away seven hours later on a technicality, because the client had to present the application herself.’

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