Who? Kate Goold, 48, partner in the criminal department at London firm Bindmans.

Why is she in the news? Acted for broadcaster Paul Gambaccini, who was arrested in October 2013 for suspected sexual abuse. He had been held on police bail for a year when prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him.

Gambaccini was outraged by his treatment. News of his arrest had come to the media’s attention, with the result that reporters were soon camped outside his home.

The BBC suspended him while he was on bail, reducing his income and adding to what he has described as his ‘12 months of hell’.

He also objected to being used, in his term, as ‘human flypaper’, with the police appealing for victims to come forward with their claims against him.

Gambaccini and Goold appeared before the House of Commons home affairs select committee to press the case for reforming the bail process. They were successful: bail reform is now high on the government’s agenda. The case has come back into the news with Gambaccini publishing a book this month on his experiences.

Thoughts on the case: ‘It is unacceptable that people can languish on bail for many months. Alternatives do exist. Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, for example, my client could have been asked to attend as a volunteer without being arrested.’

Dealing with the media: ‘My main goal was to keep my client out of the media to keep control of what was being said about him.’

Why become a lawyer? ‘I read Michael Mansfield’s book Presumed Guilty in the 1990s, which exposed terrible miscarriages of justice. I wanted to be the lawyer who could stop such things happening again.’

Career high: ‘Flying to Rio to represent David Miranda, who was detained for nine hours at Heathrow airport under anti-terror laws related to stories leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden.’

Career low: ‘Crying uncontrollably in the Old Bailey cells when a 23-year-old client was found guilty of murder when he should have been convicted of manslaughter. But the biggest lows of my career are the unfettered cuts to legal aid and deprival of access to justice for many.’

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