Former human rights lawyer Phil Shiner today pleaded not guilty to three counts of fraud over claims made against soldiers who fought in Iraq.

The 65-year-old, from Birmingham, appeared remotely at Westminster Magistrates’ Court after he was charged over legal aid claims made in 2007 and information provided to the Solicitors Regulation Authority in 2015.

The prosecution relates to claims made after the alleged killings of Iraqi civilians by British army personnel at the so-called ‘Battle of Danny Boy’ in May 2004.

Phil Shiner

Shiner appeared remotely at Westminster Magistrates’ Court

Source: Alamy

One of those who died was 19-year-old Hamid al-Sweady, whose uncle Khuder al-Sweady alleged his nephew had been unlawfully killed by British soldiers.

Shiner is charged with failing to disclose to the Legal Aid Agency between 18 and 20 September 2007 that he had been ‘engaging in cold calling and the payment of referral fees’ when he made a legal aid application in relation to Khuder al-Sweady’s judicial review against the Ministry of Defence over its decision not to hold an independent inquiry.

He is also charged with, between 11 and 13 October 2007, failing to disclose to the LAA that a statement provided alongside a letter challenging the decision to refuse legal aid funding application ‘had been obtained through cold calling’.

Shiner also faces one count of fraud by false representation for allegedly providing an ‘untrue and misleading’ response to a question from the Solicitors Regulation Authority in April 2015, in relation to ‘the cold calling of clients in Iraq in relation to alleged killings of Iraqi civilians by British Army personnel at the “Battle of Danny Boy”’.

Judge Daniel Sternberg granted Shiner bail ahead of his next appearance at Southwark Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on 25 July.