Raj Chada

Rajesh Chada, known as Raj Chada, is a lawyer and Labour politician in England. He was the Leader of Camden London Borough Council from 2005 to 2006 and a councillor for Gospel Oak between 2002 and 2006.

Raj Chada
Leader of Camden Council
In office
8 November 2005 – 7 May 2006
Preceded byJane Roberts
Succeeded byKeith Moffitt
Labour Group Leader on Camden Council
In office
4 October 2005 – May 2006
Preceded byJane Roberts
Succeeded byAnna Stewart
Camden councillor for Gospel Oak
In office
2 May 2002 – 4 May 2006
Succeeded byChris Philp
Personal details
Political partyLabour
SpouseGeethika Jayatilaka
ChildrenTwo
Websitewww.rajchada.com

He is a top criminal solicitor specialising in defending protesters and he is regularly quoted in the national press. He has been covered in major newspapers for defending 300 Extinction Rebellion activists,[1] the Stansted Fifteen,[2] nine Black Lives Matter protesters at Heathrow,[3] protesters at DSEI,[4] UK Uncut's sit-in in Fortnum and Masons,[5] and Johnny Marbles.[6] He is described by Chambers and Partners as having "a strong reputation for his work representing political protesters and other individuals charged with public order offences"[7] and was named the Legal Aid Practitioners Criminal Lawyer of the Year in 2012.

Chada is a Labour Party politician. He was elected to Camden Council in 2002, representing Gospel Oak ward. He quickly joined the Cabinet with responsibility for Housing, before becoming the Leader of the council in 2005, replacing Jane Roberts after she stepped down due to fear that she would lose the coming election (which Labour did). He was considered less 'Blairite' than Roberts,[8] but lost his seat in 2006 to the Conservatives because of association with Blair post-Iraq War and delays in housing improvements.[9] Chada stood for selection in a number of parliamentary seats without success, including Darlington and [10] Reading West[11] in 2010 and his home seat of Holborn and St Pancras in 2015.[12]

References
  1. "Extinction Rebellion prosecutions 'beggar belief', says lawyer". Evening Standard. 11 July 2019.
  2. Taylor, Diane (25 February 2019). "Stansted 15 ordered back to court over aggravated trespass case" – via www.theguardian.com.
  3. "Black Lives Matter members convicted over Heathrow protest". Evening Standard. 19 January 2017.
  4. "Campaigners to fight arms show convictions at Supreme Court". Evening Standard. 25 February 2019.
  5. Townsend, Mark; Onwuemezi, Natasha (23 July 2011). "Met police are accused of pursuing a 'vindictive' case against UK Uncut tax protesters" – via www.theguardian.com.
  6. "Murdoch foam pie thrower to appeal over jail sentence". Evening Standard. 3 August 2011.
  7. "Raj Chada, UK | Chambers Rankings". chambers.com.
  8. Gillan, Audrey; Branigan, Tania; Harper, Tom (1 May 2006). "Making an issue of Iraq, immigration – and clean streets" – via www.theguardian.com.
  9. "Labour fights to keep control of flagship council". Financial Times.
  10. "London solicitor among Labour's Darlington candidates". The Northern Echo.
  11. "WALTHAMSTOW: Councillor makes final shortlist for Reading West". East London and West Essex Guardian Series.
  12. "Keir Starmer: The sensible radical". www.newstatesman.com.
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