Raj Chada Explained

Raj Chada
Office1:Leader of Camden Council
Term Start1:8 November 2005
Term End1:7 May 2006
Predecessor1:Jane Roberts
Successor1:Keith Moffitt
Office2:Labour Group Leader on Camden Council
Term Start2:4 October 2005
Term End2:May 2006
Predecessor2:Jane Roberts
Successor2:Anna Stewart
Office3:Camden councillor for Gospel Oak
Term Start3:2 May 2002
Term End3:4 May 2006
Successor3:Chris Philp
Party:Labour
Spouse:Geethika Jayatilaka
Children:Two

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.

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 has also acted successfully for Greta Thunberg and other activists, protesting against the fossil fuel industry.[7]

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"[8] 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,[9] but lost his seat in 2006 to the Conservatives because of association with Blair post-Iraq War and delays in housing improvements.[10] Chada stood for selection in a number of parliamentary seats without success, including Darlington and [11] Reading West[12] in 2010 and his home seat of Holborn and St Pancras in 2015.[13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Extinction Rebellion prosecutions 'beggar belief', says lawyer. July 11, 2019. Evening Standard.
  2. Web site: Stansted 15 ordered back to court over aggravated trespass case. Diane. Taylor. February 25, 2019. www.theguardian.com.
  3. Web site: Black Lives Matter members convicted over Heathrow protest. January 19, 2017. Evening Standard.
  4. Web site: Campaigners to fight arms show convictions at Supreme Court. February 25, 2019. Evening Standard.
  5. Web site: Met police are accused of pursuing a 'vindictive' case against UK Uncut tax protesters. Mark. Townsend. Natasha. Onwuemezi. July 23, 2011. www.theguardian.com.
  6. Web site: Murdoch foam pie thrower to appeal over jail sentence. August 3, 2011. Evening Standard.
  7. Web site: Judge throws out case against Greta Thunberg . Damien . Gayle . 2 February 2024 . The Guardian.
  8. Web site: Raj Chada, UK | Chambers Rankings. chambers.com.
  9. Web site: Making an issue of Iraq, immigration – and clean streets. Audrey. Gillan. Tania. Branigan. Tom. Harper. May 1, 2006. www.theguardian.com.
  10. Web site: Labour fights to keep control of flagship council. Financial Times. subscription.
  11. Web site: London solicitor among Labour's Darlington candidates. The Northern Echo.
  12. Web site: WALTHAMSTOW: Councillor makes final shortlist for Reading West. East London and West Essex Guardian Series.
  13. Web site: Keir Starmer: The sensible radical. www.newstatesman.com.

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