Mark Lake is a Solicitor at Taylor Law with 36 years’ experience in Police Law

Mark has been involved in professional discipline work for PFEW since commencing his career at
Russell Jones & Walker in 1987. His views have been published on a number of occasions (see
Impactful discussions on quality and fairness in misconduct panels).

Mark’s has been a Panel Solicitor for the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) for most of
his career.

Within the intricate landscape of Police Pension Law, Mark stands as a frontrunner, recognized
nationally for his acumen in Police ill-health cases, Injury on Duty awards and Regulation 37 reviews.
He has also conducted cases through the statutory appeals process, appeals to the crown court,
judicial reviews, and through to the Court of Appeal. His trailblazing work has catalysed significant
changes in Police Pension processes evidenced by landmark cases such as:
Turner v The Police Medical Appeal Board [2008] EWHC 1867 and Laws v The Police Medical
Appeal Board [2009] EWHC 3135 and [2010] EWCA Civ 1099 in relation to Regulation 37 reviews.
Walther v The Police Medical Appeal Board [2010] EWHC 3009 and Commissioner of Police of the
Metropolis v The Police Medical Appeal Board and Walther [2013] RWHC 1203 in relation to the
complex issue of causation for the grant of injury pensions.

He also acts for the Superintendent’s Association and its members and is also part of the in-house
team, which provides national training for pensions work to Federation representatives.
One of his particular interests is Criminal Police Pension Forfeiture. He has been involved in the
process and has been conducting Crown Court Appeals since 2004. He has advised officers convicted
of offences in Operations Russia, Ethiopia and Elveden.

His contributions in the field culminated in a recent reconsideration of the core underlying principles
of the process by the High Court following a successful appeal in the crown court in PCC for
Nottinghamshire v Nottingham Crown Court and Critchley [2023] EWHC 960, where the PCC’s
attempt to overturn the crown court decision was unsuccessful.

Mark’ advocacy is broad based. He represents police officers in Police Discipline Hearings, Police
Medical Appeal Boards, and in the lower criminal courts. His portfolio encompasses high-profile
cases marked by their gravity, including Operation Russia, which involved the most serious
corruption allegations since Operation Countryman.

At the behest of the PFEW, Mark has orchestrated successful challenges within the Investigatory
Powers Tribunal (IPT), unearthing breaches of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
(RIPA), as well as abuses of the Data Protection Acts.

Mark’s practice further encompasses cases involving Malicious Prosecution, False Imprisonment,
Misfeasance in Public Office, and instances of Racism within the Police Force. His contributions have
translated into substantial compensation awards, including for three officers in Operation Kayu,
where the underlying facts involved allegations of police corruption involving organized crime, local
authority corruption, and corruption in and around the 2012 Olympic zone.

A testament to his impact, his work has even led to legal rulings such as ‘Cleveland Police unlawfully
seized officers’ and journalists’ phone records, judges rule’.