Deborah is the executive director of INQUEST, and has worked for the charity since 1989. She has a long track record of championing social justice and equality issues.  She leads INQUEST's strategic policy, legal and parliamentary work and has considerable expertise in working to prevent death and ill treatment in all forms of detention and for more effective accountable learning after state related deaths.  She has been an independent expert advisor to numerous committees and inquiries and was the special advisor to Dame Elish Angiolini, the chair of the Independent Review of Deaths and Serious Incidents in Police Custody.

Deborah is a regular media commentator, delivers conference papers nationally and internationally and is author of numerous articles and publications. She represents INQUEST as a member of the Ministerial Board on Deaths in Custody and is a member of the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody; she is also on the board of trustees of Clean Break Theatre Company and an advisor to Women in Prison.