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International Crime And Extradition

1
5 St Andrews Hill
Doughty Street Chambers
Matrix Chambers
Three Raymond Buildings
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6KBW College Hill
9BR Chambers
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Furnival Chambers
Temple Garden Chambers

Leading Silks

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Alex Bailin KC – Matrix Chambers 'Alex has a mastery of the law and is very good at both written and oral advocacy.'
Clair Dobbin KC – Three Raymond Buildings ‘Simply one of the best extradition silks on the market. Clair’s advocacy is captivating and, backed by a sound foundation of legal knowledge, can genuinely turn cases.’
Edward Fitzgerald KC –Doughty Street Chambers 'Edward has a great ability to engage a court to consider novel and complex arguments.'
James Hines KC – Three Raymond Buildings 'James is a pleasure to work with. Despite his own depth of experience, he is always interested in the opinion and experience of juniors, continuing to add to his own knowledge in a way that many other senior counsel do not expect to do.  Alongside the natural authority that he has in the courtroom, it is highly effective.'
David Josse KC – 5 St Andrews Hill
Helen Malcolm KC – Three Raymond Buildings 'A brilliant advocate who stands out from other barristers in court. Formulates some brilliant legal arguments and has the ear and respect of the court.'
Clare Montgomery KC – Matrix Chambers 'Clare has an absolute mastery of the law and she has been in many of the novel and ground breaking cases in this area.'
David Perry KC – 6KBW College Hill
Mark Summers KC – Matrix Chambers 'Meticulous case preparation and incomparable depth of knowledge of extradition law. Mark is a supreme talent and asset to have on a case. His hard work and thoroughness are reliably dependable. In court is skills are equally impressive. Clear, concise and able to respond decisively with any point raised.'
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Rachel Barnes KC – Three Raymond Buildings ‘Tenacious and well-prepared.’
Ben Cooper KC – Doughty Street Chambers 'Ben is a silk steeped in experience in extradition law. He prepares all his cases with great care and focus. His advocacy is both compelling and engaging.'
Rodney Dixon KC – Temple Garden Chambers
Hugo Keith KC – Three Raymond Buildings 'Immensely charming, knows the law, principled.'
James Lewis KC – Three Raymond Buildings 'He has a ferocious talent for finding the clever legal point which will actually win the day. He is particularly skilled at cross-examining experts, drawing on a vast bank of technical, scientific, forensic and financial knowledge. He has unparalleled experience and savvy when it comes to strategising a route through the trickiest extradition requests.'
Ben Watson KC – Three Raymond Buildings

2024 Silks

Joel Smith KC – Furnival Chambers ‘Joel is a class act. He is a pleasure to work, as he can get to the nub a complex issue in a millisecond and make it appear elementary. He is incredibly hard-working and responsive.’

2025 Silks

Rachel Scott KC – Three Raymond Buildings 'Rachel is extremely clever and is outstanding at drafting – her written work is clear, precise, and always persuasive. She has a real command of language and a talent for expressing complex arguments in a compelling way. She’s also excellent with clients: straightforward, calm, and highly responsive. A top-class KC who brings sharp thinking and real clarity to every case.'
Peter Caldwell KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Peter brings an air of calm authority. He has a remarkable ability to read the tribunal and tailor his approach accordingly.’

Leading Juniors

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Amanda Bostock – Three Raymond Buildings ‘Amanda is a top quality advocate. She is always well prepared and totally in command of her case. Her witness handling is focused and precise. Her oral arguments are effective, persuasive and pithy.’
Catherine Brown – 6KBW College Hill 'Catherine is a silk in the making. She has star quality, both in relation to her knowledge, interpretation and application of the law, and in her ability to make complex legal issues appear simple in her written and oral submissions. She has a very engaging advocacy style and is very quick on her feet. Catherine is always well prepared.'
Louisa Collins – 5 St Andrews Hill 'A great advocate and very able lawyer. She inspires confidence.'
Rosemary Davidson – 6KBW College Hill ‘Rosemary is outstanding. One of the leading juniors in this area of practice.’
Natasha Draycott – 5 St Andrews Hill 
Malcolm Hawkes – Doughty Street Chambers 'He has a unique combination of qualities - empathy, determination, legal creativity, poise and sharpness of mind. A superb advocate, even under heavy fire.'
Nicholas Hearn – Three Raymond Buildings 'He has a great depth of expertise in field of extradition and his judgment when giving advice and presenting cases is excellent. He is incredibly effective when cross-examining both experts and lay witnesses. He is always well prepared, and his submissions are always attractive and persuasive. He makes light work of cutting through complex issues of law and fact.'
Rebecca Hill – 5 St Andrews Hill
Hannah Hinton – Serjeants’ Inn Chambers 'Hannah has a deep understanding of the law and is able to inspire confidence with the judges she appears before.'
Florence Iveson – Matrix Chambers
Ben Keith – 5 St Andrews Hill 'Hugely experienced leading junior. Very intelligent with a vast range of knowledge. His advocacy is confident, authoritative and persuasive.'
Amelia Nice – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Amelia is a fantastic extradition brief. She is confident, bright and a pleasure to work with.’
Adam Payter – 6KBW College Hill ‘He has an outstanding knowledge of extradition law and excellent tactical judgement. His advice is clear and accessible.’
James Stansfeld – Matrix Chambers 'In extradition he is undoubtedly one of the top juniors in the field. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the law and is able to apply it in practice. His written work is top class and there is no issue too complicated for him. He gains the trust and respect of clients and judges alike in this area.'
Mary Westcott – Doughty Street Chambers 'Mary is incredibly diligent and hard-working. She is extremely experienced and well versed in extradition law and procedure having dealt with a wide range of differing cases over a number of years. She is hugely helpful to solicitors that instruct her. She has a clear and direct advocacy style which is always which appears to endear her to tribunals.'
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David Ball – 36 Group 'David is someone you always want on your side. He is able to make the most complex point understandable and is a truly gifted advocate.'
Hannah Burton – Furnival Chambers ‘Hannah is meticulous in her approach and does not leave any stone unturned. She is fantastic to work with from a solicitor’s perspective and she puts clients at ease. Her advocacy style is one that engages her tribunal and is highly clear and persuasive.’
Richard Evans – 6KBW College Hill 'Richard Evans is excellent. Hard working and totally professional.'
Myles Grandison – Temple Garden Chambers 'He is a very capable, bright, diligent, good-humoured and effective barrister. He exudes a reassuring quiet confidence that makes for very attractive advocacy.'
Ania Grudzinska – Guernica 37 Chambers 'Hard-working and reliable with sound knowledge of extradition law. Advocacy that resonates with judges and often achieves results when the odds appear stacked against her.'
Rebecca Hadgett – Three Raymond Buildings ‘An extremely intelligent, strategic thinking but with exceptional client care and advocacy skills.’
Graeme Hall – Doughty Street Chambers 'Graeme's understated approach is seriously effective. A clever lawyer, one to watch.'
Laura Herbert – Crucible Chambers ‘Laura is a formidable barrister, with the perfect balance of exceptional qualities expected of a leading advocate. Her thorough preparedness shines through in court, with a clear command of case law, dealing with judicial and opposing counsels interventions with ease. In cross-examination, Laura’s disarming personability secures excellent results and helpful admissions.’  
Kathryn Howarth – Temple Garden Chambers 'Kathryn is an excellent and persuasive advocate before all tribunals. She addresses complex issues with skill and care combining an excellent grasp of the law with practicality. She is very experienced in extradition, a persuasive advocate and her written and oral advocacy is at the highest level. She has an innate understanding of the best points and Judges agree.'
Stefan Hyman – 9BR Chambers 'Stefan is a regular in the extradition courts, in particular for the prosecution. He is extremely personable, knows his extradition law and is a good and reliable junior.'
Ben Joyes – 9BR Chambers 'Ben is a regular practitioner in the extradition field and is a diligent and hard-working junior with a good base of defence work. He has a thorough grounding in extradition law and a likeable advocacy style which endears him to courts and opponents.'
Ben Lloyd – 6KBW College Hill ‘Ben is one of the leading extradition junior barristers. If there were treasury counsel for extradition prosecution counsel, he would lead the pack. A humble advocate of conspicuously discerning ability, he is fearless in presenting his client’s case while remaining a true gentleman.’
Benjamin Seifert – 1 Crown Office Row ‘Ben is charming, engaging and a polished advocate. His submissions are focused, eloquent and well-structured. He is a pleasure to work with and to be against. Ben demonstrates great judgement when choosing which arguments to run, giving his submissions real weight.’
Jonathan Swain – 9BR Chambers 'Excellent knowledgeable and fantastic to work with.'
Alex Tinsley – Doughty Street Chambers 'Alex has an incredibly creative and meticulous legal mind. His drafting is consistently brilliant – elegant, thoughtful, and forensic. He brings real intellectual depth to every case yet remains remarkably humble and grounded. A standout barrister and a real pleasure to work with.'
Saoirse Townshend – Temple Garden Chambers
David Williams – 5 St Andrews Hill ‘Without doubt one of the best advocates within the extradition Bar, able to put forward the client’s case in court in a way like few other barristers are able to.’
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Danielle Barden – 5 St Andrews Hill
Georgia Beatty – 5 St Andrews Hill ‘Georgia consistently demonstrates excellence in her legal practice, particularly in the areas of drafting and handling complex matters. Her meticulous attention to detail and comprehensive understanding of the law enable her to navigate intricate legal issues with ease.’
Toby Cadman – Guernica 37 Chambers 'He has a very wide ranging set of knowledge and is able to utilise his knowledge of multi-jurisdictions to the advantage of his lay and professional clients. He is as adept at dealing with lay witnesses as professional witnesses and adopts a very clear and thoughtful approach to all cross examination.'
Alexander dos Santos – Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘He is a superb advocate, very persuasive, and is an excellent all round professional. His preparation is meticulous.’
Julia Farrant – Furnival Chambers 'Wonderful professional. Excellent analytical skills and very fluent as a speaker. Totally dedicated and easy to get on with.'
Reka Hollos – Three Raymond Buildings ‘Reka is an impressive opponent, and is carving a solid practice at the extradition Bar. She has a forceful advocacy style, and will go very far.’
Rachel Kapila – Cloth Fair Chambers 'She is able to quickly assimilate information and is assiduous in her preparation. This means that she really inspires confidence in her clients.'
Sophia Kerridge  – 5 St Andrews Hill
Gemma Lindfield – 5 St Andrews Hill ‘Gemma is detailed, thorough, and careful when advising and bold in court.’
Émilie Pottle – Temple Garden Chambers 'Emilie is a versatile advocate with overlapping complimentary practice areas that are not that common allowing her to raise interesting points that others may not think of.'
Sian Priory – 5 St Andrews Hill
Ciju Puthuppally – Three Raymond Buildings ‘Ciju is a very impressive advocate. He is hard-working and details oriented. As an advocate he has a measured and persuasive style.’
Mark Smith – 5 St Andrews Hill 'Mark is a methodical advocate who advances complex points in a calm and reassuring manner. His submissions are often detailed, and he is always on top of the law and his papers. He is pragmatic and tries to narrow the issues as much as possible. He is always very pleasant to deal with.'
Adam Squibbs – Furnival Chambers ‘Adam is very diligent and bright. His oral and written advocacy is always extremely thorough and effective.’
Robbie Stern – Matrix Chambers 'Robbie is a fantastic barrister, able to grasp complex cases quickly and deal with difficult issues pragmatically and in a way far beyond his year of call. His oral and written advocacy are equally impressive. He will undoubtedly go far at whatever he turns his hand to.'
Juliet Wells – Temple Garden Chambers ‘Juliet is an excellent professional, she is detail-oriented, sharp and assertive. She is a well-read person with impeccable legal background, and a very friendly person. She manages to raise every team member to her level of expectation and quality.’

Rising Stars

Rebecca Thomas - 5 St Andrews Hill
Sophie Stevens - 9BR 'Popular with clients and solicitors alike. Strives always for the best outcome and identifies issues and material supportive of a client’s case. Excellent at obtaining material to advance her arguments.'
Joe O’Leary – 5 St Andrews Hill ‘Excellent young barrister and advocate in court, already delivering great results and who will no doubt become one of the best in due course.’
Tom Davies – Red Lion Chambers 'He is extremely helpful and always prompt. He is very efficient. He always knows his papers very well and does not take hopeless points. He makes sensible concessions when it is appropriate to do so.'
Douglas Wotherspoon – 9BR Chambers 'Has a gravitas and maturity beyond his years' call. A barrister that really enjoys the intellectual rigour of extradition. In court he has a calm, authoritative and informed style that judges and clients appreciate.'

Extradition in London Bar

5 St Andrews Hill


With an ‘excellent set of extradition specialists’, 5 St Andrews Hill remains at the forefront of many of the leading cases in extradition, and members of the chambers regularly appear before prominent domestic and European courts. Chambers head David Josse KC led the ‘hugely experienced leading junior’ Ben Keith on behalf of the requested person in Government of Ukraine v Sivkiv, the first extradition request from Ukraine in over five year which was heavily complicated by issues concerning Ukraine's ongoing war. Rebecca Hill acted in France v Al Tijani, a high-profile case concerning the asphyxiation of a child asylum seeker that related to the interaction between the Extradition Act 2003 and the current UK asylum regime, Natasha Draycott leads on cases concerning serious crimes such as financial crime and drug trafficking, and David Williams handles cases with Article 3 ECHR arguments.

Les références

‘5SAH are excellent for extradition and financial crime in particular. The clerking team are a pleasure to deal with; David Scothern, Dean Cook and Gary Norton are always on hand, highly responsive and helpful.’

‘In Dean Cook, the chambers has an extremely valuable asset. Incredibly helpful, available and supportive’

‘The clerks are courteous and efficient.’

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Doughty Street Chambers


‘The go-to set for this area’, Doughty Street Chambers has a track record of success in the most prominent extradition cases, with members integrating experience in domestic and international human rights law to lead on the most challenging and novel proceedings on the side of defendants. Edward Fitzgerald KC remains a leading figure on the extradition Bar, and in 2024 achieved major success acting for Julian Assange in obtaining permission from the High Court to appeal his extradition order, which eventually resulted in a plea deal and Assange’s return to Australia without serving a custodial sentence in the US. A silk ‘steeped in experience in extradition law’, Ben Cooper KC achieved success in the Supreme Court in Merticariu vs Romania, a test case on the right to retrial under the Extradition Act 2003, where he led junior counsel Mary Westcott and the ‘incisive, brave and dedicated’ Malcolm Hawkes. Peter Caldwell KC took silk in 2o25, and his recent work includes obtaining bail for a person who faced charges of running a drug trafficking operation in India.

Les références

‘Clerks are always very helpful.’

‘The chambers contains a number of skilled advocates which means good back up is always available. It is a well clerked and extremely efficiently run, busy set of chambers.’

‘Well renowned extradition set with counsel available across the whole spectrum. They will nearly always have someone to cater for an individual client’s needs’

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Matrix Chambers


Matrix Chambers has a ‘very well-regarded extradition team’, and members of the chambers have been instructed in prominent and complex extradition proceedings complicated by human rights concerns. With ‘incomparable depth of knowledge of extradition law’ Mark Summers KC led for the CPS in a Supreme Court appeal United States v El-Khouri, a case concerning the dual criminality test. Alex Bailin KC has particular strength in defendant-side proceedings in cases concerning charges of fraud or financial crime, with recent work including leading in the case of a man who faced drug trafficking charges in the US. James Stansfeld ‘possesses comprehensive knowledge of the relevant statutory frameworks’ and recently acted in an appeal in the Divisional Court for the requested person in a case concerning Indian charges of fraud and money laundering.

Les références

‘Chambers support their members and are an equal partner in the case team. Always prompt with support and requests.’

‘Matrix have a small but very well regarded extradition team.’

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Three Raymond Buildings


Three Raymond Buildings is ‘a powerhouse for extradition law’, with members at the forefront of the largest and most decisive extradition cases, and the set can boast depth of experience at the silk and junior levels alike. Illustrating the depth of experience in the set in prominent extradition instructions, James Lewis KC and the ‘hugely knowledgeable’ Clair Dobbin KC appeared for the US Government in the Julian Assange extradition proceedings. ‘Tenacious and well-prepared’, Rachel Barnes KC led Amanda Bostock on behalf of the prosecution in Republic of Montenegro v Dusko Knezevic, the first Montenegrin extradition request of a banker accused of fraud, which involved considerations of rights under ECHR articles 3 and 6. Rachel Scott KC took silk in 2025, and recent work includes representing a former investment banker facing extradition to the US on corruption charges.

Les références

‘Senior Clerk Eddie Holland is absolutely fantastic, always available and will resolve immediately any issue.’

‘Fantastic clerking room.’

‘Three Raymond Buildings is an excellent set of chambers with strength and depth in its advocates. The quality of advocacy that you can expect from a member of this chambers is of a consistently impressive standard.’

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6KBW College Hill


6KBW College Hill is ‘one of the very best criminal defence sets in London’, and the set has a wealth of extradition specialists across levels of seniority. David Perry KC led for the appellant in the case of a Canadian fraudster who, having been previously extradited to Canada, returned to the United Kingdom in breach of her Canadian bail conditions. ‘A silk in the making’, Catherine Brown was instructed by the US Government in extradition proceedings where the requested person is sought for participation in online blackmail and extortion, and Rosemary Davidson  led Richard Evans in a case concerning the request by the US for an Austrian banker accused of involvement in the Lava Jato scandal.

Les références

‘The clerks are the best in London. They are always approachable and highly professional and efficient. Richard Summerscales and Mark Essex are hugely experienced and a real pleasure to work with.’

‘The clerks are excellent, efficient, courteous and friendly.’

‘6KBW College Hill has a number of extradition practitioners and the set enjoys a stellar reputation.’

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9BR


9BR Chambers is ‘a go to chambers for all extradition matters’, and members of the set are equally experienced acting on behalf of governments and high-profile requested persons. ‘A regular in the extradition courts’ Stefan Hyman regularly acts on behalf of international bodies in extradition requests, and recently appeared in the Supreme Court in Bertino vs Public Prosecutor’s Office, Italy, a precedent-setting case regarding the meaning of being deliberately absent from trial under the Extradition Act 2003. ‘A very innovative barrister and a strong advocate’, Ben Joyes was instructed in Stojcevic v Croatia, an extradition request based on an historical warrant for war crimes, and Jonathan Swain  appeared in a leading case regarding conditions in Belgian prisons.

Les références

‘Excellent proactive work from the team – Jordan Haisman in particular.’

‘The clerks at 9BR always go out of their way to assist in any way they can. Jordan Haisman in an irreplaceable asset to the clerk’s room at 9BR.’

‘9BR Chambers is a go to chambers for all extradition matters. They have a very experienced team of barristers who have acted on some of the most influential extradition cases. The team is personable and extremely helpful, are very approachable and always willing to answer questions.’

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Furnival Chambers


A ‘familiar and well-respected set’, members of Furnival Chambers  are often first-choice counsel of the CPS, with a particular speciality in cases concerning international fraud. ‘Increasingly the CPS’s silk of choice for extradition’, Joel Smith KC led on behalf in USA v Singler, prominent extradition proceedings of a mother accused of murdering two of her children. ‘A force to be reckoned with when cross-examining’, Hannah Burton led for the prosecution in Armenia's request for an individual accused defrauding a grants scheme of around €2.5m - a case involving issues of ECHR Articles 3 and 6.

Les références

‘Clerks when contacted are accommodating and helpful.’

‘The clerks’ room is excellent. A very courteous and efficient service.’

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Temple Garden Chambers


‘One of the top sets in extradition law’, Temple Garden Chambers has a depth of experience acting on behalf of governments and defendants across a range of jurisdictions. A veteran silk of the extradition bar, Rodney Dixon KC acted for the claimant in Ahmed Jaafar Ali v Interpol, a unique civil claim in which the defendant was sued for an illegal extradition from Serbia to Bahrain. At the junior level, prominent individuals include the ‘hard working and skilled’ Kathryn Howarth, whose recent work includes two separate extradition proceedings on behalf of the government of Croatia relating to historic allegations of war crimes, and Saoirse Townshend, who acted in Bakai v Slovak Republic, a complex extradition case that related to right to family life under Article 8 ECHR.

Les références

‘Temple Garden Chambers has a strong extradition team. They are well-prepared and deliver written and oral advocacy to a very high standard. Members of chambers have a wide range of experience in extradition law and are able to handle complex and novel legal issues.’

‘They have a breadth of practitioners at all levels who have been in many of the leading extradition cases. They also bring public and international law experience to the field.’

‘Chambers are very helpful, and are able to offer suitable Counsel in all cases.’

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