International Human Rights And Criminal Law

Leading Silks

Rodney Dixon KC – Temple Garden Chambers ‘Very strong on the law, has a deep and wide knowledge of international criminal law and international humanitarian law; very strong on legal strategy, identifying the right approach at the right time; very good with clients, is empathetic and builds confidence.’

Schona Jolly KC – Cloisters

Steven Kay KC – 9BR Chambers ‘Steven is particularly good at seeing the big strategic picture. He is very collaborative, and he uses his court-honed advocacy skills to present complicated issues very clearly and succinctly.’

Alison Macdonald KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Alison is an outstanding human rights advocate. She has a strategic approach and an expert understanding of international human rights law, international criminal law and public international law. She is a creative and innovative thinker, and an ability to communicate sophisticated legal concepts in clear and concise terms. She is also highly personable and accessible – a real pleasure to work with.’

Steven Powles KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘He is highly reliable and demonstrates strong commitment to helping victims of human rights abuses.’

Kirsty Brimelow KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Knowledgeable, committed, helpful, and strong advocate for justice and rule of law. It is very easy to work with Kirsty and you can trust that she will help you in the best of her abilities.’

Diana Ellis KC – 25 Bedford Row ‘Diana is a wonderful barrister. She is absolutely committed to the best interests of the client. She works phenomenally hard. She examines every legal argument carefully and any argument deployed is intelligent, thoughtful and persuasive. has excellent communication skills and takes time and care to explain things to a lay client. She is a fearless and persuasive advocate.’

Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Caoilfhionn is incredibly knowledgeable and has built up a strong portfolio of so many of the cases that matter most to global press freedom. She not only has a brilliant legal mind, but she has become adept at developing advocacy strategies around her cases, and forging strong partnership with NGOs, leading to greater impact for her clients.’

James McClelland KC – Brick Court Chambers

Tim Moloney KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘A consummate professional and expert in his field, exceptional at leading and steering a team of counsel. Tim provides incisive, pragmatic and speedy advice on even the most complex and sensitive issues, is hugely client-focused and is an absolute delight to work with.’

Timothy Otty KC - Blackstone Chambers 'Tim is always a delight to work with - super bright, but refreshingly un-showy and very user-friendly.'

Max du Plessis SC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Max is exceptional at identifying the core issues in a case. His oral advocacy really sets him apart; each of his arguments is a masterclass in making complex facts and legal issues relatable.’

Rachel Barnes KC – Three Raymond Buildings ‘Rachel is encyclopaedic in her knowledge, brilliantly strategic and highly effective as an advocate. She has great attention to detail and does not give up.’

Ben Cooper KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Ben’s attention to detail is first-class and he has the ability to put forward submissions clearly, eloquently and succinctly. He clearly cares about his clients and is always willing to go the extra mile.’

Edward Fitzgerald KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Truly sublime. A real treat to watch in court and a fountain of knowledge.’

Peter Carter KC – Doughty Street Chambers

Lord Verdirame KC – Twenty Essex

Shaheed Fatima KC – Blackstone Chambers

Jemima Stratford KC – Brick Court Chambers

2023 Silks

Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC – Matrix Chambers ‘Blinne has deservedly been made Kings Counsel. She is one of the leading silks of her generation in this area.’

Joe Middleton KC – Doughty Street Chambers

Leading Juniors

Jennifer Robinson – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Jennifer is renowned for her exceptional court advocacy and her ability to handle high-profile human rights matters with skill and finesse. With an impressive track record and extensive experience, Jennifer has established herself as a formidable presence in the courtroom, known for her persuasive arguments and ability to navigate complex legal challenges.’

Michelle Butler – Matrix Chambers ‘Michelle is one of a kind. She is highly skilful, knowledgeable, from setting the strategy through the tactics and all combined with the highest human skills. She masters her field, standing out to others and receiving the greatest respect by her peers as well as the court.’

Amal Clooney – Doughty Street Chambers ‘A leader on every case she is involved in, and a master strategist and compassionate advocate for the most vulnerable.’

Edward Craven – Matrix Chambers

Tatyana Eatwell – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Fantastic knowledge of the law and academic strength, combined with incredible commitment to her cases and clients.’

Gráinne Mellon – Garden Court Chambers

Can Yeginsu – 3 Verulam Buildings

Toby Cadman – Guernica 37 Chambers

Paul Luckhurst – Blackstone Chambers

Naomi Hart – Essex Court Chambers ‘Naomi is excellent, a true expert in public international law. She has super judgement, is a really hard worker and very popular with clients. Pragmatic but well-thought-out advice. A first choice junior for anything to do with public international law.’

Aarif Abraham – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Aarif is exceptionally skilled in advocacy, effectively conveying persuasive messages and explaining complex legal matters to the audience. He is highly engaging and completely captivates the audience’s attention.’

Sarah Bafadhel – 9BR Chambers

Almudena Bernabeu – Guernica 37 Chambers

Joanna Buckley – Matrix Chambers ‘Jo is an expert in her field, responsive and thoughtful. She has an ability to be able to present arguments well and is open and flexible in her approach. She is also collaborative – very good working in large teams with diverse ideas.’

Rhys Davies – Temple Garden Chambers

Haydee Dijkstal – 33 Bedford Row ‘Haydee is an exceptional international lawyer. Her knowledge of international human rights law and international criminal law is remarkable. She is strategic from the outset and thinks many steps ahead in cases engaging issues of law and complex diplomacy. She is an expert in representing people detained abroad, as well as cases concerning natural resources.’

Iain Edwards – 1MCB ‘Iain possesses formidable advocacy skills, employing razor-sharp questions, honed from meticulous preparation and expert intuition. He is very knowledgeable as concerns international criminal law and procedure. His French fluency and familiarity with the need to tailor advocacy to cultural specificities places him at the forefront of practising counsel in this field.’

Aidan Ellis – Temple Garden Chambers

Monica Feria-Tinta – Twenty Essex ‘She is a brilliant international human rights lawyer who works collaboratively within the international legal community. She advances innovative, creative and cutting-edge arguments in international law cases of vital importance.’

Toby Fisher – Matrix Chambers

Gillian Higgins – 9BR Chambers ‘Gill is quite simply one of the foremost minds in international law, current and emerging, with an unrivalled experience in the trenches. Her advocacy is concise, informed and uncompromising, a position she can hold because of her prominence in her field.’

Joshua Kern – 9BR Chambers ‘Josh is a skilled advocate with an impressive breadth of knowledge in international criminal law and human rights. He is experienced both in the UK and international courts. His methodical, incisive, and highly strategic approach to the presentation of cases is highly engaging. His oral advocacy skills are matched by his rigorous and intelligent written work.’

Jennifer MacLeod – Brick Court Chambers

Philippa Webb – Twenty Essex ‘Excellent judgement, a superb drafter with an extremely well-established publication record and an absolute pleasure to work with.’

Jonathan Worboys – 4 New Square Chambers ‘Jonathan is great at familiarising himself with the case incredibly quickly and performing at a high level.’

Jessica Jones – Matrix Chambers ‘Jess is absolutely brilliant. An impressively diverse practice, with a mixed academic and rigorous drafting with a streetwise approach. A go-to junior for international work with a criminal or human rights theme.’

Zacharias Miah - 9BR Chambers

Kerrie Ann Rowan - 25 Bedford Row

Nina Tavakoli - Red Lion Chambers

Peta-Louise Bagott – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Calm, approachable and easy to work with. Strong research skills and ability to work seamlessly in a team.’

Malcolm Birdling – Brick Court Chambers

Sam Blom-Cooper – 25 Bedford Row ‘He is creative, well-informed, an excellent advocate and writes powerful and comprehensive submissions. He is also a powerful and persuasive advocate on his feet. He has worked at the forefront of some very difficult and controversial cases and has always impressively held his own with the silks involved.’

Kate Boakes – Matrix Chambers

Isabel Buchanan – Blackstone Chambers

Paul Kingsley Clark – Garden Court Chambers 'Paul works extremely hard and his written advocacy is compelling and powerful. He has unique ability to put clients at ease in extremely difficult situations and engenders confidence in all those he works with. He is extremely professional, clear in his advice and empathetic.'

Piers Gardner – Monckton Chambers ‘Piers is a barrister with truly exceptional professional skills. He has unrivalled practical experience at the ECHR and a very strong knowledge of the court’s jurisprudence. Piers conveys a great deal of confidence and assurance and has exceptional communication skills. He is a well-rounded lawyer from all points of view.’

Megan Hirst – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Megan is an expert on representing victims before international criminal tribunals. She is an authority on not only the history and development of victim representation, but also on the case law and practical procedure of the International Criminal Court, Special Tribunal for Lebanon and other international criminal courts and tribunals.’

Kathryn Howarth – Temple Garden Chambers

Ben Joyes – 9BR Chambers

Anirudh Mathur – Matrix Chambers ‘Very passionate about the cause and excellent eye to detail; works very hard and very quickly.’

Jackie McArthur – Essex Court Chambers ‘Jackie is a responsive, hard-working and skilled barrister, and a pleasure to work with.’

Jason Pobjoy – Blackstone Chambers

Jelia Sane – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Jelia is an excellent barrister and is one of the leading voices in international crimes against children. She has unique perspectives and able to think strategically to advance the law and justice for children. She is also a pleasure to work with.’

Kirsty Sutherland – 9BR Chambers ‘Knowledge base exceptional. Excellent research. Experience of private and government sectors. Hardworking.’

Alex Tinsley – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Without a doubt the go-to barrister for all INTERPOL cases. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of INTERPOL’s rules, principles and processes, and his wider knowledge of international law is extremely impressive. He is an excellent strategist and is able to navigate his way through cases that often involve proceedings in multiple jurisdictions. He operates at a level far beyond his year of call would suggest.’

David Young - Red Lion Chambers

International human rights and criminal law in London Bar

Tier 1 sets

Doughty Street Chambers

Doughty Street Chambers is praised for its ‘immense strength in depth in the specific area of international human rights and criminal law’ with members of the chambers frequently acting in the highest profile cases before international human rights bodies and criminal courts, including the ECHR, the UN Human Rights Committee, ICJ and the ICC. Members of the set are active in cases concerning the protection of press freedom, with Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC advising the BBC concerning the ongoing alleged harassment of BBC Persian journalists by the Iranian government, while Tatyana Eatwell and Jennifer Robinson continue to act on behalf of the International Federation of Journalists and Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate in filing complaints to the UN and ICC regarding their alleged targeting and discrimination by Israel. Tim Moloney KC leads Megan Hirst and Peta-Louise Bagott in the high-profile appeal against the ICC decision not to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity in the context of the 2001-2021 Afghanistan war, and Amal Clooney represents the Republic of the Maldives intervention in The Gambia v Myanmar case before the ICJ relating to the Gambia's allegation, on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, that Myanmar is carrying out a genocide against the Rohingya people.

Les références

‘Matt Butchard – brilliant asset to chambers. Has forged relationships with all areas of the justice system.

Excellent service by the clerks. They are responsive and attentive.’

‘Doughty Street Chambers clerks have also been consistently excellent.’

Tier 2 sets

9BR

9BR Chambers is praised as ‘a set with a formidable reputation across the spectrum of criminal law’ with the members of the set handling high-profile conflict and humanitarian crisis cases before the ICC, ECHR and international tribunals. Leading Gillian Higgins, Steven Kay KC represents the government of South Sudan against ongoing claims of war crimes and crimes against humanity before the ICC. Joshua Kern represented the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists in the ICJ advisory opinion on The Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Les références

‘9BR is a reputable set with a strong reputation for international criminal law.’

‘Interactions have always been positive and timely.’

‘Market leaders in international criminal law, international humanitarian law with first class results and service to states, corporations, international institutions and individuals. They cover trial and pre-trial situations involving crimes of universal jurisdiction and provide strategic advice in situations that are developing into international crises.’

Matrix Chambers

Lauded as a ‘go-to set in international human rights law’ Matrix Chambers is equipped to handle high-profile criminal cases concerning bribery and corruption and the most complex human rights cases on torture and genocide. Michelle Butler is currently acting for the Israeli Hostage and Missing Persons Families Forum and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre in the ICC investigation into the perpetration of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Hamas in Israel on the 7th of October 2023; Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC is representing the claimant in the South Africa v Israel ICJ case, in which the South African government alleges that Israel’s military response in Gaza to said attacks amount to genocide. Jessica Jones appears in both Saifullah v Secretary of State for Defence and Noorzai v Secretary of State for Defence on behalf of the claimants who allege the Secretary of State for Defence did not properly investigate allegations of unlawful killing of Afghan civilians by UK Special Forces, while Edward Craven acts in the independent inquiry relating to the incident. Lord Hermer KC is now the Attorney-General for England and Wales.

Les références

‘Unprecedented for public law and human rights.’

‘The Chambers provide in-depth training on human rights and civil liberties, and this is very welcome.’

‘Fantastic strength in depth.’

Tier 3 sets

Temple Garden Chambers

Temple Garden Chambers includes barristers with extensive experience appearing before the highest international courts, most recently the ICC in criminal and human rights cases on behalf of states, defendants and victims. Rodney Dixon KC is leading on behalf of the Qatari broadcaster in Al Jazeera Media Network for Shireen Abu Akleh v ICC concerning the fatal shooting of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Katherine Howarth is instructed by Tunisian opposition MPs, judges, lawyers and journalists in an article 15 communication to the ICC concerning various crimes against humanity that have occurred in Tunisia since a coup in 2021. The set is notably connected to the prosecution apparatus at the International Criminal Court - Karim Khan KC continues as prosecutor, and Andrew Cayley KC was appointed principal trial lawyer in March 2024.

Les références

‘Very good Chambers.’

‘Temple Garden Chambers is very good.’

Classements par PratiqueLondon Bar