International Human Rights And Criminal Law

Leading Silks

Rodney Dixon KC – Temple Garden Chambers 'No matter the size of the case, he has the capacity to master huge amounts of material and extract the key issues in a case incredibly quicky. Rodney’s oral submissions are compelling; he knows the law and he brings a visible wealth of experience to the courtroom. Judges respect and trust him. He is a particularly talented cross examiner, with the ability to get exactly what he wants from a witness. He has an incredible eye for detail and his written submissions are always excellent.'

Steven Kay KC – 9BR Chambers 'Steven brings a wealth of experience and is able to meld knowledge of the law with very practical advice that is tailored to often very complex needs of clients, whether organisations, companies or Governments.'

Alison Macdonald KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Alison has deep expertise in the area of international human rights and criminal law. She has a strategic and practical approach, communicates with great clarity, and is highly accessible, personable and professional. She is a compelling and powerful advocate to have in your corner.’

Timothy Otty KC – Blackstone Chambers

Steven Powles KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Steven is one of the most eminent practitioners before the International Criminal Court and is an excellent advocate. He is robust and persuasive yet not confrontational or aggressive in ways that are often detrimental to the interests of a client. He is very reliable.’

Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC – Matrix Chambers 'One of the most accomplished, hardest working, super strategic but also bold and brave advocates of her generation - utterly brilliant written work and advocacy. There are not enough superlatives to describe her work.'

Kirsty Brimelow KC – Doughty Street Chambers 'Kirsty is an excellent advocate and committed to promoting the rights of those who are disadvantaged.'

Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘She has become better with every passing year so that she is now considered among lawyers as a force of nature capable of taking over and controlling every narrative. Genuinely humane, Caoilfhionn is however unforgiving of those who abuse their powers.’

Schona Jolly KC – Cloisters 'Pro-active, collegiate and savvy. A pleasure to work with, start to finish. Gets the results.'

James McClelland KC – Brick Court Chambers

Max du Plessis SC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Max is an accomplished and eloquent advocate who argues most persuasively. He is a thorough researcher who presents his written submissions both clearly and convincingly. He relates well to clients.’

Rachel Barnes KC – Three Raymond Buildings 'A very incisive, extremely able and thoughtful barrister who is one of the top specialist counsel in this field, able to address complex issues and advise clients in clear terms.'

Ben Juratowitch KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘He has excellent attention to detail while also handling the general strategy of the case. His ability to relay details of law in a concise manner is second to none.’

Edward Fitzgerald KC – Doughty Street Chambers 'You simply cannot attain a higher status than him. A master class to watch. Internationally recognised. An exceptional international human rights lawyer, with deep expertise in treaty law, international conventions, and comparative constitutional principles. Combines academic rigour with practical litigation experience across a wide range of human rights issues.'

Lord Verdirame KC – Twenty Essex

Joe Middleton KC – Doughty Street Chambers 'Joe's commitment to pro bono work on behalf of individuals facing the death penalty is unrivalled. He is able to translate extremely complex and sensitive issues into powerful written submissions that are accessible to the court, clients and respective legal teams. His written advocacy is powerful and compelling and his knowledge of comparative international law and constitutional law stands him above many others in the field.'

Tim Moloney KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Tim is an exceptional criminal barrister, with truly formidable experience and an excellent strategic mind. He combines an expert knowledge of the law with nous and pragmatism. He is an absolute delight to work with, relentless in his work ethic and tireless in his commitment to the client.’

Jemima Stratford KC – Brick Court Chambers

2025 Silks

Edward Craven KC – Matrix Chambers ‘His work rate is phenomenal. Everything Edward produces is first class. He is a remarkable lawyer.’

Leading Juniors

Jennifer Robinson – Doughty Street Chambers 'Exceptional advocate, brilliant legal mind, has led important human rights achievements across a range of areas, focus on pro bono work, easy to work with, generous with her time to clients.'

Joanna Buckley – Matrix Chambers 'Joanna is a thoughtful and meticulous barrister. She has the ability to be flexible in her approach and be practical in her advice. She is a joy to work with. Her subject knowledge expertise is well recognised and impressive.'

Michelle Butler – Matrix Chambers ‘Michelle shines above her colleagues. She is a league of her own. Full of professionalism and passionate about her work she combines skill with a unique personal care and attention to the cases she’s handling.’

Amal Clooney – Doughty Street Chambers 'Amal is a very persuasive advocate for her clients, victims of human rights abuses and mass atrocities; the strength of her advocacy is well recognised. She is passionate for justice and human rights, and empathetic with her clients. Her standing compels the attention of not only of courts but also of governments, which is imperative in cases of human rights abuses committed by state authorities.'

Tatyana Eatwell – Doughty Street Chambers 'Very creative at finding solutions to complex human rights issues, using the full range of international remedies.'

Gráinne Mellon – Garden Court Chambers 'Focused, clever and committed.'

Nina Tavakoli – Red Lion Chambers ‘Nina is very direct; she gets straight to the heart of an issue and doesn’t waste time on bad or insignificant points. She understands complex arguments and communicates them clearly to the court. She reads what the judges are thinking very quickly and adapts her approach to them.’

Philippa Webb – Twenty Essex ‘Extremely well-connected with her finger on the pulse. Really easy to work with. Excellent sense of judgement. Cool and calm head.’

Can Yeginsu – 3 Verulam Buildings 'Can is a phenomenon - his expertise, particularly in the field of free expression, is unmatched.'

Aarif Abraham – Doughty Street Chambers 'Among his many strengths is the ability to take complex legal issues and explain them to people who do not have a legal background but who need to understand the nuance and finer detail of international law.'

Sarah Bafadhel – 9BR Chambers ‘Sarah is a tremendous lawyer with a brilliant legal mind. Her ability to draft complex submissions in international criminal law is astonishing. She is an incredible asset in a legal team as her inputs are always on point and creative when necessary for tricky factual or legal points of discussion.’

Sam Blom-Cooper – 25 Bedford Row 'He is knowledgeable, quick, extremely hard working, and a fine advocate. He has an attractive manner in court and has learnt restraint when dealing with a vexatious opponent.'

Rhys Davies – Temple Garden Chambers 'Rhys' key strengths are a first-rate analytical brain, his ability to absorb a wide range of complex data and distill from it a compelling line of argument, his understanding of the political hinterland of his case, and the invariable fluency of his presentations. His willingness to undertake complex and time-consuming human rights cases pro-bono marks him out as a truly exceptional lawyer.'

Haydee Dijkstal – 33 Bedford Row 'Haydee's strengths include extensive knowledge of international and domestic human rights and criminal law. She is well-versed in the necessary legislation and jurisprudence, both for relevant international instruments and mechanisms and for relevant domestic jurisdictions. Haydee's deep expertise also allows her to make novel legal arguments as appropriate—such as by drawing parallels to other situations or by highlighting unique aspects of a case — to best advocate for success.'

Iain Edwards – 1MCB

Aidan Ellis – Temple Garden Chambers ‘Aidan is extremely thorough and has great attention to detail. He is a calm and persuasive advocate in court.’

Monica Feria-Tinta – Twenty Essex 'Combines superb knowledge of international human rights law with a detailed and meticulous approach to her cases.'

Toby Fisher – Matrix Chambers

Courtney Grafton – Twenty Essex ‘Absolutely brilliant team player. Fantastic drafter. You can count on her completely. A true pleasure to work with.’

Naomi Hart – Essex Court Chambers ‘An absolutely superb junior. Excellent at identifying the key issues. Precise and thoughtful in her oral and written advocacy.’

Gillian Higgins – 9BR Chambers

Joshua Kern – 9BR Chambers 'An excellent advocate, unflappable and very good on the details.'

Paul Luckhurst – Blackstone Chambers

Jennifer MacLeod – Brick Court Chambers 'Admirably knowledgeable, thoughtful and a pleasure to work with.'

Anirudh Mathur – Matrix Chambers 'Anirudh has an obvious acuity with any dispute with an international element. His cross-border practice leaves him well placed to engage with often knotty issues raised by litigation with a cross-border or international element.'

Zacharias Miah – 9BR Chambers ‘Very smart and fast in the analysis, and a hard worker too.’

Sareta Ashraph – Garden Court Chambers ‘She brings an exceptional command of complex legal frameworks, with particular expertise in the gendered dimensions of international crimes and the rights of survivors of mass atrocities. Equally adept in courtroom advocacy, legal drafting and survivor-centred engagement, Sareta combines intellectual rigour with unmatched emotional intelligence. Her clarity of thought and expression enables her to navigate the most technical legal terrain while making complex issues accessible to a range of audiences.’

Peta-Louise Bagott – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Excellent drafter, very responsive, easy to work with and a great team player.’

Almudena Bernabeu – Guernica 37 Chambers ‘Almudena is very well-informed and thoroughly dedicated to the service of her clients.’

Malcolm Birdling – Brick Court Chambers

Isabel Buchanan – Blackstone Chambers ‘Isabel is exceptionally bright and is a pleasure to work with. She provides clear advice and thinks through problems diligently.’

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.’

Paul Kingsley Clark – Garden Court Chambers ‘Paul provides excellent written advice of a strategic nature and has conducted wide-ranging and influential research into comparative criminal and constitutional law. He drafts clear and detailed instructions to expert witnesses and deploys this evidence into trial strategy and legal arguments. His commitment to pro bono work is exceptional.’

Piers Gardner – Monckton Chambers ‘Extremely professional with a keen eye to detail. He is very accommodating and easy to communicate with. He is in full command of the applicable law and gives clients high confidence.’

Joe Holmes – 9BR Chambers ‘Joe is at the top of his game as an international lawyer. He has the perfect mix of intelligence and approachability. He is a pleasure to work with.’

Kathryn Howarth – Temple Garden Chambers ‘Kathryn is committed to providing advice to her clients that they can easily put into action. She explains legal concepts extremely clearly and puts them into practical steps in a manner that is rare among similar practitioners. Her advice is extremely helpful and in turn allows her clients to not only have an excellent advocate in her, but also to advocate for themselves.’

Jessica Jones – Matrix Chambers

Ben Joyes – 9BR Chambers ‘Hard working and experienced – regularly appears in the High Court.’

Ben Keith – 5 St Andrews Hill ‘Highly persuasive advocate with an exceptional ability to distill complex legal arguments into clear, compelling submissions that work in court. Ben has a knack for cutting through legal complexity to present cases in ways that judges find accessible and convincing. Ben manages clients exceptionally well through his straightforward communication style and evident expertise. He has the ability to explain difficult concepts clearly while keeping them informed throughout proceedings.’

Jackie McArthur – Essex Court Chambers

Ian McDonald – 3VB

George Molyneaux – Blackstone Chambers

Harj Narulla – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Harj is exceptional. His advocacy before the International Court of Justice is superb and he has a brilliant grasp of complex issues and how to explain them to a judge.’

Kerrie Ann Rowan – 25 Bedford Row ‘Sharp as a tack; incisive witness handler with the ultimate goal firmly and throughout in her sights. Written advocacy displays a deep understanding of the relevant law’

Amy Sander – Essex Court Chambers ‘Excellent team player and clear, focused advocate.’

Amy Sander – Essex Court Chambers ‘An excellent team player and clear, focused advocate.’

Kirsty Sutherland – 9BR Chambers ‘Excellent research skills and keeps up to date with academic developments.’

Alex Tinsley – Doughty Street Chambers ‘His strength is the outstanding quality of his work, the diligence he applies and the broad knowledge he has in particular in the human rights and extradition field.’

Jonathan Worboys – 4 New Square Chambers ‘Jonathan has extensive experience in international human rights and criminal law.’

Rising Stars

Anna Hoffmann - 4 Pump Court

International human rights and criminal law in London Bar

Tier 1 sets

Doughty Street Chambers

‘A set full of heavyweights in this field’, Doughty Street Chambers remain at the forefront of the largest and most complex international human rights and criminal cases, and members of the set regularly appear in front of an array of European and international courts and tribunals. The set’s international human rights specialists include Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, who continues to act for the BBC World Service in appeals to the UN concerning harassment of journalists by the Iranian government; Amal Clooney, who is representing over eight hundred clients in Murad v Lafarge, a case in the US courts brought by Yazidis alleging that the cement company paid off and supplied concrete to Islamic State. Kirsty Brimelow KC, an ‘excellent ambassador for the profession’, recently included acting as an independent observer to the trial in Colombia of Santiago Uribe Vélez - brother of former president Alvaro Uribe - who was acquitted on charges concerning his alleged membership of a paramilitary group. Aarif Abraham advised the Lithuanian government on a state referral to the ICC concerning actions Belarusian military and political leaders.

Les références

‘The clerks are exceptional. Incredibly responsive and forthcoming.’

‘Doughty Street Chambers are the go-to set for human rights cases. they have a huge range of barristers who are top of their respective fields. The clerks are extremely responsive and provide a first-rate service.’

‘Chambers are excellent with a strong clerking team.’

Principaux dossiers

Tier 2 sets

9BR

A ‘leading international criminal law set’, 9BR Chambers has a wealth of experience in international criminal courts and tribunals and can count major global political bodies as leading clients. ‘Respected by governments worldwide’, Steven Kay KC and Gillian Higgins continue to represent the Government of South Sudan in war crimes proceedings before the ICC and in international peace negotiations in Libya, which concern historic human rights abuses under the Gaddafi regime and the recovery of seized state assets under sanctions. Joshua Kern continues to act for the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists concerning arrest warrants issued for leading individuals in the Israeli government, and the Joe Holmes represented Alfred Yekatom in the ICC against charges of crimes against humanity concerning events in the Central African Republic Civil War.

Les références

‘Set is businesslike , efficient and sensibly priced.’

‘Chambers has a strong international law profile.’

‘9BR is a set at the forefront of international criminal law and extradition.’

Principaux dossiers

Matrix Chambers

With an established tradition of human rights expertise, Matrix Chambers ‘combines intellectual heft and sector-based knowledge with approachable and communicative barristers’ to represent vulnerable clients in prominent international criminal and human rights proceedings. Praised for her ‘utterly brilliant written work and advocacy’, Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC represents South Africa in its International Court of Justice case against Israel, which it accuses of genocide regarding the war in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7th attack in 2023; Michelle Butler continues to represent the families of Israeli victims of physical and sexual violence as part of October 7th. Edward Craven KC took silk in 2025 and has ongoing involvement for the claimant in Abu Zubaydah v Home Office and Foreign & Commonwealth Office, which concerns allegations of international human rights abuses against UK and US authorities. Joanna Buckley was recently instructed to act before the UN’s Committee against Torture on behalf of Yazidi victims of slavery and torture, a case which raised complex cross-border conflict questions regarding non-state actors.

Les références

‘Clerks are good, especially Paul Venables.’

‘Paul Venables must be highlighted for particular praise and credit. He knows the market in public international law better than any other clerk, and is highly effective at protecting the interests of the barristers with whom he works.’

‘Good depth in senior and junior areas in this area of law.’

Principaux dossiers

Tier 3 sets

Temple Garden Chambers

‘One of the chambers at the forefront of this area’, members of Temple Garden Chambers represent clients ranging from states to victims of human rights abuses across a range of international courts. ‘A first-rate technical lawyer’, Rodney Dixon KC continues to act for the self-styled East Turkestan Government in Exile concerning allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity, with a number of appearances before the United Nations, and Kathryn Howarth appeared in a judicial review concerning the obligations of the UK Government relating to arms exports and breaches of international human rights law in the conflict in Palestine. At the junior level, prominent members of the set include the ‘extremely thorough’ Aidan Ellis, who recently defended former acting president of Kosovo Jakup Krasniqi in Kosovo Specialist Chambers proceedings concerning allegations of wartime misconduct.

Les références

‘It is one of the chambers at the forefront of this area.’

‘This is a well known set for outstanding domestic and international criminal and humanitarian law practitioners. Recognised world wide.’

‘Temple Garden chambers have a wide variety of barristers, working in different practice areas. A number of the market leaders in the in the field of International Criminal Law are based at Temple Garden.’

Classements par PratiqueLondon Bar