Civil Liberties & Human Rights

Edward Fitzgerald KC is a highly acclaimed silk who offers vast experience across the fields of public, criminal and international human rights law. He is regularly called upon to handle the most significant, highly publicised cases, routinely appearing before the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. He is highly regarded for his work on behalf of vulnerable individuals.

"Edward is a fantastic senior advocate. He takes on the hardest cases and provides real wisdom and passion in the way he represents clients."

"Edward's expertise and experience are simply remarkable."

"Edward is the doyen of civil liberties. He remains unparalleled in his commitment and attention to detail, and in the sophistication of his arguments."

"His memory is phenomenal and he knows exactly what the issues are."

Aarif Abraham is well regarded among international lawyers thanks to his involvement in a number of high-profile matters in the field, particularly those concerning alleged acts of genocide. He undertakes high-level advisory work for a variety of entities investigating human rights abuses, and has also assisted with the drafting of Parliamentary bills.

"Aarif is a versatile advocate with deep expertise in IHRL and PIL. Ever calm in the most stressful of times, Aarif provides reassurance to lay and professional clients alike."

"Aarif is a pleasure to work with. He is knowledgeable and thoughtful, both creative and able to produce complicated documents in a short timeframe."

Amal Clooney is a key operator in the field of international human rights; she acts before the ECtHR and UN human rights bodies, as well as the UK courts. She has specialist expertise in matters related to the use of drones, and advises governments on human rights and constitutional reform. She has a successful track record of representing political prisoners. In recent years, she has worked extensively on the prosecution of human rights abuses committed against Yazidi people under Islamic State.

"Amal is truly a world-class barrister. She does the Bar proud in terms of the quality of her legal advice and her poise in how she presents to the world stage and international courts."

Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC commands deep respect in the field of human rights and civil liberties. Her broad areas of expertise include media law, children's rights, community care and national security, and she is particularly noted for her adroit handling of matters concerning the failure of state bodies. She has a strong judicial review practice and has recently been involved with important cases surrounding abortion and women's rights.

"Caoilfhionn is truly excellent – one of the leading barristers in the profession. She has built up an impressive dossier of press freedom cases in particular."

"Caoilfhionn is a supremely intelligent and impressive lawyer. It is a privilege to work with her on human rights matters."

"She will fiercely fight her clients' corner, with judgement and intellect."

"Caoilfhionn is an outstanding advocate with clear strategic vision who is able to navigate the most complex cases. She is a leading expert in the safety of journalists and freedom of expression cases."

Jennifer Robinson is a highly respected barrister with an international profile. She has experience in cross-jurisdictional human rights challenges and is particularly noted for her work on free speech and the protection of journalists, as well as for her UN advocacy.

"Jennifer is one of the strongest lawyers I've ever encountered, not only in the strength of her legal instincts, but also in her ability to navigate advocacy and media connected to her cases."

"Jennifer is both a superstar lawyer and also a phenomenal advocate for her clients, both inside and outside the courtroom."

"Jen is a formidable force – a leading light at the Bar. And to top it all, she is incredibly personable and able to put clients at ease in the most stressful of times."

Kirsty Brimelow KC is an experienced silk with an extensive international human rights practice, appearing or advising at the ICC, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, courts martial, Courts of Appeal in the Caribbean and the ECOWAS court. She takes on complex civil liberties cases, such as those involving physical integrity, the dignity of individuals and their right to effective legal remedy.

"Kirsty is a really good jury advocate. She puts her clients at ease – she makes sure their campaign is voiced in court, and she does it brilliantly."

Shu Shin Luh is a highly admired barrister who has a phenomenal reputation in children’s rights and trafficking. She focuses her human rights practice on representing vulnerable persons, including the mentally ill and incapacitated. She appears in domestic and European courts for claimants and interveners, such as NGOs and charitable organisations.

"Her written work is superb, focused and clear. Judges are really impressed by her."

Tatyana Eatwell is an accomplished barrister focusing on international human rights and public law. She represents individuals and NGOs in courtroom and other forms of advocacy, including before various UN bodies, concerning extra-judicial killings, torture or detention across numerous jurisdictions.

"Tatyana is involved in so many really complex and difficult cases all around the world. She has really good insight into all the UN mechanisms."

"Tatyana is a top-notch expert with spot-on instincts and real people skills."

"Tatyana is a superb lawyer who is pleasant to work with and has an exceptional sense of client centricity."

Adam Wagner is a versatile barrister who regularly appears in high-profile human rights cases, both for and against public authorities. He is well regarded for his aptitude in the fields of immigration and prison law, and is also known for his work in public inquiries. He founded the acclaimed UK Human Rights Blog and human rights public education charity EachOther.

"Adam was really good with the media and strategy. I felt that I could trust his advice to steer on the best way to approach things."

"Adam exercises excellent judgment; he is intelligent and thinks quickly on his feet. He is astute both politically and commercially."

"Adam is a confident and capable advocate who gets to the root of the cases. He is always well prepared and has a huge depth of legal knowledge."

"His legal knowledge and expertise are indisputable. Adam shows a unique ability to grasp complex and technical issues, and find solutions."

Jude Bunting KC is a highly rated barrister with an impressive track record of appearing in major human rights cases on behalf of a range of clients, including NGOs, the media and vulnerable individuals. He is frequently instructed before the Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights. He is highly sought after for his expertise in areas including police, prison and surveillance law, as well as discrimination, and in open justice challenges.

"A force to be reckoned with. Bunting is a sheer whirlwind of brilliance combined with humility."

"Jude is outstanding in both his written work and advocacy. He is always clear and precise, focusing on the key issues."

Martin Westgate KC is a distinguished human rights barrister with a broad practice. He is also leader of the Doughty Street Chambers public law team. His complementary expertise in the areas of social housing and welfare serves to strengthen his work in the field of civil liberties and human rights. He has undertaken cases concerning the right to life, freedom from detention and the right to protest.

"Martin has seen and done it all. He has a lot of experience, is calm, measured, and considered."

"Martin has a studious style and is very clever. He knows all aspects of the public law, he's an encyclopaedia of it."

Ruth Brander is a highly respected barrister known for her excellent advocacy and impressive work ethic. She demonstrates great skill in an array of matters, including police actions, prisoners' rights claims and criminal appeals. She is recognised for her specialist knowledge of international sodomy laws and regularly takes on cases concerning the use of stop-and-search measures in the UK. She is also adept at handling human rights cases on behalf of protestors and vulnerable detainees.

"Ruth is a consistently high performer."

Adam Straw KC is an experienced barrister offering broad expertise across the fields of public law and human rights. He routinely appears before all levels of the court system in the UK, and has also produced advocacy before the European Court of Human Rights. He is frequently involved with prisoners' rights claims and police actions, as well as employment matters with human rights implications. He publishes on a range of issues relating to human rights and is a contributing editor to Human Rights Practice.

"Adam is measured and a really excellent advocate in court and really brilliant on strategy."

"Adam is not scared of thinking creatively and pushing back hard to get clients what they need."

Alison Gerry is a respected human rights barrister who routinely provides expert advice on complex mental health-related matters. She is also recognised for her aptitude in the areas of police and prison law, particularly in judicial reviews and inquests.

"Alison was brilliant at providing careful, considered advice on liability and quantum. She explained it in a very sensitive and clear way, whilst managing expectations very well."

Catherine Meredith is an accomplished human rights barrister with expertise in asylum and immigration law. Renowned for her clear advocacy in complex cases, she has developed a particular specialism in anti-trafficking matters.

"Catherine has an extraordinary legal mind. She places the client's needs at the forefront of every engagement. Her handle on all matters pertaining to international human rights law is impressive."

"Catherine is really bright and innovative."

Graham Denholm is particularly well known for his sterling work in the field of immigration. He routinely undertakes complex deportation and asylum cases, and has specialist expertise in immigration detention. He frequently brings civil actions and judicial reviews against the Home Office, often involving complex false imprisonment claims.

"Graham is phenomenal in immigration detention work."

"Graham is a long-time practitioner specialising in detention law – he is one of the leading specialists in that area."

Stephen Cragg KC is a renowned human rights silk with a keen focus on community care cases. He habitually represents claimants at inquests and in police law matters. He also practises as a Special Advocate, handling passport refusal, naturalisation and other sensitive cases.

"Stephen has forensic knowledge of data protection cases. He is good on the papers and with clients."

Angela Patrick is a strong human rights barrister whose practice takes in a variety of issues, including police actions, mental health care and criminal justice.

"She is a great junior for claimant civil liberties cases."

Anthony Vaughan is a well-regarded barrister noted for his expertise in complex human rights cases and judicial reviews. He has specialist knowledge of immigration, detention and national security.

"Anthony has a great understanding of National Security matters. He is a brilliant advocate and really cares about his clients."

Jamie Burton KC is a well-regarded silk who is adept at handling discrimination and social welfare claims. He is singled out for his knowledge of the Care Act 2014.

"Jamie has a breadth of practice focused on human rights discrimination cases. He is a strong and personable opponent."

Laura Dubinsky KC regularly handles false imprisonment claims and prison law challenges, typically on behalf of claimants and intervening parties. She is a very highly regarded immigration and human rights expert who routinely appears before the Supreme Court. She has recently been involved in cases concerning the compatibility of administrative detention and bail powers with Article 5 of the ECHR.

"Laura is an excellent public law silk. She leaves no stone unturned, ensuring that every avenue of redress has been followed and every argument explored and supported by evidence."

Maya Sikand KC is a strong civil liberties and human rights barrister with a practice covering judicial reviews, civil and statutory damages claims, inquiries and inquests. She has particular expertise in unlawful detention and trafficking issues. She routinely brings claims against public authorities and the police.

"Maya is great on strategy. She is an extremely helpful barrister."

Tim Moloney KC has a highly regarded practice touching on many aspects of human rights law. He has acted in cases centring on protest rights and wrongful convictions, notably in relation to the Post Office Horizon scandal.

"Tim can deal with really complex issues, explaining them in a way that makes them sound incredibly simple."

Donnchadh Greene has great experience in representing individuals in claims against the Home Office and the Secretary of State for the Home Department. He has developed a specialism in complex migrant and trans rights matters.

"Donnchadh is on top of the constantly changing age assessment case law."

"Donnchadh is super responsive and dedicated to his clients. He provides really helpful and clear advice at a fast pace, and he really engages with the detail and gets very in amongst the weeds."

Joshua Jackson has an eye-catching human rights practice that includes involvement in novel challenges concerning nation states' responses to climate change. Additional areas of experience include asylum and human trafficking cases.

"Joshua is one of the most impressive juniors I have worked with in human rights law. He's very good at getting things done. He has great diplomatic skills and client skills."

"Joshua is very knowledgeable when it comes to public law. His drafting has been exceptional."