David Young
UK Bar Guide 2025
Spotlight : Crime: International Criminal Law
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
020 7 520 6000Share profile
Spotlight
About
Provided by David Young
Practice Areas
Specialist International trial lawyer, who focuses on defending and advising persons accused before the international, overseas and national criminal courts. In 2020 he was appointed the Lead Defence Counsel for Mr. Rexhep Selimi before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in the Hague. Along with the former President of Kosovo, the client was contesting War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity charges, alleged against the leadership of the Kosovo Liberation Army (in 1998-1999). Acted for Mr. Selimi from 2020-2023[ December]. Co-defended with Mr. Ben Emmerson KC, and Mr. Gregory Keyhoe. From 2011 to 2020 he was the appointed Lead defence Counsel representing the interests of the Accused, one Assad Sabra, before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the Hague. The Accused were indicted for homicide and terrorism charges in relation to the assassination of Lebanon’s former Prime Minister, Mr Rafic Hariri. Mr Sabra was the only Accused to be acquitted of all charges in the 2020 Judgment, where no prosecution appeal was pursued. Between 2018-2019 he was also appointed as Counsel in the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. He has acted in an International expert capacity for the UNODC since 2018 in relation to various issues affecting international counter-terrorism trials. He is an approved Counsel on the International Criminal Court list of Counsel, and is the former Director of International Affairs for the Criminal Bar Association for England and Wales.
Career
BA Hons Law, LLM [London University] in International Human Rights law.
Professional Memberships
Criminal Bar Association,South Eastern Circuit.
Personal
Fluent in French, English
Chambers Review
UK Bar
David Young gained recognition for his work acting for the defence at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague. He has built on this expertise before the Residual Mechanism and most recently the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. He has significant experience of handling international matters including terrorism and war crimes.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"He is very well established and is generally regarded as being at the top of his profession."
"He is very well established and is generally regarded as being at the top of his profession."
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