International Crime And Extradition

Leading Silks

Alex Bailin KC –Matrix Chambers ‘He is incredibly thorough and a superb advocate.’

Diana Ellis KC –25 Bedford Row ‘Diana is a fabulous barrister. She is incredibly hardworking and pays attention to every detail. Her meticulous preparation means that every point is made to the advantage of the lay client.’

Edward Fitzgerald KC –Doughty Street Chambers ‘Edward is an exceptional advocate, able to persuade a court of the power of his points.’

James Hines KC –Three Raymond Buildings ‘James has a sharp intellect and an incredible depth of knowledge at his fingertips. He is engaged with his cases from the outset, actively leading from the front to ensure an excellently prepared and structured defence.’

David Josse KC –5 St Andrews Hill ‘A silk who is very good with clients.’

Steven Kay KC – 9BR Chambers

Hugo Keith KC –Three Raymond Buildings ‘One of the best silks in extradition law.'

Helen Malcolm KC –Three Raymond Buildings ‘Helen is exceptionally experienced in extradition. She is absolutely brilliant at strategic analysis, very hard working, and a superb advocate. She is a real heavyweight.'

Clare Montgomery KC –Matrix Chambers ‘A silk who is on top of the law and has a commanding presence in court.’

Mark Summers KC –Matrix Chambers ‘An elite level performer who is astonishing in court.'

Rodney Dixon KC –Temple Garden Chambers

Jonathan Hall KC –6KBW College Hill

David Hooper KC –25 Bedford Row ‘David is a powerful and engaging advocate whose approach is liked and well-received by judges.'

James Lewis KC –Three Raymond Buildings

Tim Moloney KC –Doughty Street Chambers

David Perry KC –6KBW College Hill

Matthew Butt KC – Three Raymond Buildings ‘A brilliant advocate with excellent judgement and real presence in court.'

Peter Carter KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘A superb lawyer and an intellectual heavyweight whom judges respect.’

Ben Cooper KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘He has an authoritative knowledge of the law in this field.'

Steven Powles KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘He is well respected by judges and his peers.’

2021 Silks

Clair Dobbin KC –Three Raymond Buildings ‘A powerful advocate who is absolutely fantastic on extradition law.’

Ben Watson KC –Three Raymond Buildings ‘Ben is able to take a factually and legally complicated case and articulate it clearly and persuasively in writing. He has great judgement and inspires confidence in clients.’

2023 Silks

Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC– Matrix Chambers ‘Blinne is a skilful and tenacious junior.'

Leading Juniors

Amanda Bostock – Three Raymond Buildings ‘An excellent junior with great analytical abilities.’

Michelle Butler –Matrix Chambers

Peter Caldwell –Doughty Street Chambers ‘Peter is a very knowledgeable advocate who inspires confidence in the bench and those whom he represents. He is a very determined advocate and will pursue a point until there is no life left in it.’

Iain Edwards –1MCB ‘Iain has a formidable presence in the courtroom and demonstrates a complete mastery of international criminal procedure and the facts of the case.'

Malcolm Hawkes –Doughty Street Chambers ‘He is tenacious, has a great manner with clients and is an accomplished and fearless advocate in court.’

Nicholas Hearn –Furnival Chambers ‘He is an assured performer with a good knowledge of extradition law.'

Hannah Hinton –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘A junior with a sharp brain and a tenacious and effective advocate.'

Joe Holmes – 9BR Chambers ‘A smart, focused and thorough junior. He cuts through legal problems like a knife through butter.’

Florence Iveson –Matrix Chambers ‘A diligent junior who is making a real name for herself in the extradition field.’

Ben Keith –5 St Andrews Hill ‘A very erudite junior in the extradition field.'

Joel Smith –Furnival Chambers ‘A heavyweight in the extradition field.’

James Stansfeld –Matrix Chambers ‘A very responsive junior who thinks strategically and has great knowledge of case law.'

Saoirse Townshend –Temple Garden Chambers ‘She is an intelligent and committed advocate.’

Mary Westcott –Doughty Street Chambers ‘Mary is one of the hardest working advocates at the extradition Bar. She is extremely knowledgeable and unflappable in court.'

Laura Herbert - Crucible Chambers

Sarah Bafadhel – 9BR Chambers ‘Sarah is a stand-out junior in international criminal law. She is exceptionally skilled in case building and strategy, making her a lethal weapon in court proceedings.’

Catherine Brown – 6KBW College Hill ‘She is a very safe pair of hands.’

Louisa Collins –5 St Andrews Hill ‘Louisa is a stalwart of the extradition Bar. A knowledgeable practitioner and a forceful advocate who is well liked by both solicitors and clients.’

Rosemary Davidson –6KBW College Hill ‘A junior with a superb intellect.'

Natasha Draycott –5 St Andrews Hill ‘She has excellent advocacy skills. Her arguments are articulate and precise. Her legal advice in this field is of a high standard and her written arguments are always well drafted.’

Aidan Ellis –Temple Garden Chambers

Julia Farrant –Furnival Chambers ‘A well respected and highly competent advocate, whose sensible approach to cases has ensured that she is seen as a safe pair of hands.'

Myles Grandison –Temple Garden Chambers ‘A hard working junior who knows extradition law inside and out.’

Gillian Higgins – 9BR Chambers ‘She combines her excellent judgement, tenacity and creativity to present persuasive legal arguments.’

Rebecca Hill –5 St Andrews Hill ‘She is consistently conscientious and driven to get the best results for her clients.’

Rachel Kapila –Cloth Fair Chambers ‘Rachel is a hugely intelligent barrister.’

Adam Payter –6KBW College Hill ‘Adam has a very good client manner, and very quickly gets on top of all the details of a case.'

Paul Rogers - Outer Temple Chambers

Alexander dos Santos –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘Diligent, organised, ambitious, responsive and a very competent advocate.’

Rachel Scott –Three Raymond Buildings ‘Rachel is reliable, efficient and unflappable.’

Benjamin Seifert –Temple Garden Chambers ‘Benjamin is very conscientious, well prepared and diligent. He is enthusiastic and passionate about his field of law.’

Nina Tavakoli –Red Lion Chambers ‘Nina is a confident, composed and persuasive advocate. She combines attention to detail with an extensive knowledge of the law.’

David Young –Red Lion Chambers ‘David is a highly experienced and powerful advocate.’

Sareta Ashraph –Garden Court Chambers ‘Sareta is an exceptionally strong advocate.’

David Ball – 36 Group ‘David is very hard-working and conscientious. He is very knowledgeable about human rights issues.'

Danielle Barden –5 St Andrews Hill ‘She is a tenacious and skilled advocate, and her highly intelligent approach to cases inspires confidence in clients.’

Sam Blom-Cooper –25 Bedford Row ‘Sam is dazzlingly clever, with a gift for communication at every level. He leaves no stone unturned.’

Hannah Burton – Furnival Chambers ‘ A junior who is highly respected for her prosecution extradition work, and has quickly become established as a safe pair of hands in cases which are complex. Her advocacy is clear, thorough, and scrupulously fair.’

Amal Clooney –Doughty Street Chambers ‘Amal is one of the finest advocates for the rights of victims in the sphere of international criminal prosecution.'

Rhys Davies –Temple Garden Chambers ‘A stand out barrister in international criminal law.’

Haydee Dijkstal –33 Bedford Row ‘Haydee is an excellent barrister. Her knowledge of international criminal law and international human rights law is formidable.’

Tatyana Eatwell – Doughty Street Chambers

Richard Evans –6KBW College Hill

Monica Feria-Tinta –Twenty Essex ‘She has significant expertise in the fields of public international and human rights law.'

Graeme Hall –Doughty Street Chambers ‘A clever, hard-working and passionate junior.'

Megan Hirst –Doughty Street Chambers ‘Megan is a highly skilled technical lawyer and litigator.'

Kathryn Howarth –Temple Garden Chambers

Ben Joyes – 9BR Chambers

Joshua Kern – 9BR Chambers

Gemma Lindfield –5 St Andrews Hill

Ben Lloyd –6KBW College Hill

Catriona Murdoch – 1 Crown Office Row

Amelia Nice –Doughty Street Chambers ‘Amelia shows real strength in her crossover specialisms of family and extradition law.'

Émilie Pottle –Temple Garden Chambers ‘She is an intelligent and tenacious barrister.'

Jelia Sane – Doughty Street Chambers ‘She is a brilliant and thoughtful lawyer who brings rigour and insight to her analyses.’

Mark Smith – 5 St Andrews Hill

Kirsty Sutherland – 9BR Chambers ‘Kirsty is well-regarded for the strength and elegance of her written advocacy.’

Jonathan Swain – 9BR Chambers ‘Jonathan is a savvy, user-friendly and confident advocate.’

Alex Tinsley – 9BR Chambers He is a fiercely clever extradition lawyer.’

David Williams –5 St Andrews Hill ‘David is a very committed extradition practitioner.'

Jonathan Worboys – 4 New Square ‘Jonathan is an excellent technical lawyer, precise and thoughtful. His extremely easy manner is appreciated by clients and lawyers alike.’

Rising Stars

Georgia Beatty – 5 St Andrews Hill ‘Georgia is an excellent lawyer, with a keen eye for detail and the ability to cut through even the most complex of cases. In court her aptitude for cross-examining expert witnesses is second to none.’

John Crawford – 5 St Andrews Hill

Stefan Hyman – 9BR Chambers ‘Stefan knows his extradition and public law really well.’

Jessica Jones –Matrix Chambers

Juliet Wells – Temple Garden Chambers ‘Juliet is a very impressive barrister. Her work ethic, legal analysis and intelligence are incredible.’

International crime and extradition in London Bar

Tier 1 sets

Doughty Street Chambers

Considered a ‘first class set for extradition‘ Doughty Street Chambers’ background in this area includes not only appearing at the various international courts but also helping to set them up. Often defending, set members have been involved in high profile cases relating to allegations of war crimes, cybercrime, and multinational frauds for many years. On the extradition side, ‘legally innovative‘ Edward Fitzgerald KC recemtly represented Julian Assange in United States of America v Assange in 2021, an appeal brought by the United States Government against a district judge’s decision to block Assange’s extradition to the US on grounds of his mental health. Peter Caldwell is one of several members of chambers involved in representing Gabriel Popoviciu, an ultra-high net worth Romanian businessman who was convicted of bribery offences in Romania, in an appeal against extradition in the High Court.

Testimonials

Set

‘First class set for extradition. Strong international connections.’

‘Multi-disciplinary set who have real academics working for them. Every counsel is a true legal mind.’

‘Very strong extradition team with a number of counsel with 10-15 years plus experience.’

Clerking

‘Clerks are very professional.’

‘Very helpful and efficient.’

‘Matt Butchard has a wealth of experience in the profession. Will simply go out of his way to assist you time and time again. Offers real solutions which always work for our clients.’

Matrix Chambers

The ‘top team offering strength in depth‘ at Matrix Chambers often advises in notable cases before the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and the European Court of Human Rights. The work is often cross-border and in 2021 its barristers have been briefed in numerous high-profile US, Russian and Indian extradition cases. In criminal related matters, Alex Bailin KC is lauded as an ‘expert on all aspects of financial and business crime‘, and recently acted in R (Lynch) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court, representing Mike Lynch, the former CEO of Autonomy, in the High Court in relation to a request for his extradition by the United States concerning allegations of fraud relating to HP’s purchase of Autonomy. When it comes to general crime, ‘thorough and diligent‘ junior Florence Iveson recently represented a requested person in the case of Government of India v Singh, Singh and Gill, an alleged terrorism related murder case.

Testimonials

Set

‘Matrix is a market leader, particularly in the field of international law and extradition. Their highly regarded silks are proactive in ensuring that junior members receive the best training and guidance, and the expertise flows throughout the whole set.’

‘Top team offering strength in depth.’

‘Excellent in all areas. A go-to set where you always have quality and commitment.’

Clerking

‘An exceptionally high level of professionalism’.

‘They all provide a first class service.’

Three Raymond Buildings

Three Raymond Buildings's James Lewis KC has appeared in 17 appeals in the Supreme Court both for governments and for defendants, and a standout highlight of his from 2021 was representing the CPS, on behalf of the US government, in the Julian Assange extradition proceedings . Rachel Barnes KC, who was appointed silk in 2022, recently appeared in USA v Adeagbo & Ors, an extradition request relating to a series of ‘business email compromise frauds’. Ben Watson KC, who specialises in extradition and is praised for his ‘great judgement‘, acts for requested persons and the CPS in high-profile cases.

Testimonials

Set

‘They have a number of outstanding extradition silks and juniors.’

Clerking

‘The clerks are really user friendly and professional. Eddie Holland is one of the most experienced senior clerks around.’

Tier 2 sets

5 St Andrews Hill

5 St Andrews Hill is referred to as ‘extremely strong, especially in extradition‘. Natasha Draycott recently acted for a requested person whose extradition was sought by Australia regarding historic sexual offences. In another extradition case in 2021, Louisa Collins appeared unled in the Administrative Court and successfully overturned an extradition order on behalf of the appellant in the case of Estevez v Court of Mantua, which concerned issues of trials in absentia. Similarly on the defense side, Collins and Ben Keith recently represented the appellants in another extradition case, Tabuncic and Coev v Government of Moldova, the first case in which extradition has been ordered to Moldova under the 2003 Act.

Testimonials

Set

‘Very efficient and helpful chambers, housing experts in extradition law.’

‘An extremely strong set, especially in extradition.’

‘A strong team, dedicated to achieving the best results for the clients.’

Clerking

‘Dean Cook is a professional clerk who is experienced and capable. He is quick to respond to queries.’

‘The clerks are very friendly, accommodating and easy to deal with. They will go out of their way to help you.’

‘The clerks are fantastic, they really go over and above of what is expected of them. Dean Cook is my go to person, he is always willing to help.’

9BR

9BR Chambers has an excellent track record in handling a range of high-profile cases in international courts. Steven Kay KC is assisting Lundin Energy with in its defence of a universal jurisdiction prosecution in Sweden concerning its alleged involvement in war crimes in South Sudan between 1997 and 2003. Jonathan Swain recently appeared in the High Court representing the appellant in Rogala v Circuit Court in Lublin, a case that contested dual criminality, as of the offences the extradition was saught for took place entirely outside of the issuing country.

Testimonials

Set

‘The extradition team is exceptionally strong and always on top of the most recent developments in extradition law.’

‘The large extradition team at this set is well regarded.’

Clerking

‘The clerks are professional and efficient. Jordan Haisman is always prepared to go an extra mile to find a solution.’

Temple Garden Chambers

Temple Garden Chambers is well known for handling cases before the International Criminal Court, and the team’s client base includes governments, political leaders, companies and NGOs. Recent instructions include the ‘intelligent and committed‘ Saoirse Townshend acting in Bazys and Besan v Lithuania, a lead case concerning concerning prison conditions in Lithuania. Other key juniors include ‘hard-working junior‘ and extradition specialist Myles Grandison. A recent case for Juliet Wells was representing the requested person in Biskupski v Poland, an appeal revolving around historic offences in Poland for which the client was convicted in 2017. Karim Khan KC, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, retains his membership of chambers.

Testimonials

Set

‘A good extradition set with excellent barristers.’

‘Excellent and dynamic extradition team.’

‘Excellent extradition team; the depth of their collective knowledge demonstrated in their book ‘Practical Guide to Extradition Law Post-Brexit’.

‘They are true experts in this area and the set has a good range of senior and junior barristers.’

‘TGC Chambers is renowned for their expertise in the field of extradition.’

Clerking

‘Very friendly and helpful.’

Tier 3 sets

25 Bedford Row

25 Bedford Row has a strong track record in handling international criminal law cases. Diana Ellis KC is highly regarded for her expertise in advising on cases involving allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and recently led Sam Blom-Cooper in representing Augustin Ngirabatware, former Minister of Planning in Rwanda, in a fresh evidence appeal before the Appeals Chamber of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in connection to his conviction for genocide offences.

Testimonials

Set

‘The set as a whole is excellent.’

6KBW College Hill

6KBW College Hill is frequently instructed by the CPS for the prosecution in high-profile international crime and extradition cases. Recent instructions include David Perry KC leading the ‘compelling advocate‘ Rosemary Davidson for the prosecution in Italy v Torzi Gianluigi, concerning an Italian man whose extradition was sought for Vatican-linked financial offences. In another matter, Ben Lloyd led a case acting for the CPS in relation to two requests from the Government of India for the extradition of an alleged arms dealer.

Testimonials

Set

‘6KBW College Hill is fantastic in its breadth and depth. Every member is strong and incredibly bright but also excellent at presenting their case.’

‘A brilliant chambers with strength across all areas.’

Clerking

‘Excellent service from the clerks.’

‘The clerks’ room is very responsive.’

Furnival Chambers

At Furnival Chambers, Hannah Burton stands out for her expertise in acting for the prosecution in extradition cases, and Julia Farrant is ‘particularly knowledgeable about prison conditions in Romania‘. In recent work for the set, Nicholas Hearn led Burton in Government of Thailand v Neil Robbirt, where Robbirt’s extradition was being sought in order to prosecute him for the offence of providing financial advice without a license. In 2021 Amanda Bostock acted in Zabolotnyi v Hungary, the first Supreme Court consideration of extradition to the European Union after Brexit.

Testimonials

Set

‘Furnival have a good extradition team with big names, tough prosecutors, and well regarded juniors, with an emphasis on representation of requesting states.’

‘A very highly regarded set with experienced practitioners who straddle crime and extradition.’

‘Furnival has a strong commitment to criminal practice and a well-established extradition team.’

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