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Charles Adeogun-Phillips SAN

Dr. Charles A. Adeogun-Phillips is an accomplished international lawyer and former lead international prosecutor and head of special investigations at the UN. What he had initially though would be a short-term sabbatical from the rigours of regular practice as a criminal defence solicitor in the City of London, eventually lasted well over a decade. Between 1998 and 2010, he had a pioneering and distinguished legal career at the United Nations, where he successfully led teams of international prosecutors in 12 precedent-setting genocide trials before the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), making him arguably one of the most experienced and successful genocide prosecutors in history.His elevation to the rank of senior trial attorney before an international court at the age of 34, by the then Chief Prosecutor of the ICTY/ICTR, Ms. Carla Del-Ponte (former Attorney-General of Switzerland), was equally unrivalled. He also, between 2007 and 2008, served as head of special investigations in the Office of the Prosecutor, under the leadership of Justice Hassan Jallow. (The current Chief Justice of The Gambia). With the 1945 trials of major war criminals before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg serving as his only precedent, Charles’ work as a lead prosecutor, fighting for justice, on behalf of over 800,000 victims of the worst crimes ever known to mankind, placed him in the forefront of several pioneering developments in the field of international humanitarian and criminal law, cumulating in his citation in the maiden edition of Creswell’s “Who’s Who in Public International Law” in 2007 and in the International Year Book and Statesmen's Who's Who in 2011.Since returning to private practice in 2010, Charles specialises in the areas of international human rights law, international criminal law, international civil service law, complex cross border ‘white-collar’ and business crimes, international investigations, and cross border asset recovery. As part of his practice in the area of international human rights, between 2013 and 2014, he successfully represented Christopher Mtikila, the outspoken Tanzanian politician, in his watershed and precedent-setting case against the Tanzanian Government, before the African Court on Human and People’s Rights, resulting in amendments to Tanzania’s electoral laws to allow for independent candidacy for election to public office, as a violation the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, the International Convention of Civil and Political Rights, and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. The Mtikila vs. Tanzania case was the first case to be heard by the said Court on its merits since its inception in 2004.It was also the first case to be decided by the Court in favour of the Applicant and the first case before the Court on the issue of reparations. Charles’ practice in the area of ‘white-collar’ and business crimes has focused mainly on representing sovereign States, major oil and gas corporations, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals in complex corruption and fraud cases, often with cross-border elements. In 2016, Charles was appointed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria to lead the unprecedented corruption investigations and trials of several senior judicial officers in Nigeria, including that of Sylvester Ngwuta, JSC a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.Current WorkCharles’ advisory practice in the area of international criminal and humanitarian law has included providing specialist advice to the Nigerian Government in connection with the preliminary examinations launched by the ICC into alleged crimes against humanity and/or war crimes committed in the context of armed conflict between “Boko Haram” and the Nigerian security forces; and to the Military Defence Headquarters in Nigeria, following Amnesty International’s allegations of extra judicial killings of “Boko Haram” members by the Nigerian Armed Forces. He also advises various Governments and international NGOs on ICC related transitional justice issues, including but not limited to; in connection with the 1988 mass extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances of political prisoners in Iran and the allegation of genocide on members of the Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Ethiopia.Since 2017, Charles has been retained by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, to investigate, trace and recover over 5 trillion Naira (14 billion US Dollars), currently owed to the Nigerian Government, following its acquisition in 2011, of non-performing loans from some of the country’s ailing commercial banks. Charles is currently engaged as local counsel in a $9.6 billion procurement fraud claim, the largest of its kind, brought before a UK court by a sovereign State against a foreign investor, following a repudiated infrastructure contract allegedly procured by fraud and corruption with the complicity of several public office holders. He also practices in the area of international civil service law, wherein he represents UN staff members in challenging administrative decisions of the UN Secretary-General before the United Nations Dispute and Appeals Tribunals.Publications• International Investigations and Prosecutions: Perspectives of a Prosecutor” (2018) (Eleven International Publishing, The Hague).• Contribution to Contemporary International Criminal Law Issues: Contributions in pursuit of accountability for Africa and the World – “The Evolution and Practice of Guilty Pleas in International Criminal Law” (1st Edition) (2022) T.M.C Asser Press, The Hague).Jurisdictions• Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (1992)• Senior Advocate of Nigeria (2024)Expertise• International Criminal Law;• International Human Rights Law;• International Civil Service Law;• Public International Law;• International Investigations;• International Asset Tracing and Recovery;• Cross-Border White Collar Crime;• Cross-Border Death-Penalty Cases (Pro Bono)

Melina Antoniadis

Melina Antoniadis was called to the Ontario Bar in 2020 and the Bar of England and Wales in 2024. She is a graduate of Leiden University (LL.M, cum laude) and McGill University (B.C.L and LL.B/J.D). Melina specialises in public international law. She has a diverse practice in international law, human rights, climate change, and cultural heritage law. Particular areas of interest are also international criminal law, including related to crimes affecting cultural heritage, and international arbitration. Melina has appeared and advised in proceedings before the International Court of Justice, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the European Court of Human Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Melina is an Editor of the European Human Rights Reports. Melina is the Founder of NOSTOS Strategies, the world’s first dedicated strategic consultancy offering advice to governments, organisations, communities, and individuals on the repatriation of cultural heritage. She is also developing a legal practice in matters relating to cultural heritage, especially in international law governing the protection of cultural heritage, and welcomes instructions in this area. Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, Melina is of Greek and Khmer heritage. Melina can also accept instructions in both French and Greek.

Lucia Brieskova

Lucia is a barrister specialising in extradition, crime, and international law with over 10 years experience working for various clients and actors at national and international level. She also lectures in Oxford on topics of international, EU and human rights law and policy.In her domestic practice, Lucia is regularly instructed to defend clients in extradition proceedings before the Westminster Magistrates’ Court and the High Court. In her defence extradition practice Lucia often utilises her language skills and country knowledge, for example, regarding Slovakia and Czechia.Following her secondment at the CPS Extradition Unit, Lucia is on the Extradition Prosecutor Panel (Level 2). During her secondment, as a senior crown prosecutor, Lucia represented Requesting States in extradition proceedings.Lucia also defends and prosecutes in the Magistrates’, Youth and Crown Courts and her practice extends to a full range of criminal offences. She is on the CPS General List (Level 1). She has frequently appeared before regulatory panels.In her international practice, Lucia accepts instructions in the areas of international criminal law, international humanitarian law, human rights, and EU law. Lucia’s expertise also includes a niche developing area of law of business and human rights.Current workApart from her domestic practice Lucia has been involved in several international high-profile matters, amongst others, the current situation in Yemen and cases pending before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in the Hague, and other work such as advising INGOs on data protection issues.Current situation in YemenLucia contributed to the drafting of a communication submitted to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague contending that an investigation should be commenced into the alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed in Yemen. In this communication, it was argued that the ICC has jurisdiction over the existing situation in Yemen, which is a non-Party to the Rome Statue of the ICC, utilising the previous similar successful arguments regarding the ICC jurisdiction over the crimes with cross-border elements deployed by Guernica 37 in the case of Rohingya refugees fleeing from Myanmar to Bangladesh. Lucia contributed to the Rohingya ICC communication in her previous role as an associate.Lucia also took charge in drafting a submission to the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division of the Metropolitan Police (SO15), which contended that an investigation regarding the alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Yemen should be opened in England against specified individuals relying on the principle of universal jurisdiction.Kosovo Specialist ChambersLucia has been working on various cases Chambers has been instructed in before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. For instance, she drafted submissions, participated in reviewing the evidence and in considering issues such as the admissibility of the evidence.Previous experienceLucia completed 18 months criminal law pupillage in another leading London based set. During her pupillage Lucia practised in the areas of general crime, youth court work, and extradition. Lucia contributed, in several posts, to the Extradition Hub on CrimeLine. She also worked on cases with international law elements such as human trafficking and complaints brought before the United Nations Human Rights Committee.Prior to her pupillage, Lucia gained a wide variety of legal work experience at national and international level, including lecturing in Oxford in the areas of international, human rights and EU law and policy.Whilst doing her PhD in Oxford, she took up a position as an assistant lawyer to the legal adviser of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in France, where she worked on many pressing human rights and international law-related issues such as the annexation of Crimea by Russia, the accession of the European Union to the European Convention of Human Rights, and foreign terrorist fighters.Previously, Lucia worked at the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg in Chambers of Advocate General Juliane Kokott and Judge Daniel Svaby, and as a senior paralegal in the crime team in a firm of solicitors in Oxford, where she headed Crown Court unit, ran her own Crown Court caseload, and represented clients in the police station.

Toby Cadman

Toby M. Cadman is a highly regarded international barrister with a broad practice spanning international arbitration, commercial litigation, international criminal law, public international law, extradition, mutual legal assistance, and human rights law. He is the Co-founder of the Guernica 37 Group and Joint Head of Chambers at Guernica 37 Chambers from 2016-2026. He is a Founding Member at The Mentors Group (UAE).Mr Cadman is called to the Bar of England and Wales and is a member of the Courts of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has previously served as a Senior Crown Prosecutor for Extradition in the jurisdiction of England and Wales.He has appeared as counsel in arbitration and commercial proceedings before the ICC, ICSID, LCIA, Permanent Court of Arbitration, London Commercial Court, and Bangladesh Commercial Court, representing sovereign states, institutional clients, and private parties in high-value multi-jurisdictional disputes. He has provided expert evidence and submissions before the European Parliament, United Nations, United States Congress, ICSID, LCIA, and World Bank, and has advised governments, law enforcement agencies, corporations, and international organisations across the Balkans, Middle East, South Asia, and Latin America.Mr Cadman lectures extensively on public international law, international commercial law, dispute resolution, asset recovery, criminal procedure, and human rights law. He has designed and delivered judicial and legal training programmes in multiple jurisdictions including Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Montenegro, Pakistan, Syria, and Turkey, and has served as a legal and constitutional adviser to governments and attorney generals in multiple post-conflict states.ExpertiseArbitration & Commercial PracticeMr Cadman has extensive experience as lead counsel in complex, high-value international arbitration and commercial disputes. His arbitration practice encompasses investor-state disputes, institutional commercial arbitration, enforcement proceedings, and sanctions-related litigation across a broad range of governing laws and jurisdictional frameworks. He advises both state and private clients at all stages of the arbitral process, from the formulation of claims and jurisdictional challenges through to enforcement and parallel criminal proceedings.He is frequently instructed in matters with a significant public international law dimension, including disputes arising from alleged treaty breaches, state interference with investment, expropriation, and the enforcement of foreign judgments. He also advises extensively on asset recovery, proceeds of crime, and financial sanctions compliance across multiple jurisdictions.Selected matters include:• Counsel for a Respondent Government in an arbitration before the LCIA.• Counsel for the Government of Albania in ICC arbitration enforcement proceedings and parallel criminal proceedings.• Counsel for the Claimant in an LCIA arbitration.• Advising a Claimant on a potential investor-state arbitration before the ICC concerning Kyrgyzstan.• Advising a Claimant on a potential investor-state arbitration before the ICC concerning Ukraine.• Advising a Claimant on an arbitration matter before the DIAC concerning Crypto-investment.• Counsel for the Respondent in an arbitration under the Bangladesh Arbitration Act 2001 before the Bangladesh Commercial Court.• Counsel for the Claimant in Victor Pey Casado & Allende Foundation v. Republic of Chile — the longest-running ICSID arbitration.• Counsel for the Respondent in AerSale 27469 Aviation Ltd v. Wahab & Another — a multi-million-pound, multi-jurisdiction commercial dispute before the London Commercial Court.• Counsel in proceedings before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.• Counsel in sanctions-related matters concerning Russia-Ukraine, Syria, Lebanon, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda.• International Legal Counsel and Special Adviser to the Office of the President of Madagascar on investigating financial crimes and recovering stolen state assets.InterpolMr Cadman has extensive experience advising clients subject to Interpol Red Notices and Diffusions, acting for individuals and corporate entities seeking the removal or review of unlawfully issued notices through the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files (CCF). He has led proceedings before the CCF on behalf of clients from a range of jurisdictions where notices have been issued for politically motivated purposes or in circumstances otherwise incompatible with Interpol's Rules on the Processing of Data, including cases involving alleged abuse of the Interpol system by state actors in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the former Soviet Union.Mr Cadman advises at all stages of the Interpol process, from the initial assessment of a notice's validity and the preparation of CCF applications through to parallel proceedings in domestic courts and engagement with national central bureaux. He has further acted as Lead Counsel in arbitration proceedings before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in a matter involving Interpol directly.SanctionsHe advises individuals, corporations, and sovereign entities on a broad range of sanctions-related matters, with particular experience in the UK, EU, UN, and US sanctions regimes. His practice encompasses challenges to asset freezes and travel bans, applications for licences and derogations, sanctions compliance and risk advisory, and the conduct of parallel criminal and civil proceedings arising from sanctions designations.He has acted as lead counsel in a number of significant sanctions matters, including proceedings relating to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Syria, Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda. He regularly advises clients on the intersection of sanctions with asset recovery, anti-money laundering obligations, and mutual legal assistance requests, and has experience of proceedings before the UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), U.S. Department of Treasury, the EU sanctions framework, and domestic courts seeking judicial review of designations.International CrimeMr Cadman is among the most experienced international criminal law practitioners at the English Bar. He has led investigations and proceedings in a substantial number of conflict and post-conflict jurisdictions, appearing before the International Criminal Court, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, and a range of national and regional courts and tribunals. He is listed on the List of Defence Counsel of both the International Criminal Court and the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.His practice encompasses the full range of international criminal law work, including the investigation and prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide; extradition and mutual legal assistance; transitional justice and institutional reform; and the documentation of human rights abuses for use in legal proceedings. He has acted for sovereign governments, international organisations, non-governmental bodies, and individual defendants, and has led or contributed to landmark ICC Article 15 communications and amicus filings in cases concerning Myanmar/Bangladesh, Syria, and Venezuela.Selected matters include:• Lead Counsel for the defence in Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor v. Haxhi Shala — trial of a senior member of the Kosovo Liberation Army for administration of justice offences.• Lead Counsel for the defence in Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor v. Nasim Haradinaj — trial of the Vice President of the KLA War Veterans Association.• Lead Counsel for several suspects under investigation at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers for international crimes during the 1998–1999 armed conflict.• Special Adviser to the Chief Prosecutor and Attorney General of Bangladesh in proceedings against the former Prime Minister for crimes against humanity before the International Crimes Tribunal.• Adviser to the Government of the Netherlands in Netherlands and Canada v. Syria before the International Court of Justice for breaches of the UN Convention against Torture.• Filed the first Article 15 Communication with the ICC Prosecutor on the forced deportation of civilians from Syria into Jordan, drawing on the legal precedent established in the Rohingya case.• Filed an amicus brief in the ICC determination of jurisdiction on the forced deportation of 500,000 ethnic Rohingya from Myanmar into Bangladesh, successfully arguing deportation as an element of genocide and/or crimes against humanity.• Instructed by the Government of Rwanda to advise on the role of French officials in the 1994 genocide and to strengthen Rwanda’s domestic capacity to investigate and prosecute genocide and crimes against humanity.• Led the ‘Caesar’ investigation (2015–2017) into evidence documenting the mass starvation, torture, and execution of thousands of civilian detainees in Syria.• Led an international investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Libyan National Army in Benghazi, 2014–2017.• Instructed by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami from 2010-2016 to represent the political leadership prosecuted before the Bangladesh War Crimes Tribunal.• Instructed by a U.S. law firm to seek recognition and enforcement of a US$750 million judgment for genocide arising from the Bosnian conflict.Extradition and Mutual Legal AssistanceMr Cadman is instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service, Special Crimes Division as a Senior Crown Prosecutor in extradition and mutual legal assistance proceedings. He has acted on behalf of requesting states including Albania, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, India, Kosovo, Serbia, the United States of America, and numerous EU member states.He has also acted for defendants in high-profile extradition matters, including successfully defending the Rwandan Head of National Intelligence against an extradition request brought by the Government of Spain on charges of genocide and terrorism, resulting in dismissal by the City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court in August 2014.Public International Law & Human RightsMr Cadman has a well-established practice in public international law and human rights, acting before international courts and human rights bodies including the European Court of Human Rights, the International Court of Justice, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the United Nations Human Rights Council. He has advised governments and international organisations on legislative and constitutional reform, and has represented victims of political repression, enforced disappearance, and state-sanctioned violence across a broad range of jurisdictions.He has been engaged in transitional justice programmes in Syria, Colombia, The Gambia, and South Sudan, and has led or contributed to high-profile investigations into corruption in the banking and energy sectors in Lebanon, and into international crimes in Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Egypt, Pakistan, Syria, and Yemen.

Michael Clancey-Stewart

Michael was called to the Bar of England and Wales at Middle Temple in March of 2011 and has a full qualification certificate from the Bar Standards Board. Criminal Law: Michael, as a civilian criminal defence lawyer, has litigated cases from the initial stages through trial and appeal. The cases have involved a variety of crimes including Assault, Battery, Theft, Aggravated Burglary, Domestic Violence and Attempted Murder. As a military lawyer, the criminal cases that he handled ranged from Absence Without Official Leave to Breach of Classified Intelligence and Murder. Civil Law: As a civil litigation trial lawyer, Michael has handled numerous cases including those that involved Breach of Contract, Construction Defects, Fraud, Serious Personal Injury, Toxic Tort Negligence, Product Liability Negligence and Medical Malpractice. Military Law: Michael served as Summary Court Officer in over 25 Summary Courts-Martial and was appointed as Trial Counsel/Defence Counsel in over 75 Summary, Special and General Courts-Martial. He served as President of the Board for Special Court-Martial, and as counsel in Medical Boards and Administrative Discharge Boards. Also, he served in the United States Marine Corps as the Site Judge Advocate for Marine Air Group 42 (MAG-42) and as Law of War Specialist for the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing. Arbitration and Mediation: As an arbitrator and mediator, Michael has successfully handled a large number of cases over the years in matters that have involved business litigation, personal injury, medical malpractice, and more.

Matei Clej

Matei Clej was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2017. He holds an LLB from Birkbeck College, University of London. His practice is centred on extradition law, in which he has developed a substantial caseload at every level of the jurisdiction. Several of his cases have produced reported judgments of the High Court. He is qualified to accept Public Access instructions and to conduct litigation. Matei's extradition practice encompasses the full range of issues that arise in Part 1 and Part 2 proceedings. Matei Clej was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2017. He holds an LLB from Birkbeck College, University of London. His practice is centred on extradition law, in which he has developed a substantial caseload at every level of the jurisdiction. Several of his cases have produced reported judgments of the High Court. He is qualified to accept Public Access instructions and to conduct litigation. Matei's extradition practice encompasses the full range of issues that arise in Part 1 and Part 2 proceedings. Recent workExtraditionD v Romania [2025] EWHC 768 (Admin) concerned an appeal by a fugitive Romanian national sought on a conviction warrant for theft. The grounds raised section 20 of the Extradition Act 2003, on the basis that the requested person had been tried and convicted in his absence, and Article 8 ECHR in respect of his partner and young child. Matei called expert evidence from Associate Professor Norel Neagu on Romanian law, both as to the section 20 issues and the prospect of early release as a factor in the Article 8 proportionality exercise. The appeal was dismissed; the court indicated, however, that had Professor Neagu's evidence been accepted, it would have held that Romanian retrial provisions did not amount to an unqualified right of retrial as required by section 20.M v Romania [2025] EWHC 178 (Admin) raised the question under section 20 whether two requested persons — a father and son sought for violent disorder — had deliberately absented themselves from their Romanian appeal proceedings, notwithstanding that they had not left Romania to evade justice and had attended trial in person at first instance. Matei represented the father at first instance and on appeal. The case involved substantial psychiatric and psychological evidence and a multi-factorial Article 8 analysis.G v Romania [2024] EWHC 1436 (Admin) involved a mother of two British children sought to serve four years and four months for fraud. The appeal required detailed engagement with the HH v Italy [2012] UKSC 25 framework and the authorities on dependent children at risk of local authority care upon a parent's extradition. The court dismissed the appeal, finding extradition proportionate having regard to the seriousness of the offending, the scale of victimisation, and the appellant's knowledge of the proceedings when she returned to the United Kingdom; it held that the extradition court was entitled to assess, on the evidence before it, what was likely to happen to the children in the event of extradition. The case is cited in support of this principle in the fourth edition of Nicholls, Montgomery and Knowles on The Law of Extradition and Mutual Assistance (OUP).V v Hungary [2024] EWHC 2790 (Admin) concerned the admissibility of fresh evidence on extradition appeal, including a change of circumstances following the birth of the appellant's child. The court refused the application, applying the strict Fenyvesi test on the grounds that the evidence was not decisive.R v Romania [2024] EWHC 1180 (Admin) raised the argument that an electronically-monitored curfew imposed as a bail condition since December 2018 constituted house arrest under Romanian law, giving rise to a legal entitlement to a parity deduction in sentence. The court refused permission to appeal.G v Romania (pending) is a substantive High Court appeal advancing concurrent challenges under sections 2, 10, and 20 of the 2003 Act alongside Article 8. The section 2 and dual criminality challenges concern fraud allegations said to be insufficiently particularised to supply the necessary mens rea elements, the warrant having relied on foreign statutory labels rather than a description of conduct. The section 20 ground arises from a factual contradiction within the warrant itself, engaging unresolved questions in the post-Cretu, Bertino, and Merticariu jurisprudence on the distinction between chosen and court-appointed representation.C v Moldova (awaiting judgment) involved a two-day substantive evidentiary hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court in October 2025. Matei, led by Hannah Hinton of Serjeants' Inn Chambers, represented the requested person. The case involved the coordination of complex expert evidence across three reports addressing the detention regime at Leova L3 Prison, including the informal hierarchy operating within the Moldovan prison system which has attracted extensive adverse findings before the ECtHR. The case has attracted particular scrutiny in light of repeated breaches of diplomatic assurances given by the requesting state.Judicial ReviewR (R) v Northamptonshire Magistrates' Court [2023] EWHC 3290 (Admin) arose from domestic criminal proceedings in which Matei's client, charged with driving with excess alcohol, sought judicial review of a decision to adjourn trial following the non-attendance of the critical prosecution witness. Matei argued the decision fell outside the range of reasonable responses open to the court. The application was dismissed; the judgment nonetheless contains a detailed treatment of the principles governing adjournment applications where witnesses fail to attend.Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)R v A (A) [2024] EWCA Crim 589 was a sentence appeal before Dingemans LJ, Wall J, and Judge De Bertodano concerning an Iranian national convicted of knowingly attempting to arrive in the United Kingdom without valid entry clearance. The appeal raised whether a sentence of two years' imprisonment was manifestly excessive in light of the guideline framework in R v Ginar [2023] EWCA Crim 1121. Criminal PracticeMatei's Crown Court practice spans sentence, trial, and appellate work. He secured a suspended sentence in R v SM at Snaresbrook Crown Court for a defendant convicted of laundering the proceeds of a £44,000 fraud against a vulnerable victim, and in R v AT at Winchester Crown Court for a defendant on a four-count indictment for possession of over 20,000 indecent images. In R v TG at Luton Crown Court he secured an acquittal for a defendant charged with witness intimidation, having been instructed mid-trial earning. In R v KF at Portsmouth Crown Court he secured 36 months' imprisonment on a second-strike possession with intent to supply, with 10% credit for a very late plea after the jury was sworn.Confiscation and Proceeds of CrimeIn R v CDM at Southwark Crown Court, Matei appeared in complex confiscation proceedings under Part 2 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 following conviction for conspiracy to conceal criminal property and threats to kill (eight years' imprisonment). The case involved a transnational fraud spanning 42 bank accounts across seven jurisdictions including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Andorra, and the Isle of Man. After 4 days of contested hearings before HHJ Spiro, the court found a total benefit of £1,493,794 and made a confiscation order of £993,794, a reduction of £1/2m from the figure sought by the Crown; submissions on the default sentence, citing R v Castillo, secured a reduction from seven to six years.

John Cubbon

John Cubbon is an international lawyer with many years’ experience of criminal justice and related issues in fragile and conflict-affected states. He was employed by the United Nations from 1995 to 2015. Subsequently he carried out assignments for various agencies including the UK Government and the European Union.Since joining Chambers in 2021 Mr Cubbon has acted as Co-Counsel for two accused at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and represented clients in immigration, extradition, human rights and professional regulation. Since 2022 he has been a Designated Expert in the EU Project Pravo-Justice Ukraine.Mr Cubbon has frequently contributed to judicial reform, legislative drafting and institutional development. He was extensively engaged in the revision of criminal legislation in both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. Shortly after the establishment of UNMIK, he performed the functions of a Deputy Minister of Justice with responsibility for the management and organization of the whole of the judicial system of Kosovo (excluding the roughly 26 international judges/prosecutors). He has also worked on reform of the justice sector in Ukraine and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.Mr Cubbon has taught adults for over 40 years in a considerable variety of contexts. As well as training members of the Malian Armed Forces, he has frequently given seminars and lectures on international criminal law and transitional justice, most recently to legal practitioners in Ukraine.Before studying law Mr Cubbon worked in health services research, including analysis of health management information and epidemiological research.ExpertiseInternational CrimeMr Cubbon has a firm grounding in international humanitarian law and international criminal law. For nine years he held senior legal positions in Chambers at ICTY, where his main focus was on the preparation of draft judgements, decisions and orders and memoranda for the judges.As a Deployable Civilian Expert for the UK Stabilisation Unit he advised and trained members of the Malian Armed Forces on international humanitarian law in 2018 and 2021.Since April 2022 he has been engaged by the EU Project Pravo-Justice to provide assistance to the Office of the Prosecutor-General of Ukraine in addressing international crimes and serious human rights violations.Selected matters include:• Co-Counsel for the defence in Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor v. Haxhi Shala• Co-Counsel for the defence in Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor v. Nasim HaradinajPublic International Law and Human Rights LawDuring his ten years in UN peacekeeping in former Yugoslavia Mr Cubbon dealt very frequently with public international law issues relating to the status of the United Nations and its personnel and the compatibility of legislation, policies and executive actions with the international human rights instruments, in particular the ECHR.As a member of Chambers, he has prepared applications and other submissions to the ECtHR.From 2020 to 2022 he acted as a pro bono consultant for the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission of Seychelles and from 2013 to 2017 he was a member of the Drafting Committee of the Bar Human Rights Committee.Extradition and Mutual Legal AssistanceMr Cubbon represents Requested Persons in extradition hearings. He contributed to high profile decisions on extradition and mutual legal assistance as a Legal Officer in UNMIK. He has also advised the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine on these matters.ImmigrationMr Cubbon acts for Appellants in the immigration appeals process. He first undertook such work before joining the United Nations in 1995. He prepared legislation on movement of persons into and out of Kosovo while he was a Legal Officer in UNMIK.

León Fernando Del Canto

Fernando Del Canto is a Barrister of England and Wales and an Abogado of the Madrid Bar, and the first Spanish national to be admitted to both Bars. His practice focuses on International Private Client work, with established expertise in advising high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, digital nomads, public figures and their families, and the professional advisers who act for them. He is regulated by the Bar Standards Board, authorised to accept direct instructions under the Public Access scheme where suitable, dual-qualified to act as Counsel and lead advocate before the courts of England and Wales and the courts of Spain, and a European Registered Lawyer with the Bar Council of Ireland.The practice draws together, under a single Counsel relationship, the disciplines that the modern internationally mobile client requires: estates, trusts and succession; tax and domicile; international residency and global mobility; family and matrimonial; private client advisory; and asset protection. Within each, Counsel acts in the language of the jurisdiction concerned and on the basis of qualifications and rights of audience independently obtained in each.Counsel is based between London, Madrid, Dublin, Bogotá and Dubai, and is regularly instructed by solicitors, licensed access professionals, notaries in England and Wales, notarios públicos in Spain, attorneys, auditors, IFAs, wealth managers, family offices and private banks. He has been instructed in proceedings, transactions and advisory mandates engaging the laws and courts of the United Kingdom, Spain, Ireland, the United States, Colombia, India, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, and has acted in arbitral proceedings under ICC Rules seated in London.He serves as a member of the tax advisory group to the Lord Mayor of the City of London, contributing to the briefings that support the Lord Mayor’s overseas engagement with foreign officials, ministers and regulators on international taxation matters, and to the working dialogue between the City’s financial institutions and the European and Latin American business communities.Beyond private client work, he has acted for sovereign clients, public bodies and foreign governments, for international charities and not-for-profit organisations on tax, governance and regulatory matters, and in proceedings engaging diplomatic and State immunity.The International Private Client PracticeCounsel undertakes the full range of work that the modern private client requires, in alignment with the six areas of the Chambers Private Client Practice:Estates, Trusts and Succession. Advisory counsel and court representation on wills, trusts, probate and succession across jurisdictions, with particular focus on the interaction of English private international law with Spanish, EU and Latin American succession rules; contentious and non-contentious probate; cross-border succession disputes; international estate planning for non-domiciled individuals; and the EU Succession Regulation 650/2012.Tax and Domicile. Advisory counsel on residence, domicile and the tax position of the internationally mobile client; inheritance tax planning; income tax and capital gains advice on international asset structures; HMRC enquiries and Hacienda inspecciones with a cross-border dimension; and tax advice on the acquisition and disposal of property in the United Kingdom, Spain, Latin America and GCC jurisdictions.International Residency and Global Mobility. Advisory counsel on worldwide residence and mobility options across the United Kingdom, Spain, the UAE and internationally, including dual nationality across UK, EU, GCC, Spanish and Latin American law.Family and Matrimonial. Advisory counsel and representation in cross-border divorce, financial remedy and international child custody proceedings; pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements with a multi-jurisdictional dimension; jurisdiction disputes; recognition of foreign matrimonial orders in England and Wales; and the legal consequences of dual nationality and international residence.Private Client Advisory. Cross-border advisory counsel drawing on dual qualification, language capability and recognised expertise across the United Kingdom, Spain, Ireland and the wider civil-law world. A single instruction addresses the full multi-jurisdictional picture, from Conflict of Laws to civil-code succession, from English probate to Spanish succession, from GCC civil law to EU family instruments. Advisory opinions, planning advice and strategic guidance are delivered in English and Spanish, with working capacity in further European, Latin American and Gulf languages.Asset Protection. Advisory counsel and representation on asset protection matters of immediate concern to internationally mobile clients, including the enforcement of judgments and arbitral awards across jurisdictions, jurisdiction disputes over international assets, claims against banks and financial institutions, and matters at the intersection of private client and civil fraud law. Where instructions engage criminal, extradition or sanctions proceedings, Chambers’ specialist practices are available to advise alongside.Notable Cases• Acted in high-net-worth Spanish divorce proceedings involving substantial cross-border assets.• Advised on claims against Spanish banks and financial institutions.• Advised on the acquisition of prime Madrid real estate through a SOCIMI structure.• Advised the Spanish Government and the Abogacía General del Estado on estate proceedings in England engaging public international law and arbitration.• Acted in proceedings engaging diplomatic and State immunity for international organisations in civil, immigration and employment matters.• Instructed in an ICC arbitration seated in London between a GCC State and a commercial counterparty.• Acted on a sovereign-fund investment from the GCC into Grupo PRISA, the largest Spanish-language media group.• Advised on the acquisition of the intellectual property assets of a Spanish La Liga football club by an NYSE-listed SPAC.• Led legal due diligence on the acquisition of Spain’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer by an NYSE-listed SPAC.• Advised on the European restructuring of Sunseeker International and Taylor Woodrow.• Provided tax and corporate advice to professional football clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, FC Barcelona and Valencia CF.• Advised the Instituto Cervantes on legal matters in the United Kingdom.• Developed European intellectual property and tax strategies for an international franchising group.• Advised on the rebranding and licensing of a major cinema operator in the GCC.• Advised HuffPost on the launch of its Arabic platform.• Advised international charities on tax, corporate and governance matters across the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Michael Edwards

Michael is an international lawyer with over 12 years’ experience at the English Bar and in international organisations. His work focuses principally on child abduction, child trafficking, public inquiries and inquests. Michael provides specialist advice and representation to government departments. He was a member of the Attorney General’s C Panel (2016-21) and is now a member of the AG’s B Panel. He is also a Special Advocate, which means he handles national security cases of the highest sensitivity. Michael is a judge and arbitrator. He is a Deputy District Judge on the South Eastern Circuit; he is a member of the Institute of Arbitrators; and he sits on judicial panels for The FA, British Swimming and Swim England. Michael also practices from 4pb in London.

Daniel Gadelrab

Called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2015, Daniel is experienced in domestic criminal proceedings and extradition proceedings, as well as being specialised in Public International Law (including the Law of Armed Conflict, International Humanitarian Law and International Criminal Law).Prior to coming to the Bar, Daniel completed an LLM in Public International Law at Utrecht University in The Netherlands where he wrote his thesis examining the legal framework governing armed conflicts under international law, as well as the many legal issues surrounding the imposition of military and naval blockades.Following this he gained experience as an intern and then as a Legal Assistant on two major war crimes cases before the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. Firstly as an intern on the defence team for Ramush Haradinaj, Former Prime Minster of Kosovo and a Commander in the Kosovo Liberation Army, on trial for war crimes, before later joining the standby defence team for the Radovan Karadzic, who was standing trial for some of the most serious charges to come before the tribunal: genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. He also spent time interning for barristers at 9 Bedford Row International on the defence case of Uhuru Kenyatta, former President of Kenya, standing trial for crimes against humanity. Following this Daniel won the Steen Award, a scholarship from Gray’s Inn, and completed the BPTC at City Law School. During his BPTC he taught a competitive debating course to inmates at Pentonville Prison and Feltham Young Offenders institute.Daniel also has a keen interest in Business and Innovation. Following call to the Bar in 2015, he spent several years working in start-ups in Germany both in a legal and business development capacity, before building and, for several years, running a successful marketing company in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, where he also served as Legal Advisor. During this time he engaged in rigorous contractual negotiations to form a partnership with a major global corporation, and gained experience of corporate law in the UAE, establishing both mainland and freezone corporate structures in the country. He has a particular interest in Business and Human Rights and in methodologies used to investigate and ensure that consumer supply chains stay free of human rights abuses, and minimise their environmental impact.

Ania Grudzinska

Ania is an experienced and tenacious barrister who has substantial experience in extradition, appeals, criminal law and road traffic law. Ania has been instructed in both Part 1 and Part 2 extradition matters. She is solely a defence practitioner and represents clients at Westminster Magistrates Court and in the High Court on appeal. Ania has been instructed in an array of extradition matters involving arguments concerning human rights and complex technical arguments stemming from both the Extradition Act 2003 and its predecessor. The cases in which Ania has been instructed in are often ones of the utmost gravity, including murder, rape and other sexual offences as well as transnational criminality such as trafficking of people or narcotics. She has also been involved in some high-profile cases which have been widely published in the press. Additionally, over time, Ania has developed a significant following in the Polish community and is proud to apply her legal knowledge and experience in extradition and criminal law in that sphere. In recent years, Ania has generated a network of fellow extradition lawyers practising in Poland, as well as other countries, with whom she works in order to try to provide the best solutions for her clients. Ania also has experience in advising on prisoner transfer issues, s21B requests and Interpol Red Notices. Expertise• Extradition & Mutual Legal Assistance• Appeals• Crime• Road Traffic LawCurrent workWestminster Magistrates CourtFrance v ARequested person sought by the French Judicial Authority in respect of the manslaughter of immigrants who died on a dinghy boat in 2021. Ania raised various technical arguments to challenge the warrant, including whether there had been a decision to charge or try pursuant to s12A of the Extradition Act 2003.Poland v KRequested person sought by Poland from the Isle of Man, meaning the Extradition Act 1989 applies to this case making this a more complex case then most of the Polish requests.Germany v NA request from Germany for a person who is sought to serve an indefinite hospital order. This is a particularly interesting case since there had only been one like it which was considered before the Trade and Cooperation Agreement became applicable from 1st January 2021. Issues under s2 of the Extradition Act 2003 arise as to the meaning of “detention order”. A unique argument in relation to the requested person’s mental health has also been raised.Poland v BThe requested person was discharged on the grounds that her and her children’s article 8 ECHR rights would be infringed, as a sole carer of three children. The sentence which would otherwise have been outstanding in the requesting state was one of two years’ imprisonment.Lithuania v IAnia has been successful in persuading the Lithuanian authorities to interview her client, a British citizen accused of smuggling drugs, by way of video link in London in order to try to compromise the warrant.High CourtPoland v TThe Appellant was successful in her appeal under s25 of the Extradition Act 2003 due to her dire health condition. Two reports were obtained in the High Court and the Judge directed the requesting authority to provide further information to confirm that they would be able to treat the Appellant in a custodial setting. The requesting state confirmed that they would not be able to care for and treat the Appellant given her particular needs.RG v PortugalA case which has spanned nearly three years involving the relationship between the Appellant’s and his son’s article 8ECHR rights as a sole carer in the context of parallel Family Court proceedings. Whilst the appeal was dismissed nearly a year ago, Ania has made successful applications to stay the order for the Applicant’s extradition to date in order to await the outcome of his Family Court proceedings.C v RomaniaAnia drafted perfected grounds of appeal which led to permission to appeal being granted in respect of both re-trial rights pursuant to s20 of the Extradition Act 2003 as well as article 8ECHR.S v PolandAnia was successful in the appeal of a person sought by a Polish Judicial Authority in respect of a £50,000 fraud with a one-and-a-half-year sentence outstanding. The appeal was allowed on article 8ECHR grounds, particularly on account of the Appellant’s repayment of the damage as well as his partner’s mental health problems.Hungary v RThis case concerns the opposing of extradition on grounds of health. The requested person has very complex medical needs and Ania has advised on the instruction of the most appropriate medical experts to provide reports in this case.W v PolandPermission was granted in respect of a requested person accused of historic rape. Ania also applied for an anonymity order for the requested person’s name to not be published. She argued, on appeal, that the requested person, would be at a substantial risk of suicide if returned to the requesting state. Following the dismissal of the appeal, Ania made an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court and drafted questions of law of general public importance.Ireland v OAnia obtained permission to appeal in respect of a case involving a client who was at a substantial suicide risk if extradition were ordered. The client had been sought in respect of serious historic sexual offending.P v PolandAnia is currently representing a client with significant mental health conditions who is unfit to plead.B v PolandAnia is currently representing a client who is sought to serve a 12 year sentence. Ania has worked meticulously and diligently through a large volume of papers. She liaised with a Polish lawyer and constructed an argument under s20 of the Extradition Act 2003 in light of a new law in Poland in respect of service of documents.

Tomas Hamilton

Tomas ('Tom') Hamilton is a barrister specialising in international law with substantial experience of proceedings before international tribunals, the UN system, and in human rights investigations. His practice includes international criminal law, international arbitration, extradition, international sanctions and export controls, business and human rights, and professional discipline.Called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2011, Tom worked for more than 13 years in UN mechanisms and international tribunals, developing expertise in drafting compelling legal arguments and managing complex, evidence-heavy cases. His skillset is invaluable for clients facing intricate cross-border challenges.In his academic career, Tom has published and taught international law with expertise on the arms trade. His book 'The Arms Trade and International Criminal Law' was published by Oxford University Press in 2025 and he has a regional specialism in Southeast Asia from his work on Cambodia and Myanmar.International Criminal LawTom regularly advises on procedural and substantive aspects of international criminal law. Tom is appointed to the Attorney General’s Public International Law C Panel of Counsel to the Crown.In recent years, Tom has worked for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and for Human Rights Watch, preceded by six years for the UN Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials (UNAKRT) in the Case 004 investigations before the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). In that case, Tom led the defence team for Counsel to Mr Yim Tith, who faced charges of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.In his academic career, Tom has published in leading journals and taught international criminal law at the University of Amsterdam from 2021 to 2024, holding a tenured position as Assistant Professor of International Criminal Law. His policy-oriented research continues to focus on aiding and abetting, the emerging crime of ecocide, and arms export regulation.International SanctionsTom has advised on sanctions designations under the Russia-related designations in relation to the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, on asset freeze, travel ban and director disqualification measures pursuant to The Iran (Sanctions) Regulations 2023, and on the Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 put in place to ensure the UK continues to meet its obligations under the UN sanctions regime relating to Sudan. Tom is available for instruction from individuals, corporations, and sovereign entities on a broad range of sanctions-related matters, whether under the UK, EU, UN, and US sanctions regimes on issues connected to INTERPOL notices, asset freeze, travel ban and director disqualification measures, or applications for licences and derogations, sanctions compliance and risk advisory.International arbitration Tom is developing an international arbitration practice including on areas of overlap with his core practice in sanctions, public international law, cross-border issues and Business and Human Rights (disputes arising from ESG standards). Tom holds a Certificate in International Investment Law and Dispute Resolution from the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) and is undertaking an Executive Course in International Commercial Arbitration at one of his alma mater King’s College London (KCL), endorsed by the International Bar Association (IBA) and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC).Tom is available for instruction in relation to investor-state disputes, institutional commercial arbitration, enforcement proceedings, and sanctions-related litigation, including proceedings before the LCIA, the ICC, DIAC and the PCA. Public International Law and Human RightsTom’s international practice focuses on serious rights violations, corporate accountability, Business and Human Rights and ESG compliance, and environmental rights. He provides advice to states, NGOs and individuals in relation to cases before domestic and international courts, as well as those involving UN Human Rights Council Special Procedures.Prior to coming to the Bar, Tom served as a Human Rights Officer within the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). He has worked on the investigations of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela (FFMV) and the presentation of its findings to the Human Rights Council in 2023.Tom actively engages in pro bono work and has provided legal advisory services to organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Global Witness, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.Crime & ExtraditionIn extradition proceedings, Tom has been regularly instructed in High Court appellate matters and in Westminster Magistrates’ Court where he advised Requested Persons on matters ranging from prison assurances to extraneous considerations based on persecution. He recently represented a high-profile political dissident in complex Part 2 proceedings.As part of his growing criminal practice, Tom appears in the Crown Court and the Magistrates’ Court acting for both the defence and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as a Level 2 Prosecutor. Adept at working with vulnerable Defendants, he seeks to prepare thoroughly and give careful consideration to every case. Prior to the Bar, he spent a year at Bark & Co Solicitors working on business crime and serious prison offences.Professional DisciplineTom accepts instructions from individuals facing the most serious allegations of regulatory breach in their profession. He appears regularly in substantive and interim matters before the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), Social Work England (SWE), the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA), the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA), and before UK university and college disciplinary boards. Due to his academic background in university professorial roles that involved student disciplinary functions, he has a particular expertise in educational disciplinary matters. Instructed on behalf of the regulator in fitness to practice and professional disciplinary cases, he works meticulously and diligently to ensure the regulator is afforded the highest standards of representation. He has acted in complex substantive hearings of over 4 weeks in length involving the highest sanction of strike off and removal from the professional register, as well as cases where complex health matters arise.

Isabella Kirwan

Isabella is a Barrister specialised in public law, human rights and international law.International LawIsabella is highly sought after in her areas of specialism, particularly in international human rights law, international criminal law and international humanitarian law. She is consistently selected to represent and advise clients in matters involving complex issues of international law and has acted in cases before almost every international human rights court, tribunal and fora.Isabella has been involved in cutting-edge work on and novel areas of international law, including being at the forefront of the representation of groups advocating for the repatriation of cultural heritage, advising on diplomatic immunity and immunity of international organisations, on gender apartheid under international law, and on accountability for violations of international law by mercenaries and private military and security companies (PMSCs), for example. She has a particular interest in transitional justice and peacebuilding in post-conflict states.Isabella has presented on issues of international law at conferences, including recently chairing a 2025 series co-convened by the International Bar Association Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) on universal jurisdiction. She has also delivered training on international law, including in Uzbekistan as part of a course on modern slavery and human trafficking, Mutual Legal Assistance, extradition, and international fair trial standards.Isabella is admitted to the prestigious ‘List of Assistants to Counsel’ at the International Criminal Court and is a member of the Attorney General’s JJ Panel of Counsel.Recent cases include:• Kosovo Specialist Chambers - the Prosecutor v Shala et al. - representing an ex-Member of Kosovan Parliament and ex-guerilla fighter as part of the Kosovo Liberation Army in high-profile proceedings at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) in The Hague;• International Criminal Court - complaints to the Prosecutor pursuant to Article 15 of the Rome Statute concerning alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Libya and in Ukraine.• European Court of Human Rights - cases against Member States: counsel for the Applicant in an ongoing case concerning national security; representing intervener in a case concerning violations of political and fair trial rights;• African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights - Advisory Opinion on Climate Change: representing intervener in the landmark proceedings before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACtHPR) for a request for an Advisory Opinion on the human rights obligations of African states in addressing the climate crisis;• Inter-American Court of Human Rights - Guatemala’s Advisory Opinion on a ‘Right to Democracy’: representing intervener in landmark proceedings before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) for an Advisory Opinion request by Guatemala’s concerning a ‘Right to Democracy’;• Representing and advising Sudanese victims on accountability for potential war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during the current conflict in Sudan;• UN Mechanisms and Special Procedures - submitting various complaints to UN Special Rapporteurs and mechanisms, including to the UN Special Rapporteur on truth, justice and reparation in relation to transitional justice and violations of IHL in the Chechen, Syrian, and Ukrainian conflicts. Presented findings at high-level meeting of Ambassadors and State representatives at a conference at the Finnish Ambassador’s residence in Geneva;• Part of a team of international human rights lawyers on a project in relation to accountability for the use of chemical weapons against the civilian population in violation of international humanitarian law in Syria.Public Law, Human Rights & Civil LibertiesIsabella undertakes a variety of public law, civil liberties and human rights work, including judicial review claims. She has been involved in several groundbreaking public law cases, including:• R (MXV) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWHC 251 (Admin) - public law challenge concerning immigration detainee with HIV. The High Court gave important guidance on the lawfulness of the Home Office’s policy related to the detention of HIV positive detainees and, for the first time, on the new powers under s.12 of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 alongside the well-established Hardial Singh detention principles;• Advising and representing in claims concerning returns to France under the UK government’s ‘UK-France Treaty’ (“1in1out” pilot scheme);• R (on the application of) CSM v SSHD [2021] EWHC 2175 (Admin) in which the Home Secretary was found to be in breach of the “systems duty” under Article 3 ECHR to put in place appropriate legal and administrative systems to protect detainees with HIV from harm.Immigration & Refugee LawIsabella has a busy immigration and asylum law practice, representing individuals in both private and public cases, including international protection claims, including asylum, political asylum and humanitarian protection, nationality and citizenship law, appeals against refusals of visa applications, including family applications and applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain, High Net Worth Individual (HNWI) cases, human trafficking and modern slavery claims and immigration bail.Sanctions, INTERPOL, and Mutual Legal AssistanceIsabella has a thriving sanctions practice. She regularly advises on sanctions designations, including Russia-related designations under the UK’s Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (‘SAMLA’) and UN designations.Isabella is also experienced in representing clients in challenges to INTERPOL ‘Red Notices’, requesting reviews of designations for a range of reasons, including politically motivated designations.Crime & RegulatoryIsabella also appears in criminal and professional disciplinary proceedings. In crime, she has represented clients in the Magistrates Court, Crown Court, and on appeal to the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division. She is also a Level 1 Prosecutor and represents the Crown Prosecution Service. She has also been instructed in several cases of serious professional misconduct by professionals against vulnerable patients and/or colleagues.MediationIsabella is also a practising Mediator. She qualified through the Society of Mediators in London and is able to mediate a wide range of disputes, from international legal disputes to disputes between trustees of charities, employment issues, disputes within families or communities of a sensitive nature.

Karim Lahham

Karim’s main area of practice is general commercial law, including sale of goods, international trade, and shipping law. He has appeared in the High Court and County Court in Chancery matters, including landlord and tenant, boundary disputes, resulting trusts, nuisance, easements, and adverse possession.Karim has a particular expertise in Islamic commercial laws and retains a specialist library in the field. He is particularly familiar with Ottoman (The Mejelle), Egyptian, and UAE civil laws, and can provide expert opinions by arrangement. Notably, Karim has been an advisor (2013-14) and editor for the Qatar National Food Security Program (QNFSP). He has also advised in the past on Omani, Kuwaiti and Egyptian laws in matters relating to construction contract disputes. Accordingly, he retains a particular interest in public and private international laws.Currently, Karim is an academic consultant and Senior Research Fellow (since 2005) at Tabah Foundation, Cairo, and founder, principal researcher and editor of the Classification of the Sciences Project.He was also an appointed academic consultant (2009-2010) for the Living Traditions Programme at the Golden Web Foundation, Cambridge, in its research on Arid Lands Agriculture and concomitant legal water rights. Additionally, Karim is a project director of the Filaha Texts Project (filaha.org), a research initiative to catalogue, study and implement protocols of the Islamic Andalusian tradition of agronomy and its water rights.Reported Cases• Showala v Showala [2003] All ER (D) 237 Ch.D. (Nicholas Davidson QC)Consideration of CPR 3.5(2) and CPR Pt 23, whether in a claim for a money judgment pleaded in the alternative to proprietary remedies in the particulars of claim, the Claimant was entitled to judgment under CPR 3.5(2), or had to proceed by an application under CPR Pt 23.• Glencore International A.G. & others v Metro Trading International Inc. [2001] 1 Ll. L. Rep. 284 Q.B. (Moore-Bick J.)Whether title to parcels of oil had passed to MTI on delivery in accordance with Fujairah law of property. Collaborated in drafting the expert report on Fujairah law with Professor William Ballantyne on behalf of MTI.• Kuwait Oil Tanker Company SAK & Anor v. Al Bader & Ors [2000] 2 All ER (Comm) 271.Researcher on Kuwait Oil Production on behalf of Stanley Brodie QC acting for the Defendant. Also retained as expert for SJ Berwin Solicitors to help with discovery exercise. Assistant to Professor William Ballantyne on drafting expert report on Kuwaiti laws.Sample Publications(Full list can be provided on request)• “A Spiritual Master at Work: The Aphorisms of Shaykh ʿAlī al-Yashrutī in Fāṭima al- Yashruṭīyya’s Nafaḥāt al-Ḥaqq,” in Sainteté et Héritage Prophétique en Islam: Études sur Ibn Al-ʿArabi et l’histoire de la sainteté dédiées à la mémoire de Michel Chodkiewicz, ed. Denis Gril (Berlin/Boston: Walter De Gruyter GmbH, 2025) 593-603.• “Farḍ al-Kifāyah as the Juridical Foundation of the Islamic Social Apparatus” in The Islamic Social Order and Its Frameworks: Studies and Critical Reflections, ed. Salah Chafik et al. (London and Cairo: UCL Press & Tabah Foundation, 2025) 74-99.• “Irrigation Practices in Valencia and the context of the Islamic Social Framework” in Drechsler, W., Chafik, S., & Kattel, R., Islamic Public Value: Theory, Practice, and Administration of Indigenous Cooperative Institutions (Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2025) Ch. 5, 69-82.• Sayyida Fatima al Yashrutiyya: Daughter of Akka (London: Inspiral Books 2022).• The Anatomy of Knowledge and the Ontological Necessity of First Principles (Cairo: TabahFoundation, 2021).• 'Being Good': An Ontological View of Ethics (Dubai, U.A.E.: Kalam Research & Media (KRM) 2017.• The Vocational Society (Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.: Tabah Foundation, 2014).• Muhammad Shahrur’s ‘Cargo-Cult’: A Meditation on his Underlying Conceptual Framework (Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.: Tabah Foundation, 2010).• The Roman Catholic Church’s Position on Islam after Vatican II (Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.: Tabah Foundation, 2008).

Lauren Lederle

Lauren Lederle is an international practitioner with over a decade’s experience advising and representing States, corporations, NGOs, and individuals in complex public international law, international criminal law, and human rights disputes before domestic and international courts and tribunals. She is also building a practice in extradition and domestic crime.

Alexandre Prezanti

Alexandre specialises in criminal law, international criminal law, human rights and sanctions. He has a worldwide practice and professional knowledge of English, French and Russian. Alexandre has 15 years of experience in providing legal advice and assistance to individuals, non-governmental organisations and public authorities on investigations, case building and litigation. He is often called on to organise and lead war crimes investigations, to conduct evidential analysis in large complex cases, and to draft briefs to international courts and tribunals. Alexandre has filed over a dozen Article 15 Communications before the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on behalf of victims in Cambodia, Ukraine, Georgia and Belarus. He has also defended international criminal cases before the Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia and the International Criminal Court. He regularly advises and assists victims to file cases before the European Court of Human Rights, domestic universal jurisdiction prosecutors and US, UK and EU sanctions authorities. Alexandre also participates in rule of law and capacity building projects as a justice sector reforms adviser, international observer and training expert. In this capacity, he has helped to establish the first Rule of Law Centre in Myanmar, conducted criminal trial monitoring in Georgia, recommended criminal law reform in Vietnam, Georgia and Ukraine and trained CSO and justice sector professionals in Croatia, Cambodia, Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Armenia and other former Soviet countries. He has authored or contributed to several training and advocacy tools on topics such as violence against women, wartime sexual violence, sanctions, linkage evidence and human rights investigations. Alexandre has also lectured law at the Royal University of Law and Economics in Cambodia and served as Adjunct Professor in International Criminal Law at the University of Washington and Lee in the USA. Alexandre is Qualified to accept Public Access instructions.

Muhammad Najib Rahman

Najib completed his pupillage in Chambers in 2018 and following a period as a third six pupil accepted an invitation to join as a tenant in 2020. He specialises in criminal law, immigration law, international law with a particular focus on Islamic Finance Law.Current workNajib is involved in a wide range of domestic cases including criminal trials, appeals, immigration appeals and judicial reviews. He also has extensive experience in international arbitration, global Islamic finance practice, advising Islamic banks, financial institutions and businesses on a wide range of Shariah-compliant transactions in the areas of syndicated finance, project finance and asset-backed structured finance.He has significant experience in Sukuk structures, trade finance and real estate transactions. PublicationsCryptocurrencies in the eyes of Shariah law and contemporary scholars: An Analysis-Published in June 2019 at Law & Policy Journal of Asia Pacific University, Dhaka.The Concept of Cryptocurrencies from an Islamic Law Perspective - BJIBFL of LexisNexis, UK, October2018.The application of Hudud Law to the Offence of Rape in Pakistan: A misconstruction of the principles of Shari’ah - Published in June 2015 at Law & Policy Journal of Asia Pacific University, Dhaka.Expertise• Criminal Law• Public Law• Immigration and Extradition Law• Family Law• International Criminal Law• International Commercial Law, Arbitration and Mediation• Government Advisory Work

Ylenia Rosso

Ylenia Rosso is developing a practice in International Criminal Law and Extradition. Before joining Guernica 37 she was part of the team acting on behalf of a British-Iranian person who was formerly detained in Iran unlawfully. She has a keen interest in the corporate liability of international crimes. She has been seconded to the Bank of England and to the Serious Fraud Office in a case involving large-scale international shipping and banking frauds across multiple countries. Ylenia has significant experience in defending clients of a particularly vulnerable nature, often with complex mental health issues addressing matters of the utmost sensitivity.Ylenia has a strong relationship with the British Institute of International and Comparative Law through which she has trained Nepalese prosecutors on matters of pre-trial conferencing, witness care and ethics. She currently also teaches new practitioners and pupil barristers Ethics within the Gray’s Inn Education department. Ylenia is robust in Court and has been commended on her ethics and client care.Current workYlenia has a busy criminal practice in which she regularly prosecutes and defends in the Crown Courts. She has prosecuted on behalf of the CPS, National Probation Service and local authorities. She is a member of the CPS Advocate Panel (level 3) and a member of the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) panel. She is instructed by the Government Legal Department. She has expertise in applying for specialized behaviour orders on behalf of the Metropolitan Police, as well as contesting them and appealing them. She has successfully represented clients in cases involving serious drug allegations, grave violence and sexual offences. In terms of prosecution, Ylenia has particular experience representing the Crown in cases involving domestic violence.Ylenia has advised on matters of jurisdiction in an international trade dispute and has been led junior counsel on 3 civil fraud cases. She is often led in civil cases that have a criminal element at hand.Recent CasesInternational WorkRe: Application for Diplomatic Protection – UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Foreign Secretary: concerning individual detained in Iran following a sham trial. The Client was released and repatriated before completing their sentence (Junior Counsel, 2020 – 2021).ExtraditionRomania v D, Westminster MC, 2019Extradition discharged on the grounds of Article 8 and children’s best interests, given one child was seriously unwell.CriminalR v K, Croydon Crown Court; 2022No evidence offered on 3 counts of burglary and theft for a young defendant suffering from schizophrenia. R v M, Isleworth Crown Court, 2022 Acquittal secured for a woman charged with 3 counts of Fraud and theft in a 4-day trial. The case required careful witness management as the defendant suffered from severe anxiety and learning difficulties. The jury found that she was not guilty of all charges against her.R v A, Inner London Crown Court, 2022 Ylenia represented the Crown in a case where the jury convicted a man charged with causing his ex-partner multiple injuries within a domestic setting. Due to the passage of time, some evidence was considered inadmissible, though the jury were able to convict despite this. R v C, Isleworth Crown Court, 2022 Secured a Mental Health Order for D charged with numerous harassment charges and threats to kill. The case required persistent liaison with mental health services and probation, who initially found that a mental health order was not required. R v F, Cambridge Crown Court, 2022 D, a youth, was sentenced to a youth-referral order after pleading guilty to a conspiracy involving allegations of racially aggravated violence, including grievous bodily harm as part of a gang.R v A, Inner London Crown Court, 2021 Secured a Suspended Sentence Order for D who was convicted of 4 counts of sexual assault after trial.R v C, Woolwich Crown Court, 2021 D was charged with 3 counts of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply and was tried over 5 days. The drugs were found under her bed. The jury acquitted D, following robust cross-examination of the officer in the case and showed there was actually no forensic link between the drugs and the defendant.

Arman Sarvarian

Arman Sarvarian is an English barrister specialising in international law with substantial experience of proceedings before international courts and tribunals. These include proceedings before the International Court of Justice, European Court of Human Rights and investor State arbitration. His practice includes all areas of public international law and public law, including human rights law. He also accepts instructions on employment law matters as well as service complaints and courts-martial.Called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2009, Arman has worked for over 14 years as a university professor of public international law. A generalist of broad interests and expertise, he has written on a wide range of topics of public international law, such as the law of international responsibility, the law of international organisations, international investment law, human rights law, the law of jurisdiction and the law of territory. He has written two monographs entitled 'Professional Ethics at the International Bar' (Oxford University Press, International Courts and Tribunals Series, 19 September 2013) and 'The Law of State Succession: Principles and Practice' (Oxford University Press, May 2025).Public International Law Arman regularly advises and acts for governments, companies and NGOs on all areas of public international law. From 2024 to 2025, he acted as sole counsel to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire in the historic Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change advisory proceedings of the International Court of Justice. He has represented multiple entities as non-disputing party in investor-State arbitration under both ICSID and UNCITRAL/PCA rules and as acted as co-counsel in international commercial arbitration. He has advised governments from four of the five UN Regional Groups on a wide range of public international law matters, such as the enforceability of provisional measures, the law of occupation and the law of State succession. From 2019 to 2026, he acted as external legal adviser to the Republic of Armenia for multilateral negotiations in multiple fora. He participated in the negotiation of the 2022 Arbitration Rules of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, the 2023 Code of Conduct for Arbitrators and 2024 Statute of the Advisory Centre on International investment Dispute Resolution. As delegate at the Sixth Committee (Legal) of the UN General Assembly, he participated in negotiations for a UN Convention on Crimes against Humanity and commented on the annual reports of the International Law Commission and International Court of Justice. He also advised on matters arising in the UN Security Council and Emergency Special Sessions of the UN General Assembly.Public Law Arman also advises on public law. His practice focuses on public international law issues in the courts of England and Wales, such as human rights law and the law of climate change. He has advised on the status and convertability of carbon credits, such as voluntary carbon markets, Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, the CORSIA and REDD+ (ART) schemes, as well as emission allowances under the EU Emission Trading System and other compliance or ‘cap and trade’ markets.

James Schofield

Qualified to Accept Public Access Instructions James is a dual qualified English and Australian barrister. Called to the Bar of England and Wales by Gray’s Inn in July 2004, he obtained his full Qualification Certificate on 30 September 2008. He was admitted as an Australian Lawyer in May 2021 while still practising in London. On 24 July 2024, he was Called to the Victorian Bar in Melbourne. As an English barrister, he is authorised to exercise rights of audience before every court in relation to all proceedings in England and Wales. His Australian barrister’s practising certificate allows him to appear before courts in every Australian State and Territory. James’ long relationship with Australia began on his first visit there in December 1985. But his first practical encounter with human rights and international law began a few days earlier, on an extended stopover in Jakarta where a plan to interview Indonesian dissidents on behalf of a London-based NGO almost ended in arrest and deportation – or worse. This had been intended to be a quiet visit to Indonesia. A quick ‘in and out’. It ended in a narrow escape. Followed by a quick dash to the airport. It was not the last time that his curiosity about the world and a commitment to help humanity by using the law in its broadest sense, in Southeast Asia, in East, Central and Southern Africa, in the Middle East and in Albania, among other places around the world, has got James into trouble.