HRLA President, Patrons & Executive Committee
Honorary President
The Rt Hon Lord Justice Singh
Patrons
Sir Edward Caldwell KCB KC Hon
Professor Christine Chinkin
Edward Fitzgerald KC
Professor Conor Gearty KC Hon
Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws KC
Francesca Klug OBE
Jennifer McDermott
Nuala Mole
Lord Pannick KC
Sir Stephen Sedley
The Executive Committee
HRLA Chair
Joe Middleton KC (Doughty Street Chambers)
Joe is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, where he heads the Immigration Team. Apart from immigration, his practice spans diverse areas of public and constitutional law in the UK and the Commonwealth, including death penalty litigation and constitutional challenges to the mandatory death penalty in the Caribbean and Africa.
HRLA Vice Chair
Shoaib Khan (SMK Law Solicitors)
Shoaib is a barrister and solicitor advocate. He manages his own law firm specialising in human rights, public and immigration law, and has worked on cases at all levels up to the European Court of Human Rights. He has previously sat on the boards of various NGOs, including Liberty’s Policy Council.
HRLA Vice Chair
Lui Asquith (Russell Cooke)
Lui (they/them) is the Co-Vice Chair of the HRLA and an associate at Russell-Cooke LLP in their public law team. They have a diverse public law practice and a focus on judicial review work. They regularly get instructed on cases that engage human rights, equality and discrimination issues. They have particular expertise in cases that involve the rights of transgender individuals.
HRLA Treasurer
Camila Zapata Besso (Doughty Street Chambers)
Camila Zapata Besso is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, specialising in public law, immigration and asylum, international human rights law and civil actions against public authorities.
HRLA Secretary
Marianne Schönle (ICCA)
Marianne is currently studying the Bar Course at the Inns of Court College of Advocacy and holds an offer of pupillage to commence in 2025 at Cloisters Chambers. She holds an LLM in human rights law and was previously the Senior Legal Officer at the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association. Marianne joined the HRLA’s Young Lawyers Committee in 2020 and has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2021.
HRLA Bursary Officer
Conor Monighan (5 Essex Chambers)
Conor is a barrister at 5 Essex Chambers who specialises in public law and human rights. He has been instructed in the Grenfell Tower, Infected Blood, Jermaine Baker (Police Shooting) and Post Office/ Horizon IT Inquiries, together with various inquests, judicial reviews and civil matters – including where there is a terrorism aspect. Conor has been an HRLA member for over seven years and currently serves as our Bursary Officer.
Avril Rushe (No 5 Chambers)
Avril has been a member of the HRLA Young Lawyers Committee and Executive Committee for the past four years. Avril is a public law barrister at No5 Chambers, who completed her undergraduate education at Trinity College Dublin and later studied at post-graduate level in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Avril has gained experience working in human rights-centred organisations in the Netherlands, Bolivia, and Germany.
Caroline Cassin (René Cassin)
Caroline Cassin is a Jurist in France and the UK with expertise in Art Law restitution. She builds a law career based on Jewish identity advocating, mentoring and advising charities on Human Rights. Belonging to the René Cassin family, she decided 15 years ago to dedicate her time to Human Rights campaigns and joined Rene Cassin’s advisory council. She was involved in anti-slavery campaigns, organised Human Rights Shabbat, marked the 60th and 70th anniversaries of the UDHR with Le Department des Droits de l’Homme in Paris and was selected in the René Cassin AJA Fellowship Programme 2019. She dedicates her time to celebrating Rene Cassin’s human rights legacy through special events, delivering talks and a family website.
Jack Dingley (Manuel Bravo Project)
Jack Dingley is a level 3 OISC accredited senior immigration caseworker, and Head of Casework at Manuel Bravo Project, a Leeds-based charity that provides free legal representation to asylum seekers who are not eligible for legal aid. Jack previously worked under legal aid and continues to routinely represent asylum seekers in the First and Upper Immigration Tribunals.
Jenn Lawrence (Monckton Chambers)
Jenn Lawrence is a barrister at Monckton Chambers. She has a busy practice spanning several areas including competition and regulatory, public and human rights, data protection and privacy and international law. She is appointed to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s panel of preferred counsel. Before coming to the Bar, she graduated from Yale University and the University of Oxford, where she specialised in Ancient Greek and Roman History. She wrote her MPhil thesis on inter-state surrender during the Roman Republic, which bears similarity to extradition in current international law.
Dr Louise Loder (University of Exeter)
As Lecturer in Law and Director of Skills and Prizes at the University of Exeter, Louise convenes the Legal Foundations core module and leads the Law School’s alumni engagement, prizes and legal skills programmes. She is a member of the Bar Human Rights Committee’s Project Team and an Executive Committee member of the Association of Law Teachers. Louise is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Mark Emerton
Mark Emerton retired as an Employment Judge (and Board Member of the Judicial College) in January 2024. He previously sat as an Immigration Judge and (whilst serving in the Royal Navy) as a judge advocate at Courts-Martial. Before becoming a salaried judge he was a Commissioner at the Criminal Cases Review Commission. He now enjoys a portfolio of trustee and governance roles and has a research interest in law and religion. He is a Bencher of Gray’s Inn.
Markus Findlay (Doughty Street Chambers)
Markus is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in London. He practises in extradition, sanctions, criminal, and regulatory law. He was Chair of the HRLA’s Young Lawyers Committee in 2018 and Bursary Officer between 2019 and 2022.
Nikki Taylor (APPG Extraordinary Rendition)
Nikki is a consultant to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Extraordinary Rendition, where she examines the UK’s facilitation of arbitrary detention and torture. She holds an LLB in Law and Spanish and an MSc in Global Security. Nikki previously worked as a paralegal at the Infected Blood Inquiry and is committed to advocating for justice and equality at all levels. She has carried out pro bono work for various human rights organisations, focussing on gender justice, peacebuilding and climate justice. Nikki was previously a member of the Young Lawyers Committee from 2022 to January 2024.
Oliver Jackson (11KBW)
Oliver is a barrister at 11KBW specialising in public law and human rights, employment, data protection and competition law. He has acted for clients in courts at every level, including the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. In 2020-21 he was the judicial assistant to Lord Burrows at the Supreme Court.
Philip Rule KC (No 5 Chambers)
King’s Counsel and practising barrister since 2001, and was elected Head of Public Law Group at No5 Chambers. He undertakes work in the UK courts and the Caribbean region, as well as undertaking European Court of Human Rights cases. With particular expertise in civil liberties and human rights law his work is primarily in judicial review and appellate proceedings, as well as inquests and inquiries, but with some trial work also in regulatory, criminal and civil matters. Member of the HRLA Executive Committee since 2018.
Vicki Prais
Vicki Prais is an international human rights lawyer, academic, independent human rights consultant and career coach with particular expertise in prisoners’ rights, prison reform, dignity behind bars and torture prevention. She has 27 years of experience in the human rights sector and a professional background in International Organizations, non-governmental organisations and academia. Vicki is a Visiting Professor of Human Rights at the Human Rights Centre, Birmingham City University.
Junior Lawyers’ Committee (JLC)
JLC Chair
Ravina Bahra
Ravina is a Pro Bono Paralegal at a City law firm and undertakes work in a range of areas including welfare benefits, immigration, social housing, employment and discrimination law. She holds an MSc in Human Rights and is dedicated to access to justice at all levels. She joined the JLC in March 2024.
JLC Vice Chair
Ananya Basu
Ananya is currently studying for a Graduate Diploma in Law after a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. She is particularly interested in human rights related to access to medical care and education, having experience in these fields.
JLC Secretary
Dr Gemma Horton
Dr Gemma Horton is an Impact Fellow in the Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM) based in the Department of Journalism Studies at the University of Sheffield. She holds a PhD and MA from the Department of Journalism Studies, University of Sheffield, and an LLB from the University of York. She is the editorial assistant for the European Journal of Communication and administrator of the Young Lawyers Committee. She researches issues concerning media freedom and regulation of the press and has been published in the Journal of Media Law and Communications Law.
Alex Kane
Alex has worked across the charity sector for several years in criminal appeals and social welfare and currently leads Hackney Community Law Centre’s social security work. He previously clerked the APPG on Miscarriages of Justice’s inquiry into the Criminal Cases Review Commission while at APPEAL, and is an aspiring barrister.
Bianca Pătulea
Bianca is a Senior Consultant in Human Rights and Ethical Trade, having previously worked in law firms, civil society, and international organisations. She is dedicated to advocating for justice and equality, actively participating in various pro bono initiatives and volunteering with grassroots movements to advance human rights globally. She completed an LLM in Human Rights Law (2018) and was Called to the Bar by Inner Temple (2022).
Claudia Hyde
Claudia is a pupil barrister specialising in public, human rights, environmental and planning law. She holds an LLM in Public International Law and is a Trustee of a legal advice charity in South London. Before commencing pupillage, Claudia worked as a Judicial Assistant in the Court of Appeal and at a human rights charity. She joined the YLC in June 2022.
Jemima Lovatt
Jemima practices in criminal, regulatory and public law. She recently completed pupillage in chambers where she undertook seats in criminal, civil, environmental and public law. In addition, she co-chairs the Society of Labour Lawyers’ Constitution Group and is the founder of a social enterprise called Thrive Future.
Jessica Wallis
Jess is a future pupil at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square, who is starting an internship at the European Court of Human Rights this autumn. This is her second year on the YLC, and she looks forward to meeting more budding human rights lawyers at YLC events like Career’s Day and the Lord Kerr Essay Competition this year.
Princes Okorie
Princes has recently been called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn and has completed a Master’s in Law. Princes has previously worked as Lead Safeguarding Officer with asylum seekers and has a big passion for human rights law. Princes is part of human rights NGOs.
Shriya Gupta
Shriya is currently studying law at the University of Westminster and is deeply passionate about human rights focusing on housing and immigration. Shriya is currently the communication and social media lead for the Human Rights Lawyers Association’s Young Lawyers Committee.
