Drawing on his experience, including his work with the Global Echo Litigation Centre - a small non-profit law firm he founded and led to focus on strategic litigation against companies implicated in war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory, Roi reflects on a complaint linked to war crimes in the West Bank. He shares key lessons on gathering and assessing evidence, engaging ethically with law enforcement, and staying resilient in emotionally demanding work.

A thoroughly insightful and compelling conversation for anyone interested in working in this emerging field of law.

Roi Bachmutsky is a human rights attorney specializing in strategic litigation against corporate actors. He currently serves as a Legal Advisor and Researcher on Amnesty International’s Business and Human Rights team, where he manages the organization’s Corporate Crimes Project and recently authored the Corporate Crimes Handbook.

Before joining Amnesty, Roi co-founded and directed the Global Echo Litigation Center, a non-profit law firm that represents Palestinian communities in strategic litigation seeking to hold companies accountable for complicity in violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territory. He has also supported prosecutions of the most serious international crimes at the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and the Commission for International Justice and Accountability.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Roi worked for the Israeli human rights organisation Breaking the Silence.

For more on Roi Bachmutsky ’s work visit his website:

Roi Bachmutsky - International Lawyer

Listeners to the podcast will remember a recent episode featuring lawyer and author , Joshua Colangelo – Bryan discussing his career in international human rights law, his role with Human Rights First and his latest publication which of course features as our first Book Club 2026 read!

Please join us if you can: info@activistlawyer.com 

Email us

Thursday 19th March 2026

6-7pm GMT

Via Zoom

Keir Monteith KC is a highly sought-after leading silk who represents clients facing heavyweight criminal allegations.

He has defended in numerous murders, industrial-scale Class A drug importations, high profile National Crime Agency cases, £100M frauds, multi-million-pound confiscations, escape from custody cases and heavily armed Organised Crime Group conspiracies.

Keir is ranked for criminal law in Chambers UK and the Legal 500. He is also ranked in Tier 1 for Fraud in the Legal 500. Keir is an Honorary Professor of Law and Simon Fellow at the University of Manchester. He is currently briefed in two murder cases; has obtained leave to appeal in a murder; is instructed in a high profile triple murder CCRC application and is briefed in a multi-handed Class A drugs conspiracy allegedly involving a machine gun, other firearms and a turnover of almost 1 metric tonne – 35M worth of cocaine.

Keir sits as a Recorder (part-time Crown Court Judge) and is a training tutor for the Judicial College.

Keir acted for Ademola Adedeji in his historic and ground-breaking appeal, where his conviction for conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm was quashed in early 2025.

Links:

For more on Kier Monteith KC’s work:

https://gardencourtchambers.co.uk/barrister/keir-monteith-kc/

For super merchandise to support Art not Evidence: Art Not Evidence official store – Art Not Evidence shop

Art not Evidence Campaign

https://artnotevidence.org/

Marbré Stahly-Butts

Marbré Stahly-Butts is a distinguished lawyer, scholar, and leading voice in movement lawyering. She currently serves as an Associate Professor of Law at CUNY School of Law, where her teaching and research focus on abolition, racial justice, and law as a tool for transformative social change. Prior to academia, Marbré co-founded and served as Executive Director of Law for Black Lives, a national network of lawyers, legal workers, and advocates committed to advancing Black liberation through collective legal strategies. Her leadership in this movement lawyering community helped shape frameworks that centre abolitionist politics, Black feminist thought, and anti-capitalist critique in legal practice. Marbré’s professional journey includes work with grassroots organisations, policy development, and national campaigns to advance racial and economic justice, reflecting her commitment to building responsive legal infrastructure for social movements. She holds a J.D. from Yale Law School and has been a central figure in both scholarship and practice that bridges law, activism, and systemic change.

Ameca Reali

Ameca Reali is an accomplished civil rights attorney and nonprofit leader dedicated to housing justice, racial equity, and the empowerment of communities historically denied fair treatment under the law. She is the Executive Director of the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Centre, where she leads efforts to enforce fair housing laws and dismantle discrimination across the state of Louisiana. Before this role, Ameca was Membership Director at Law for Black Lives, where she built and strengthened a network of thousands of lawyers and legal workers committed to supporting Black liberation and movement lawyering. Her career spans over a decade of advocacy, including co-founding and directing community-based legal initiatives, and developing programs that address housing insecurity, economic justice, and systemic inequality. A graduate of Loyola University College of Law, Ameca brings both lived experience and deep professional expertise to her work advancing social justice and transformative legal practice.

About Lawyering for Liberation

Lawyering for Liberation: A Toolbox for Movement Lawyers is a timely and powerful manifesto offering concrete tools for legal professionals and activists engaged in struggle for justice. Edited by Marbré Stahly-Butts and Ameca Reali, the book draws on years of frontline movement work and collective insight from lawyers, organizers, and legal workers. Grounded in abolitionist politics, Black queer feminism, and anticapitalist analysis, this guide reframes lawyering not as an isolated profession but as a strategic part of broader social movements seeking liberation and systemic transformation. Topics include jail and bail support, protester defense, reparations, housing justice, and more — all oriented toward building long-term power and community-rooted change.

For more on Marbré and Ameca's work check out:

- https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Lawyering-for-Liberation-by-Ameca-Reali-editor-Marbre-Stahly-Butts-editor/9780520392359?srsltid=AfmBOop_GVO9v4PiRYNvAVAuoExGdCdAtksZYBJYr1rn7j4_nEUTOfBq

- https://www.instagram.com/amecareali?igsh=MThocHU1YWt3YWp4Ng==

-https://www.instagram.com/marbrecaryn?igsh=MWo4YTFzcWg2Z2Zieg==

Diarmuid is a Solicitor in the Public Law, Inquests, and Inquiries Department at Phoenix Law. He completed his LLB at Ulster University before graduating from the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queen’s University Belfast in 2025. Diarmuid specialises in inquests, inquiries and actions against public authorities and is instructed in some of the most high-profile and sensitive cases in the jurisdiction. He also acts in several high-value civil claims arising from the actions of both public bodies and private organisations.

Diarmuid has assisted in some of the most contentious and complex legal challenges brought against public authorities in recent years. His experience includes involvement in the landmark Supreme Court case Re McGuigan & McKenna (the “Hooded Men”) and the Court of Appeal decision in Re Barnard (the “Glenanne Series”), which resulted in an order for a fresh investigation into more than 120 murders, Operation Denton. He is also instructed in the significant civil actions flowing from these matters and has played a key role in securing substantial settlements for victims and survivors in claims against the PSNI, MOD, and other state bodies.

Diarmuid’s extensive inquest and inquiry experience includes appearing in the historic Stardust Fire Inquest in Dublin, one of the largest and most complex inquests ever held in Ireland. Representing families who had campaigned for justice for over four decades, Diarmuid was part of the legal team that ultimately secured unlawful killing verdicts for all 48 victims, a landmark outcome that overturned 40 years of injustice and fundamentally reshaped public understanding of the tragedy.

Diarmuid’s experience also includes the Ballymurphy Inquest, which examined the deaths of ten civilians killed during the introduction of internment in 1971. After nearly five decades, the Coroner found that all of those who died were entirely innocent of wrongdoing and that their killings were unjustified and unlawful.

In addition, Diarmuid has worked on the Hickson Public Inquiry into historic child sexual abuse committed by Bill Kenneally in Waterford from 1970-1990s. Phoenix Law acted for survivors in their pursuit of transparency and accountability from institutions such as An Garda Síochána, Tusla, and the political leadership of the period, all of which had received reports of abuse but failed to intervene, allowing it to continue.

Diarmuid is also currently instructed by over 380 victims of Michael Shine, one of the largest and most significant institutional-abuse cases ever brought in the State. He has helped progress the matter from its earliest stages to its current point, where a government-led scoping exercise is now underway to determine the most suitable model for a formal public inquiry. Throughout this process, he has represented survivors before senior public officials, including the Taoiseach, ensuring that their voices and experiences remain at the centre of the emerging investigative framework.

Alongside his public law work, Diarmuid continues to act in multiple high-value civil claims and has experience in complex commercial litigation in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

For more on Diarmuid’s work, check out: https://www.phoenix-law.org/

Discussing the ongoing challenges faced by human rights organisations, he speaks about Israeli-imposed restrictions on humanitarian and human rights groups operating in the region and emphasises the crucial role of civic society in holding governments accountable under international law.   

Learn more about working in the field of IHL and IHRL as this episode explores the intersection of international law, justice, and activism, offering insights on how we should continue to push for change and accountability. 

About Eitan Diamond  

Eitan Diamond is an international lawyer specialising in international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law. He serves as Manager and Senior Legal Expert at the IHL Centre overseeing its work in the Israeli-Palestinian context. He also serves on the managerial boards of the NGOs Public Committee against Torture in Israel and Parents against Child Detention, and on the editorial board of the Journal of International Humanitarian Legal Studies.  

Eitan has previously worked, inter alia, as an expert consultant for UNICEF, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and at the research centre Forensic Architecture; as Executive Director of the NGO Gisha; as a Legal Advisor for the Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Israel and the Occupied Territories; and as Researcher and Legal Advisor for the NGO B’Tselem.  

Alongside his work as a practitioner, Eitan engages in academic research and has a range of publications on IHL-related themes. His academic qualifications include a PhD from the Meitar Centre for Advanced Legal Studies at Tel Aviv University’s Faculty of Law; an LLM in Public International Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he was a Chevening Scholar; and an LLB from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is also a recipient of a Diploma in Human Rights awarded by the Academy of European Law at the European University Institute.   

To find out more about the work and organisations discussed in this episode, please see the following links: 

•  For general information about the IHL Centre’s work in Israel Palestine: https://www.diakonia.se/ihl/jerusalem/ 

• Links to our publications are available here: https://www.diakonia.se/ihl/news/?category=israel-palestine-publication  

• An Easy Guide on IHL for professionals working in the oPt: https://www.diakonia.se/ihl/news/easy-guide-to-international-humanitarian-law/ 

• A resource for our publications regarding the hostilities and violence in the oPt: https://www.diakonia.se/ihl/jerusalem/2023-2024-hostilities-escalating-violence-opt/ 

• A resource for our publications regarding legal proceedings before international court relating to Israel and the oPt: https://www.diakonia.se/ihl/jerusalem/proceedings-before-international-courts-relating-to-israel-and-the-opt/ 

• A resource for our publications regarding shrinking civic and humanitarian space in Israel-Palestine: https://www.diakonia.se/ihl/jerusalem/shrinking-space/ 

You can also follow Eitan Diamond’s work here:  LinkedIn and SSRN

Joshua Colangelo-Bryan is Special Counsel at Human Rights First, where he spearheads impact litigation and advocacy efforts to uphold democratic principles and support defenders of human rights. Beyond representing Guantanamo detainees, he has sued Turkey for assaulting protestors in Washington, D.C., the Trump administration for attempting to deport a college student based on protest activity, and a U.S. pastor who fomented legislation in Uganda criminalizing the LGBTQI community. Josh has conducted human-rights investigations in countries such as Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain. He also served with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo.

To find out more on Through the Gates of Hell, American Injustice at Guantanamo Bay visit: https://humanitasmedia.org/through-the-gates-of-hell/

For more on the work of  Human Rights First please see: https://humanrightsfirst.org/

Dr Keio Yoshida is a human rights barrister at Doughty Street Chambers and author of Pride and Prejudices: Queer lives and the law (Scribe, 2025), and co-author with Jen Robinson of Silenced Women (Octopus, 2024)/How Many More Women (Allen & Unwin, 2022). Keio is an international advisory board member of the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. In 2025, Keio was named by Attitude Magazine as one of the top 101 global LGBTQ+ trailblazers. Keio´s main domestic practice is in the areas of inquests, inquiries, and human rights law.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keioyoshida/

Courtney Teasley, Esq. Criminal Defense Attorney | Advocacy Strategist | Founder of emeffen™ Courtney Teasley is a nationally recognized criminal defense attorney, business coach, and visionary educator shifting the paradigm on how we fight systemic injustice. As the founder of emeffen™ and creator of the MFN Framework for Proactive Advocacy, Courtney leads a movement to empower disproportionately affected, marginalized minorities (D.A.M.M.) with the legal knowledge and strategy to prevent convictions—before the courtroom ever comes into view.

Her impact spans grassroots campaigns, justice-focused curriculum development, and legal education for both community members and lawyers. Through her Easy Way to Learn Your Rights book series, school-based criminal justice literacy programs, and D.A.M.M. Advocate and Legal Warrior trainings, Courtney equips everyday people, educators, and defense attorneys to proactively resist the criminal justice system’s most insidious traps.

Whether speaking to students, churches, or national audiences, she delivers bold, accessible frameworks that challenge the status quo and offer real, community-rooted alternatives. Her work has not only influenced elections but has also helped reunite families separated by state violence and launched legal innovations that are reshaping justice across the country.

Links to Courtney’s work:

https://emeffen.com

YouTube: @blacklawgirl

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_NMLkUJhmlU221ERBSAP7g

Book Series: The Easy Way to Learn Your Rights

https://emeffen.myshopify.com/products/book-bundle

Roman Shortall is a practising solicitor and co-founder of independent Irish news platform The Ditch. He won Newcomer of the Year at the Law Society of Ireland Justice Media Awards 2023 for his work exposing wrongdoing at Ireland's state planning body. For the past year, he has collaborated with investigative news outlets across the globe to uncover the flow of weapons to Israel. 

To follow Roman’s work please see links below:

https://www.ontheditch.com/

https://www.instagram.com/wereontheditch/?hl=en

As Senior Advisor, Brian supports Human Rights First’s work with human rights activists in hostile environments.

Prior to serving as Senior Advisor, Brian directed Human Rights First’s engagement with the U.S. government and other partners to end threats and obstacles to human rights defenders.

From 2020 to 2023, he served as Senior Advisor to the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders.

Prior to joining Human Rights First, Brian spent twenty years working for U.S., Irish, and international NGOs. He led Amnesty International’s work on partnering with national NGOs in the global South. Brian has also worked as Head of Media for Amnesty International in London and in Dublin and as Director of Communications for Public Citizen in Washington, D.C.

He is the author of several books about civil rights and U.S. politics. He had early experience on Capitol Hill, serving as a legislative researcher for Senator Edward Kennedy in the mid-1980s when he contributed to what ultimately became the 1986 Anti-Apartheid Act.

In 1981 and 1982, Brian lived and worked as an English teacher and community organizer in a black township in South Africa, which was prohibited under apartheid’s racial segregation laws.

Brian earned a PhD in the transnational history of rights from the University of East Anglia, an MPhil in Government and Politics from The Open University in London, and a B.A. with honours in Political Science from the University of East Anglia.

Miglena Ilieva - Founding Partner of ILEX Law Group, a law firm specialising in UK and Irish immigration law

Miglena Ilieva is a dual-qualified solicitor in Ireland and in England and Wales with over 15 years of experience in immigration law. Her practice covers nationality, asylum, human rights, personal and corporate immigration. She has worked in leading markets including London, New York and Dublin and advises on both UK and Irish immigration matters.

Originally from Bulgaria, Miglena moved to the UK as a teenager. Her personal experience informs her practical, client-focused approach. She has handled a wide range of cases, including high-profile and complex matters, and has undertaken extensive pro bono work throughout her career. Miglena is motivated by helping clients succeed against systemic barriers in an area of law that is politically sensitive, fast-moving and often adversarial.

Miglena has lived and worked across four continents. She is Co-Chair of the International Women’s Rights Committee at the New York Women’s Bar Association and previously co-chaired the Professional Support Lawyers Group at ILPA. Under her leadership, the PSL team she managed was shortlisted for a LexisNexis Award in 2019. Miglena also provides training on  Immigration Advice Authority (previously OISC) exams with Free Movement - a prominent UK immigration publication

She founded ILEX Law Group, a law firm specialising in UK and Irish immigration law in January 2025. 

Aine Rice graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with a degree in Law in 2020. In 2021, she joined KRW Law as a paralegal, before commencing a training contract with the firm in September 2022. She qualified as a solicitor in 2024 and joined the firm’s Legacy Litigation and Historical Institutional Abuse Team. In this role, Aine has been involved in civil actions against religious organisations and state bodies in relation to historical abuse. She also advised the creators of the television series Blue Lights on a storyline involving a trainee solicitor working on a legacy case.

For more on Aine’s work follow: https://krw-law.ie/

Next Activist Lawyer Book Club

4th September

6.30pm (GMT)

Register: info@activistlawyer.com

Lucy Barnes is a Pupil Barrister at East Anglian Chambers and Co-Founder and CEO of Lawyers Who Care, the UK's first organisation to facilitate mentoring, community and legal opportunities for care-experienced aspiring lawyers. Lucy is proudly care-experienced herself and an advocate for social mobility. In 2024, Lucy was recognised as one of the #100 faces of the Universities UK 100 Faces campaign, highlighting those who were the first in their family to go to university. She is also a TEDx speaker and a Major Scholar of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. Lucy appeared on BBC 4 Women's Hour in December 2023 and has also been featured in The Times and Counsel magazine. In March 2025, Lucy won Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Champion of the Year at the Women and Diversity in Law Awards.

Lucy passed the Scottish Law Society ‘Trauma-Informed Law’ accreditation course in 2023 and is passionate about making legal practices in England and Wales trauma-informed. As part of this aim, Lucy co-designed and facilitated the UK's first 'Care Aware' and 'Trauma-Informed training' course for Lawyers Who Care as part of mandatory training for its mentorship scheme. Lucy also wrote the first case for inclusion of care-experienced people in the legal sector in her June 2024 Bar Council article 'Raising the Bar: care-experienced people belong here.'

It’s a conversation that we think needs to be heard and we are interested in feedback and thoughts from our listeners on this pertinent topic!

Multi-award winning queer, person of colour, first generation Jaffna Tamil immigrant, living with disability, and self-identified Activist Lawyer Dr S Chelvan, Head of Immigration and Public Law at 33 Bedford Row Chambers, and Adjunct Professor at Southampton Law School,  is a globally recognised legal expert on refugee and human rights claims based on sexual or gender identity, and expression.

Having practised in the field of Queer Refugee law since 2001, he has spearheaded strategic litigation in cases in the UK, up to and including the Supreme Court, and the European Court of Human Rights. Chelvan is specifically renowned to adopt a symbiotic approach to spearhead litigation, academic research, and policy development in refugee and migration law.  The past six months have included the judgment of the Strasbourg Court in MI v Switzerland, an Honorary Doctorate by the Open University, and profiled as the Times Lawyer of the Week.

He adheres to, “being the mouthpiece for those who know the words, but have no voice” knowing as an activist lawyer, you will be driven by seeking justice for others, not yourself.

For more about Chelvan and for links to cases discussed in this episode, please see https://www.33bedfordrow.co.uk/people/chelvan-s#content/introduction

Rachel and Phoebe share how they’re mobilising young people in their community to take a stand, raise awareness, and demand action on gender apartheid. Emily provides vital updates on global developments, the growing movement to codify gender apartheid as a crime against humanity, and what campaigners and listeners need to know moving forward.

Tune in for an episode filled with purpose, passion, and the powerful voices pushing for change!

Show notes:

Check out and follow @end.genderapartheid on Instagram to find out more about the End Gender Apartheid Walk and campaign initiated by students in Midleton, County Cork. 

Please also take the time to read this important article by Basira Paigham referred to in the recording: Read here: 

https://maynoothinternationaldevelopment.home.blog/2025/04/16/voices-of-defiance-womens-struggle-for-freedom-in-the-face-of-oppression/ 

If you want to find out more about how you can get involved in the Irish Campaign to End Gender Apartheid contact Robbyn Swan by email: swanrobbyn@yahoo.co.uk. 

Tayab Ali, Director at International Centre of Justice for Palestinians.

Tayab is an internationally recognised and highly respected Solicitor Advocate. His practice encompasses criminal and civil/public law in both the UK and international jurisdictions. He is a partner and Head of International Law at leading and award-winning London law firm Bindmans LLP.

As a lawyer, Tayab’s work and case profiles have consistently been recognised by the principal Legal Directories which have ranked him as a leading lawyer in multiple practice areas.

Chambers & Partners described him as “an irresistible force – he’s fearless and he always gets the right results for his clients”. He is rated as a Super Lawyer by Thompson Reuters and recognised in the field of Civil Liberties by The Legal 500.

Find out more about Global 195 https://www.icjpalestine.com/2025/03/18/global-195-launched/

Find out more about the ICJP https://www.icjpalestine.com/ 

Nusrat Uddin specialises in public law and human rights, with a particular focus on modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking. She brings cases against central and local government bodies for failing their duties, as well as claims against those who have exploited their workers. In 2023 she was awarded Public Law Lawyer of the Year in the Legal Aid Lawyer of the year awards.

Nusrat also specialises in Business and Human Rights work. She has provided evidence for several US investigations into complaints against companies, from the fashion industry through to rubber gloves. US authorities have banned products from entering the US where indicators of forced labour in supply chains have been found. She believes the UK’s approach is far weaker and is critical of the Modern Slavery Act’s approach. Nusrat’s team have pioneered the first case against the UK authorities in relation to forced labour in their own supply chains, which settled with the government conceding and agreeing to improve their due diligence. The case was covered widely in the media and Nusrat was interviewed by Channel 4 News which can be seen here. She is currently building a second case in relation to the government’s due diligence of Uyghur made products in their supply chain.

Nusrat was instructed in the key Supreme Court case of Wong v Basfar 2022 dealing with diplomatic immunity in trafficking civil claims. The Supreme Court established for the first time worldwide, a current diplomat is not protected from claims of human trafficking. The judgment was groundbreaking with global political implications. Nusrat was presented with the 2022 Anti-Slavery Day Award for Outstanding Contribution to Reducing Vulnerabilities, in Parliament, for her work on this case.

Nusrat has a particular focus on improving state support for victims of trafficking and modern slavery. Last year she was instructed in the lead case, K and AM v SSHD [2018] EWHC 2951 (Admin), challenging the cuts by the Home Office to subsistence monies paid to support victims. The High Court found the cuts to be unlawful, resulting in victim support being reinstated to the full amount, and rebates being paid of around £1 million. She often advocates for safeguarding support and accommodation for victims who are facing homelessness and risks of further exploitation. Nusrat was profiled as Lawyer in the News in the Law Society Gazette for the successful case.

Nusrat was also awarded a Research Fellowship by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust to compare the UK’s models of support to those in the US and Europe, for victims of trafficking and modern slavery who are involved with criminal prosecutions against their traffickers. She presented her research findings at the end of last year and made recommendations to improve the UK’s systems. The research has been shared widely, including by Anti-Slavery International and endorsed by Luis deBaca who was the US ambassador for trafficking. She also gave oral evidence in Parliament to the Home Affairs Select Committee for their Inquiry into Modern Slavery in 2019. She outlined key issues for victims in relation to support services, immigration and the criminal justice system; particularly highlighting problems of victims being wrongfully criminalised by the police and immigration systems, instead of being correctly identified and protected. Nusrat is also currently instructed in a significant challenge to police policies in relation to this issue. In recognition of her work in this field, Nusrat was shortlisted in the 2019 Anti-Slavery Day Awards, for Outstanding Contribution to the fight against Slavery, in the Enabling and Supporting Survivor Rights and Entitlements category.

Nusrat was Highly Commended in the 2019 Law Society Excellence Awards for Human Rights Lawyer of the Year. Nusrat was also shortlisted as a finalist for Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year 2019, in the Children’s Rights category, organised by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group.

Nusrat has gained international experience having worked in the Human Rights and Legal Aid department of BRAC in Bangladesh, (formerly Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) one of the world’s largest NGOs. She also volunteered at Al-Haq, a Human Rights NGO based in Palestine, building potential cases against corporations operating in the West Bank. Nusrat is currently a Trustee of Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights.

Link to GLAN: https://www.glanlaw.org/

About Dr Gearóid Ó Cuinn:

 Gearóid is the founding director of the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) where he is responsible for GLAN's legal actions and strategic growth. He is an adjunct lecturer at the Irish Centre for Human Rights and formerly lectured at Lancaster University Law School and was a visiting fellow at the Transnational Law Institute at Kings College London. Gearóid was educated at the National University of Ireland, Galway (LLB), University of Nottingham (LLM) where he also completed his doctorate which was funded by the Wellcome Trust. His academic research focuses on public international law, human rights and public health governance. Gearóid has active links with the legal profession and is interested in new avenues in clinical legal education, especially within public international law and the use of technologies in pro bono legal work.

Thank you to all of our listeners, podcast and blog contributors.  We truly value your time and your energy!

Anne Marie Featherstone is an experienced family law practitioner who works in Rafferty and Co Solicitors in Newry, County Down.  Her experience includes working on the law society for Northern Ireland Children Order Panel, working on the Court Children Guardian panel and on The Hague Convention panel for the abduction of children.  Anne Marie has a Masters in Human Rights and Criminal Justice where she focused her dissertation focusing on children’s rights in the youth court.  Anne Marie has great familiarity with the courts in Northern Ireland and the needs and assistance required for those who find themselves seeking support and guidance in the family law arena to include the area of domestic violence.  Anne Marie has been involved in a number of reported cases including McG v McG (2002) NIFam10 and in one of the recent post office Horizon cases in the Court of Appeal (2023). 

Trigger Warning: This podcast episode discusses sensitive topics, including domestic violence. Listener discretion is advised.

If you or someone you know needs help and support in relation to domestic violence, please see the following links:

• 24 Hour Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline (NI) https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/contacts/24-hour-domestic-and-sexual-abuse-helpline
• Safe Ireland (ROI) https://www.safeireland.ie/get-help/where-to-find-help/
• Refuge (UK) https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/
• Police UK https://www.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/daa/domestic-abuse/support-organisations/

Sarah and Michael also discuss the recent UK government announcement of a public inquiry into the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane as well as Michael's role in representing NI sub-postmasters wrongfully convicted in the infamous Post Office Scandal, widely regarded as one of the UK’s most significant miscarriages of justice. 

Michael Madden graduated in Law from Queen’s University Belfast in 2002, was admitted as a Solicitor in 2006, and qualified as a Solicitor-Advocate in 2009.

He previously worked for a respected London criminal firm where he completed his training contract.

About

Michael Madden is a qualified solicitor-advocate specialising in criminal law. He represents clients throughout each stage of the criminal justice system, from clients under arrest in police stations, through to the Magistrates’ Court, Crown Court, High Court, and the Court of Appeal. He also regularly represents prisoners before the Parole Commissioners of Northern Ireland.

Michael also acts as a solicitor-advocate for clients detained under the Mental Health Order before the Mental Health Review Tribunal.

He has a special interest in Human Rights Law.

Michael has attended the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in New York as part of a human rights campaign team concerning the independence of lawyers, highlighting the murder of Pat Finucane in particular.

Notable cases:

NI Court of Appeal

• R v Alan McLaughlin

First Post Office / Horizon scandal case in Northern Ireland to have convictions overturned in 2022.

• R v James Alexander Smith

First referral in NI from the CCRC regarding joint enterprise for murder cases in 2022.

• DPP Ref (Number 5 of 2019) Harrington Legen Jack

Guideline sentencing case in NI for fraud and theft where the offender is in a position of trust. It also gave guidelines for the appropriate remedy where a court has found there has been a breach of the right to have a criminal hearing within a reasonable time.

• R v Gerard Connors [2011] NICC 35

Successful application to reduce the tariff length of a life sentence for murder.

• EM

Successful application to overturn an extradition order to Germany in 2015.

Other notable cases

• Inga Maria Hauser murder

Represented man arrested for murder but received a “no prosecution” decision from the PPS in 2020.

• PPS v GK

Represented man in the Magistrates’ Court accused of being a “paedophile hunter” who received a non-custodial sentence in 2019.

• R v BM

Represented man in Belfast Crown Court who received a non-custodial sentence in 2016 for offences concerning bomb hoaxes and threats made to various individuals and airports in the USA and other countries.

• PPS v TH

Represented man accused of possessing a large amount of semtex acquitted in 2014.

• R v FC

Represented man accused of “sex slave ring” at Belfast Crown acquitted in 2012.

The conversation also touches on the rise of 'persons unknown' injunctions, which pose a serious threat to democracy and the right to protest. Friends of the Earth has taken action on 'anti-protest' injunctions, even bringing cases before the European Court of Human Rights. Finally, Katie provides practical advice for those interested in pursuing a career as a climate justice lawyer. Not to be missed!

• Katie de Kauwe specialises in environmental judicial review, and also has expertise in cases concerning the right to protest. Katie was listed in the ENDS Power List 2023 and 2024 of the UK’s 100 most influential environmental professionals, and was ranked in the Lawyer Hot 100 for 2023.  Katie led Friends of the Earth’s successful Climate Change Act challenges to the Government’s economy-wide decarbonisation plans, first the Net Zero Strategy, and then the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan which replaced it. She has worked on several critical challenges to fossil fuel projects. These include Friends of the Earth’s intervention in the landmark Finch appeal regarding oil drilling in Surrey, where the Supreme Court ruled in June 2024 that end-use emissions from fossil fuel projects must be included in the environmental impact assessment. Katie also worked on the organisation’s successful challenge to the grant of planning permission for a coal mine in Whitehaven, which was strengthened by Finch and ultimately succeeded on all grounds in September 2024, including those aspects relating to substitution, international impacts and carbon offsetting. Katie leads on Friends of the Earth’s casework on civil liberties, including its live application to the European Court of Human Rights, challenging the use of ‘anti-protest’ persons unknown injunctions.  Katie holds a degree in Biology BSc (1st Class Honours) and converted to law through a Masters in Law. 
• [Katie has previously worked in criminal defence. She completed her training contract in private practice, and worked in civil litigation, before joining Friends of the Earth in 2018. She was previously involved in the Colombia Caravana, and has participated in two human rights delegations to Colombia. Katie is half-Sri Lankan, and strongly believes in the importance of addressing the deficit in representation of people of colour in both the legal profession and the environmental movement.

For cases mentioned on today’s episode as well as the legal work undertaken by Friends of the Earth (UK), read more here.

The conversation touches on pivotal moments such as Brexit, which has reshaped the immigration framework, leading to increased complexities and challenges for migrants.

Dr. Sue Conlan has specialised exclusively in the field of international migration, asylum and human rights since July 1987 in both the voluntary sector and legal aid firms. Her experience includes legal casework, research, training, political advocacy, consultancy, media and public speaking on migration and asylum issues and wider human rights issues. Sue's research includes the link between immigration control and public funds in the UK, people smuggling and migration, and asylum policy and practice in the UK and Ireland. In July 2020, Sue set up has TACTIC Immigration and Asylum CIC to provide training to organisations supporting people seeking asylum or in the UK illegally. 

Oscar is recognised as the first publicly acknowledged non-binary barrister in the UK and has been a trailblazer in representing trans and non-binary clients across various civil and public law sectors. Oscar’s work as a barrister is a gateway to their activism in trans issues and climate related strategic litigation.

Their impressive accolades include winning 'LGBTQ+: Champion of the Year’ at the Legal 500 ESG Awards 2024 and being nominated for 'DE&I: Rising Star of the Year' at the same awards. Oscar was also nominated as one of the ‘Top 10 Outstanding Contributions to LGBT+ Life’ by the British LGBT Awards 2022 and was a finalist in this year’s Advocate's awards category Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year'.

Oscar is ranked as a Tier 1 ‘Rising Star’ in the Legal 500 and was recently featured by Evening Standard Magazine as one of the Unsung Heroes of the LGBTQ+ community.

Beyond their courtroom successes, Oscar is currently writing a book on non-binary recognition, exploring how the law can better reflect and dismantle stigmas around gender/sex binary.

'United Against Gender Apartheid,' is discussed in detail by renowned journalist, author and campaigner, Robbyn Swan, Afghan lawyer and campaigner Mahbooba Faiz and Mahya Ostovar, a professor and long-time activist for women’s rights in Iran.  

The podcast highlights the worsening situation in Afghanistan and Iran, where women are subjected to systemic repression under legal frameworks designed to erase them from public life. The Taliban’s policies in Afghanistan and Iran’s Morality Police are cited as examples of these oppressive structures. 

This conversation is not just a legal debate—it’s a vital exploration of women's rights and the global movement to protect them. Be sure to download the episode and join the discussion! 

#unitedagainstgenderapartheid  

Mahbooba Faiz is a dedicated feminist and women’s rights activist with over six years of experience in advocating for gender equality. Her commitment to these causes intensified after escaping Afghanistan in 2021, following the Taliban's takeover and their subsequent restrictions on women's freedoms.  

Mahbooba is a two-time refugee, having first escaped Afghanistan in late 1996 when the Taliban took control of Kabul. During this time, she witnessed the harsh treatment of people, particularly women, including her mother. She is also a war victim, having lost her father during the Russian occupation of Afghanistan.  

In Ireland, Mahbooba has been an outspoken advocate, frequently appearing in the media to raise awareness about the plight of women under oppressive regimes, particularly in Afghanistan. She has worked to inform Irish society and the broader international community about the severe impact of Islamic fundamentalism on women's lives.  

Mahbooba holds a bachelor’s degree in law and has earned two master’s degrees in Law and International Studies, one from Afghanistan and one from the Republic of Ireland.  

She is married and has one child, balancing her family life with her passionate commitment to promoting women’s rights and gender equality. 

Mahya Ostovar is a women's rights activist and an assistant professor in Business Information Systems at University of Galway, Ireland. During her PhD studies in France, her research focused on campaigns against mandatory hijab in Iran—such as “My Stealthy Freedom” and “White Wednesdays.”  

Mahya was also active in the “#LetUsTalk” campaign, which demands the Western feminists and progressives to not silence the criticism of Islam, especially by Middle Eastern women, and the “#No2Hijab campaign,” which calls on Iranian women not to wear the headscarf in Iranian public.  

Her primary focus in all these activities has been the equality of women and their rights over their bodies.

Robbyn Swan is a well-known American journalist and author. Her book, The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama Bin Laden, co-authored with her husband Anthony Summers, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History.

Robbyn has been a strong advocate for ending gender apartheid. Working alongside Mahbooba and Mahya, she has lobbied Irish representatives and organizations to keep the issue of women's rights under oppressive regimes on the political agenda.  

Her involvement with Mahbooba and Mahya highlights her dedication to global women’s rights and the push for international recognition and action against gender-based oppression. 

Contact details:  

Robbyn Swan:  swanrobbyn@yahoo.co.uk for more on #UnitedAgainstGenderApartheid. 

For more information on global campaigns to End Gender Apartheid, see the links below:  

End Gender Apartheid Today: https://endgenderapartheid.today/  

Instagram  

@endgenderapartheid.today  

@unitedagainstgenderapartheid  

Sarah and Jack will also revisit some standout episodes featuring recent guests who offer valuable advice for those contemplating a career in human rights. Whether you’re exploring your options or looking for inspiration, this discussion promises to be both informative and inspiring.

Don’t miss out—tune in for a thought-provoking conversation that could help shape your future!

Daniel has represented clients in high-profile cases, including the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Azelle Rodney Inquiry, and prisoners at Wormwood Scrubs Prison. Recently, he has also represented the family of Kelso Cochrane in uncovering the truth behind what has been called 'Britain’s first racist murder,' all of which is discussed in this episode.

Daniel shares his fascinating journey into the legal profession, inspired by his family’s experience at the hands of Israeli authorities as anti-Zionist Israelis speaking out against the occupation of Palestine.

He later co-founded Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights and shares his thoughts on recent rulings by the ICJ regarding Israel, as well as his efforts to issue arrest warrants under universal jurisdiction, including a warrant for the arrest of a former senior Israeli army officer for alleged war crimes.

About Daniel

Daniel Machover is partner and Head of Civil Litigation with Hickman & Rose law firm based in London. Daniel’s pioneering human rights work has seen him bring cases to the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.

His long experience representing clients in civil claims arising from the criminal justice system enables him to offer specialist representation to both claimants and defendant in civil fraud cases and other civil disputes with a connection to criminal law.

Daniel is a trustee of the charity INQUEST which provides a specialist, comprehensive advice service to bereaved people on contentious deaths and their investigation, having previously served as Chair between 2010 and 2021. He is also a trustee of Legal Action Worldwide, which helps gain access to justice for those who need it most in fragile and conflict-affected states.

Franck discusses UK asylum cases involving Palestinian applicants, his time working with Al-Haq human rights organisation as well as a swell in employment cases involving dismissals around a person’s activity in relation to what is happening in Palestine.  This is an interesting discussion on what could be described as a freedom of speech crisis.

Don’t miss an excellent and encouraging discussion about any potential conflict or tension that comes with entering the legal profession while holding strong political beliefs and being part of an active movement.  A candid and insightful episode not to be missed!

About Franck Magennis 

Franck Magennis was born in Dublin and raised in the six counties, Franck Magennis is a barrister called to the bar of England & Wales in 2016. He practises in public, civil and criminal defence. His work centres on challenging rights breaches by the British and other states, employers and landlords. He has expertise in legal claims relating to various aspects of the Palestinian struggle against "Israeli" colonialism, apartheid and genocide."

Miranda Cleland is an advocacy officer at Defense for Children International - Palestine and lives in Washington, D.C., where she leads the No Way to Treat a Child campaign and advocates for the human rights of Palestinian children. Miranda is a writer, speaker, facilitator, and campaigner with expertise in children's rights, the Israeli military detention system, and Israeli military killings of Palestinian children. She holds a bachelor's with honors from American University in International Studies and Arabic language and has taken additional coursework in international law and the protection of children in armed conflict.

Until March 2022 Her Honour Wendy Joseph QC was a judge at the Old Bailey, sitting on criminal cases, trying mainly allegations of murder and other homicide. She read English and Law at Cambridge, was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1975, became a QC in 1998 and sat as a full-time judge from 2007 to 2022. When she moved to the Old Bailey in 2012 she was the only woman amongst sixteen judges, and only the third woman ever to hold a permanent position there. She was also a Diversity and Community Relations Judge, working to promote understanding between the judiciary and many different sectors of our community, particularly those from less privileged and minority groups. She mentors young people, from a variety of backgrounds, who hope for a career in law and has a special interest in helping women.

Marc shares a number of climate justice success stories including the ground-breaking decision in KlimaSeniorinnen v Switzerland (ECtHR) as well as Finch (on behalf of the Weald Action Group) against Surrey County Council!

Marc is recommended in the Chambers UK Bar Guide and the Legal 500 in planning law, environmental law, civil liberties and human rights. He is also a member of the Irish Bar, and he is registered with the Bar Council for public access work and assists private clients in all the areas of his expertise.Marc won the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Award in 2011 and he was Joint Head of Garden Court Chambers between 2016 - 2020. He is also the co-editor of Gypsy and Traveller Law (3rd edition, 2020 LAG).

**TW  - This episode touches on issues of suicide and mental health.  For support please follow the links below:  

Northern Ireland: https://zerosuicidealliance.com/urgent-help/helplines-and-support-northern-ireland

Ireland: https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/mental-health-services/nosp/help/

UK: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helping-someone-else/supporting-someone-who-feels-suicidal/useful-contacts/

Subscribe to our newsletter here: https://ow.ly/IaFJ50SaZ94

Úna Boyd is an immigration law specialist. She studied law at Queens University Belfast and has a Master’s in Human Rights Law from the Irish Centre for Human Rights. Úna is an experienced immigration solicitor and former chair of the Law Society of Northern Ireland’s Immigration Practitioners’ Group.

Harriet is the founder and director of the Centre for Women’s Justice and a solicitor of 25 years experienced who worked for many years with renowned civil liberties firm, Birnberg Peirce Ltd. She is the winner of the Liberty Human Rights Lawyer of the Year award 2014, Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year 2018 for public law and Law Society Gazette personality of the year 2019.  She has acted in many high-profile cases around violence against women including on behalf of women who challenged the police and parole board in the John Worboys case, women deceived in relationships by undercover police officers and on behalf of women appealing murder convictions for killing abusive partners, most recently Sally Challen. She is also founder member of the campaign group, Justice for Women and trustee of the charity, the Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize. 

Among her notable cases are:

• acting for eight women who brought claims against the metropolitan police arising from being deceived in relationships with undercover police officers – recently resulting in an unprecedented apology and substantial compensation payments Dil & Ors v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2014] EWHC 2184 (QB) (02 July 2014)
• Acting for a vulnerable constituent of former Lib Dem member of parliament, Mike Hancock, who held him to account over sexually inappropriate conduct.
• acting for two rape victims of the notorious taxi driver John Woboys, and establishing the precedent at Court of Appeal level whereby the police failure to investigate was held to be a violation of Article 3 ECHR Commissioner of the Police for the Metropolis v DSD and NBV and Alio Koraou v Chief Constable of Manchester [2015] EWCA Civ 646.
• acting for two women detained at Yarl’s Wood who alleged they were sexually abused by detention centre employees
• acting for a victim of sex trafficking who was unlawfully removed to her home country Moldova where she was re-trafficked
• acting in inquest proceedings for the father of Eleanor de Freitas who killed herself on the eve of a trial where she was accused of perverting the course of justice by allegedly making a false allegation of rape
• acting for the family of Jean Charles de Menezes who was shot dead by Metropolitan police in July 2005
• acting for a number of men in claims arising from Britain’s complicity in their rendition and torture at Guantanamo Bay.
• acting for a number of women in successful appeals against their murder convictions including, Stacey Hyde, Christine Devaney, Diane Butler, Kirsty Scamp and Emma Humphreys

Ciaran Moynagh is an experienced Solicitor Advocate with a diverse caseload that points to his passion for human rights & equality, family & matrimonial law and specialist criminal defence. 

Ciaran is a multi-award-winning solicitor with a reputation for both challenging public bodies and the decisions they make, and also representing the interests of his clients in family courts and criminal trials.

Ciaran acted in the same sex marriage legal challenge known as Petition X and also advised on the legislation ultimately used to introduce same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. As part of the Love Equality Consortium he was instrumental in the campaign for equal marriage including talks with NI’s political leaders. 

He represented the couple, Laura Lacole and Eunan O’Kane in the legal challenge which secured the right for couples in Northern Ireland to register humanist marriages. Other successful judicial reviews resulted in greater protection of the privacy of transgender people in the UK and access to fertility treatment for same sex couples.

Ciaran also acts for a number of charities mainly around potential interventions into legal challenges. He was instructed by the AIRE Centre in an immigration case before the European Court of Justice as well as for the Royal College of Midwives in JR 76 which challenged the prosecution of a mother for purchasing abortion pills online.

More recently he has advised and assisted with an application by Mr Lee to the European Court of Human Rights in the internationally debated matter of Lee -v- Asher’s Bakery, the so-called “gay cake” case.

Ciaran also has a passion for family and matrimonial law and regularly appears before Family Courts at all tiers. He is the Northern Ireland representative of the UK & Ireland LGBT Family Law Institute as well as a member of the Northern Ireland Children Order Panel.  In 2021 he was made a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers as well as being added to the solicitor panel for the Northern Ireland Guardian Ad Litem Agency. In his family work, Ciaran deals with private law contact / residence disputes that include complex issues such as emotional abuse commonly called parent alienation. He also regularly deals with public law family matters that have social services involved due to allegations of abuse, neglect or non-accidental injury.

Ciaran has specialist knowledge and expertise on same sex family’s creation and representation. Ciaran is one of the few lawyers in NI giving expert advice on both domestic and international surrogacy arrangements.

In a criminal context, Ciaran has been a long-standing member of the Belfast duty solicitor scheme. He has particular expertise in cases involving online legal issues, for example, social media harassment, revenge porn and so-called ‘paedophile hunters’ stings. Ciaran retains a criminal defence caseload exclusively dealing with complex fraud, terrorism and sexual offences providing robust representation right from police station right through to the Crown Court.

Enda joined PA Duffy & Company as a paralegal in 2018 having graduated from Queens University Belfast with honours. After completing his apprenticeship with PA Duffy and Company Enda qualified as a solicitor and is now leading the Human Rights and Public law department within the firm.

Enda’s caseload consists of Public Inquiries, Inquests, Judicial review and complex litigation against State agencies including wrongful death claims and environmental actions. He is currently instructed by Northern Ireland Bereaved Families for Justice (NICBFFJ) in the ongoing UK Covid-19 Inquiry which is considered to be the largest public inquiry in UK history. In addition, Enda is instructed by bereaved families in the Republic of Ireland to seek a public inquiry to investigate the State's handling of Covid-19 as well as acting in multiple ongoing wrongful death actions in respect of deaths related to major outbreaks of Covid-19 in nursing homes.

Enda has a passion for helping the most vulnerable people in society to seek justice. His work with bereaved families, the elderly and disabled reflects his commitment to pursuing answers and accountability for those who are unable to advocate for themselves. He also has a keen interest in environmental issues and is instructed by various individuals and groups seeking to address damage caused to the environment by pollution, including cases in relation to the ongoing blue green algae crisis in Lough Neagh.

During his training Enda took part in a 5-week human rights internship in Cape Town, South Africa where he provided legal assistance to refugees and members of the LGBTQI community who were being subjected to discrimination. He continues to carry these values in his current workload and regularly accepts instructions on pro bono cases which have a public interest dimension.

Enda is a keen Gaelic footballer, he has represented County Tyrone at Minor level and continues to play for his club Galbally Pearses GAC. Enda has received an Ulster Colleges All-star award, A Gaelic Life All-star award and was a member of the Elite Athlete Programme at Queens University Belfast. He is also an active member of a charity called St Ciaran’s Peregrini who provide aid to a small town in Zambia and he has visited Zambia on four occasions to assist on various community and education projects. 

We discuss some of Leslie’s impressive portfolio of work as a barrister taking on the state on behalf of his clients through inquests and public inquiries representing many bereaved families as a result of police brutality and deaths in custody.

Leslie has expertise across a wide range of civil wrongs, civil litigation and human rights and has worked on the Hillsborough Inquiry, Covid-19 Inquiry as well as representing residents and bereaved family members of the Grenfell Tower fire.  Do Right and Fear No One – A life Dedicated to Fighting for Justice is the title of Leslie’s thoughtful and fascinating book detailing his career and the challenges he faced as a black lawyer starting off his career in 1980’s London.  We have recommended this book as part of our Activist Lawyer Book Club.

Leslie is a leading expert in claims against the police and other public authorities, and claims against corporate bodies, with expertise across the full spectrums of civil wrongs, civil litigation, human rights, data and privacy claims.

He is an expert in all aspects of inquests and public inquiries, having represented many bereaved families, in particular where there has been abuse of state or corporate power.

Leslie acts for claimants in judicial review proceedings and other public law proceedings. He regularly acts for clients in the Caribbean region on constitutional law challenges. He has represented claimants in clinical negligence and personal injury claims for the last 20 years. Leslie is ranked in Band 1 in Chambers & Partners and Tier 1 in Legal 500 for Inquests & Public Inquiries and Police Law (Claimant). He is also ranked by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 in Civil Liberties & Human Rights.

Leslie is currently Professor of Law at Gresham College delivering his lecture series

Hard Choices: The Law's Struggle with Ethical Dilemmas

Khaled Quzmar joined DCI- P in 1995 as a lawyer representing Palestinian children in Israeli military courts. He rose through the ranks to become administrative and legal affairs director.  Khaled specializes in issues of juvenile justice and grave violations against children during armed conflict. He earned a Master of Laws degree in international human rights law from the Irish Center for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland Galway.

Liam Herrick is the Executive Director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. Liam was appointed in November 2016. Prior to his appointment, he was the Advisor to President Michael D. Higgins. Liam was Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) between 2007 and 2014. He has also worked as the first Head of Legislation and Policy at the former Irish Human Rights Commission, with the Law Reform Commission and at the Department of Foreign Affairs. He is a former member of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) and the Minister for Justice and Equality’s Strategic Review Group on Penal Policy. Liam is a sought-after commentator and appears regularly before parliamentary committees and in the media.  

Liam says “I have worked in human rights for most of the last 20 years. I believe that fighting for human rights protections in law and in policy can make a real difference to peoples’ lives and to the type of society we live in. “

Professor Aoife O’Donoghue of Queen’s University Law School, works extensively on projects relating to utopia, feminism and international law and tyranny, in particular taking a law and humanities perspective that incorporates history, literature and theory.  Aoife was co-director of the Northern Ireland Feminist Judgements Project and is co-direct of the Feminist Constitutional Futures Project. 

Dr Maebh Harding works at University College Dublin, Sutherland School of Law.  Dr Harding is Assistant professor in Family and Child Law at UCD and her research combines a critical feminist perspective with empirical, historical and doctrinal rigour to challenge legal regulation of family life.  She takes a particular interest, not only in law and gender but in how family justice systems actually work.  Her work has been widely citied and has significantly impacted policy and practice.

The panel discuss events subsequent to the ICJ ruling on provisional measures in the case of South Africa v. Israel in relation to the Genocide Convention, 1948.  We discuss the action of state parties to the Convention in light of the ruling, the validity of international legal institutions as well as touching on other important legal actions taken on both an international and domestic level in an effort to hold Israel and its allies accountable for their actions and contraventions of international law. 

Professor Shane Darcy is the Deputy Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights in the School of Law at the University of Galway, where he teaches business and human rights, international humanitarian law and international criminal law. He is the author of Judges, Law and War; The Judicial Development of International Humanitarian Law (Cambridge University Press, 2014) and To Serve the Enemy: Informers, Collaborators and the Laws of Armed Conflict (Oxford University Press, 2019). He is a member of the Editorial Boards of the Business and Human Rights Journal, the Irish Yearbook of International Law and Criminal Law Forum.

Nadeen Yousef, a Palestinian human rights advocate, and a full-time LLM student specializing in International Human Rights Law at the University of Galway. She has previously worked as an Advocacy Coordinator at several Palestinian civil society organizations including the Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling, and the Palestinian Vision. Along her studies, Nadeen is currently working as a Research Assistant for the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the OPT, Francesca Albanese. 

Ramez Hayek is a legal researcher from Palestine. He holds a dual-BA degree in International Law & Human Rights from Bard College in New York and Al-Quds University in Jerusalem, as well as an MA degree in Human Rights from Central European University in Vienna. He is currently pursuing an LLM in Peace Operations, Humanitarian Law, and Conflict at the Irish Centre for Human Rights in Galway. Professionally, he has worked with several Palestinian and international organizations, including UNICEF, PEN America, Amnesty International, the Swedish Development Aid Organization, etc. He is currently a member of the research team helping Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, with her upcoming thematic report, focusing on the question of genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Maryam is an activist lawyer and mental health advocate for women in Afghanistan.

*Mistake in recording: Sarah notes the Taliban regime ran between 1996 and 2021 – it should be 2001

For more on the film Soraida: A Woman of Palestine : https://genderandsecurity.org/projects-resources/filmography/soraida-woman-palestine

Donate: Action Aid Gaza Appeal

Tamara has also published extensively in peer reviewed journals and edited collections on aforementioned subjects, including Development in Practice Journal, Al-Shabaka- Palestinian Policy Network, and with University of Gottingen, and Queen’s University Belfast.  

Previous podcast

https://lawpod.org/podcast/international-law-and-perceptions-of-justice-in-palestine/?fbclid=IwAR1f8ymrMJ3qtGO9_Ya4zEXsYDfJqHilHgvq_ZkY9DZdo_gUs6BnSp-Hlrw

On genocide perpetrated in Gaza:

• Raz Segal, A Textbook Case of Genocide, Jewish Currents <https://jewishcurrents.org/a-textbook-case-of-genocide>

• Omer Bartov, What I Believe as a Historian of Genocide, New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/10/opinion/israel-gaza-genocide-war.html>

• Center for Constitutional Rights, Israel's Unfolding Crime of Genocide of the Palestinian People & U.S. Failure to Prevent and Complicity in Genocide <https://ccrjustice.org/israel-s-unfolding-crime-genocide-palestinian-people-us-failure-prevent-and-complicity-genocide>

On settler colonialism, displacement, and dispossession of Palestinians:

• Tamara Tamimi, Ahmad Amara, Osama Risheq, Munir Nuseibah, Alice Panepinto, Brendan Browne, and Triestino Marinello “(Mis)using Legal Pluralism in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to Advance Dispossession of Palestinians: Israeli Policies against Palestinian Bedouins in the Eastern Jerusalem Periphery” in Noorhaidi Hasan and Irene Schneider (eds) in International Law between Translation and Pluralism: Examples from Germany, Palestine and Indonesia

• Edward Said, The Question of Palestine

• Edward Said, Out of Place: A Memoir 

• Eward Said, The Politics of Dispossession 

• Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappe, On Palestine 

• Ilan Pappe, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine

• Judith Butler, Jewishness and the Critique of Zionism

• Rashid Khalidi, The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917- 2017

• Rashid Khalidi, Palestinian Identity: The Construction of Modern National Consciousness

On solidarity, mobilisation and accountability:

• Angela Davis, Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement

• Ali Abunimah, The Battle for Justice in Palestine

• Audrea Lim (editor), The Case for Sanctions Against Israel  

Follow the links below for more on Danielle’s work and the ‘Pregnant then Screwed’ Campaign.

https://www.primaslaw.co.uk/team/danielle-ayres/

https://pregnantthenscrewed.com/

*TW – some cases mentioned in this podcast explore themes of violence which some listeners might find upsetting.

If you would like to find out more about the work and cases Ciarán discusses, you will see a list of articles below: 

• TACA – Extradition since Brexit;

   

  https://www.politico.eu/article/ireland-poland-extradition-case-referred-to-europe-top-court-ecj/

   

  https://www.irishlegal.com/articles/european-court-to-rule-in-november-on-post-brexit-extradition-requests

   

  https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-alleged-dissident-republicans-appeal-against-extradition-1424491.html

   

  https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2023/10/03/seven-judge-supreme-court-hears-appeal-by-alleged-dissident-republican-against-extradition-to-uk/

   

   

  Threats to Lawyers from Far-Right;

   

  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66424582

   

  https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/2023/07/31/solicitor-representing-bereaved-mother-in-case-against-gemma-odoherty-increases-security-after-alleged-threats/

   

   

  Dangerous Dog Act Constitutionality;

   

  https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/0620/1305964-dog-attack/

   

   

  McGlinchey Murders & ROI Legacy Litigation;

   

  https://www.lmfm.ie/news/lmfm-news/louth-coroner-to-hand-over-documents-about-dominic-mad-dog-mcglinchey-inquest/

   

  https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/billy-king-rat-wright-identified-30117958

   

  https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/mcglinchey-family-want-answers-over-mothers-missing-murder-file/42359872.html                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

   

  https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2023/02/03/news/irish_government_urged_to_improve_legacy_after_concerns_raised_over_approach_over_dominic_mcglinchey_murder-3036054/

   

  https://www.derrynow.com/news/derry-news/1258159/family-of-dominic-and-mary-mcglinchey-in-brussels-to-meet-with-european-parliament.html

   

   

  Garda issues;

   

  https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2023/10/07/garda-who-drunkenly-assaulted-and-racially-abused-taxi-driver-sued-in-high-court/

   

  https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/judge-dismisses-case-against-man-stopped-at-covid-checkpoint-at-start-of-pandemic-1.4781691

   

  https://www.noteworthy.ie/watching-the-watchdog-gsoc-investigation-6054964-May2023/

   

  https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/gardai-involved-in-standoff-with-central-mental-hospital-staff-due-to-capacity-issues-1100276.html

   

  https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/crime/anti-gay-preaching-row-solicitor-accuses-garda-of-bogus-prosecution-after-judge-dismisses-all-charges-against-northern-ireland-trio-3743745

*TW: Please note that we discuss instances of domestic violence and abuse in this episode which can be distressing for some listeners.  Please note the resources below if you or anyone you know would like to seek support:

UK:

Refuge https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/

Women’s Aid https://www.womensaid.org.uk/

Respect https://mensadviceline.org.uk/

National Domestic Abuse Helpline https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/

NI:

Women’s Aid https://www.womensaidni.org/

Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/contacts/24-hour-domestic-and-sexual-abuse-helpline

Nexus https://nexusni.org/helpline/

Ireland:

Women’s Aid https://www.womensaid.ie/

Men’s Aid https://www.mensaid.ie/

EU https://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention/help-lines

Please click on links below or check our blog for more of Christopher’s publications. 

1974 pub bombings: unanswered questions | Feature | Law Gazette

“I AM NOT NUMBER 54". By Christopher Stanley. - Village Magazine

Lessons from the Birmingham Pub Bombing inquest - Legal (legalvoice.org.uk)

I reject your apology. I cannot forgive you - Village Magazine

You can find out more about PILS project at www.pilsni.org

Music by AlexiAction from Pixabay

While India shares positive news stories and fantastic campaign success,  there is a long way to go if Northern Ireland is to fulfil the aspirations of the Good Friday Agreement in terms of education.   India discusses the challenges we still face as a society, supply and demand for integrated education and the new Integrated Education Act.  

She also highlights the valuable work of grassroots community activism around this pertinent issue and how important parents, teachers and the Integrated Education Fund have been in carrying this campaign forward! 

India is a competition litigation solicitor with BCLP in London and is secretary of the London Irish Lawyers Association.

Link to the Integrated Education Fund: https://www.ief.org.uk/

Link to London Irish Lawyers Association: https://www.londonirishlawyers.co.uk/

Link to the Integrated Education Act: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2022/15/contents/enacted

Darren will discuss the serious problems arising through the underfunded criminal legal aid system in Ireland, particularly in the District Court. Together with his colleagues across Ireland and further afield, Darren calls on everyone to support barristers on the 2nd May 2023 as they protest the abysmal legal aid rates outside courts around Ireland. 

Listen in to find out more about Darren’s work and his activism to improve legal aid funding for barristers.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/books-for-ukrainian-children

For more on this episode please see the following link where you will find an outline of Kevin’s work as well as a background to some of the particular challenges and legal issues his firm has worked on  https://krw-law.ie/kevin-winters/

This is our FINAL episode of the year and of this season! We are delighted to have recorded over 50 episodes to date and we look forward to bringing more activism to the airwaves in 2023!

We were delighted to be joined by Saoirse Brady, Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust to talk about the work of this organisation at such a crucial time.  Saoirse, a non-practicing lawyer, takes us on her career journey which is truly inspiring and informative.  Not to be missed!

Louise speaks to Sarah and Jack about her career in academia and her research into the evolution of family law and citizens’ rights in Ireland. She also discusses her role in the development of the Bystander Intervention Programme which seeks to educate and empower students to challenge the normalisation of sexual harassment and abuse.

Judge Fisher spoke to Sarah about her work with the Irish Rule of Law International on a campaign that is seeking to help with the relocation and support of female Afghan Judges and their families in Ireland.

Due to the ongoing humanitarian crises in Afghanistan, Judge Fisher shares her insight into the urgency of this issue and how both listeners and the legal community can get involved.

To get involved and donate please click here. 

To listen to this Special Episode, click the link in the comment section below!

Mary speaks to Sarah and Jack about her role in providing advice and assistance to people who believe that they have been subjected to unlawful discrimination. Mary also discusses the involvement of the Equality Commission in significant legal cases, including LGBTQ+ rights and workplace discrimination.

Declan is CEO of Ecojustice Ireland and Ecojustice Legal Action Centre and is Chair of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers in the UK.

Declan has represented some of the largest unions in the UK and is the Haldane delegate for the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, leading the international strategy in advance of COP 26.

If you are interested in Ecojustice and using law as a tool to make change, make sure to give this episode a listen!

• A more complete description of all their services is here.
• The Impact Report includes details on both the letting fees case that Sarah mentioned, plus the pro bono work they did with The Detail's editorial team.
• If any lawyers are wondering how to get involved with the Pro Bono Register, they can check out this recent blog.
• You can sign up for their monthly Update newsletter here. 
• And the UK Pro Bono Week 2021 is on Twitter here: @ProBonoWeekUK

In Part 1, we speak about Phil’s involvement in the investigation of the Hillsborough disaster and the impact of the recent trial collapse.

Aoife has a challenging but exciting job ahead of her as she brings a team together to encourage more women to get into politics in NI. 

In this episode Aoife highlights the barriers facing women in politics, refers to fantastic women leaders and tells a bit about herself and how she campaigns for change!

There is way too much to cover with Stephen (as with many of our guests!) so we chose to discuss his current involvement in Mother & Baby Homes cases, immigration and asylum matters and have a general chat about how one gets into his line of work. 

Tune in to a full discussion on the vision for a new Ireland and a proposed referendum on Irish unity.

Aoife is political correspondent with the Irish Examiner and provides listeners with a colorful insight into her career as a woman journalist.

Aoife also shares some of the topical cases she has covered like the Stardust Inquiry and Mother & Baby Homes in Ireland.  

Join Sarah and Jack in this week's episode as they discuss the power of words. 

Credits: 

Song - Bensound.com