International Human Rights

"Garden Court Chambers boasts an impressive selection of silks and juniors offering broad-ranging expertise in the field of civil liberties and human rights."

Chambers UK Bar Guide

To contact the Garden Court International Clerks, please email internationalteamclerks@gclaw.co.uk

or phone +44 (0)20 7993 7600

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Over 40 years ago, Garden Court Chambers was founded on a commitment to promote fundamental human rights and freedoms. These principles are reflected throughout our international and transnational work, and embodied in our motto, ‘Do right, fear no-one’.

Our international human rights barristers work at the forefront of international human rights practice, and we are skilled at managing the complex interplay between domestic and international law.

Areas of Expertise

  • Investigations and claims arising out of deaths
  • Investigations and claims arising out of serious ill treatment
  • Trafficking and modern slavery
  • Discrimination
  • Women’s rights
  • Romani, Gypsy and Traveller rights
  • Children’s rights
  • Rights of disabled persons
  • Prisoners’ rights
  • Economic, social and cultural rights
  • Business and human rights

We provide advice and representation to individuals, charities, organisations and government. Our barristers appear regularly before major international and regional human rights bodies, including the European Court of Human Rights, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights, and the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

Our pioneering human rights work was recognised when we won the Human Rights Set of the Year at the Chambers Bar Awards 2016. Garden Court Chambers also has top rankings in The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners guides for civil liberties and human rights work.

pioneering human rights practice

Our cases have overturned injustices in landmark decisions of international importance. Our experience includes ground-breaking work around the application of human rights law in armed conflict; the responsibility of states for human rights violations overseas; and challenging the immunity of states and international organisations. Other areas of expertise include challenging discrimination, anti-trafficking, children’s rights and women’s rights.

Members have acted and advised in a range of pioneering cases concerning the responsibility of international organisations for breaches of human rights, such as Balaj et al v The United Nations Mission in Kosovo, KK & ors v AML and Chiragov v Armenia.

ADVISORY WORK, RESEARCH AND TEACHING

Our barristers carry out advisory work, consultancies, research and report writing – including for Amnesty, UNICEF UK and UNHCR – and are in demand for public speaking engagements on human rights issues.

Members of our team teach on international human rights and social justice issues, including at the London School of Economics and Harvard Law School’s Institute for Global Law and Policy.

Recent Notable Cases & News

Garden Court Chambers celebrates 50th Anniversary

This year marks 50 years of Garden Court Chambers winning ground-breaking cases of constitutional importance.

Friday 31 May 2024

Amanda Meusz and Gráinne Mellon Shortlisted at Women & Diversity in Law Awards 2025

We are delighted to announce that Amanda Meusz and Gráinne Mellon have been nominated for ‘Advocate of the Year’ at the Women & Diversity in Law Awards 2025.

Monday 20 Jan 2025

Sangeetha Iengar joins Garden Court Chambers as new tenant

We are delighted to announce that Sangeetha Iengar has joined Garden Court Chambers as a new tenant.

Tuesday 29 Oct 2024

Appellant in Barbuda Runway Challenge delivers statement at 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States Civil Society Forum

Marc Willers KC, Leslie Thomas KC, Stephen Cottle and Thalia Maragh, of the Garden Court Chambers Environmental Law and Climate Justice Team, represent John Mussington and Jacklyn Frank pro bono, instructed by Theo Solley of Sheridans. Global Legal Action

Thursday 30 May 2024

Friends of the Earth takes legal challenge against anti-protest injunctions to European Court of Human Rights

Friends of the Earth is represented in these proceedings by Stephanie Harrison KC, Stephen Clark and Fatima Jichi of Garden Court Chambers and by Wessen Jazrawi at the law firm Hausfeld.

Friday 24 May 2024

Irena Sabic KC and Thalia Maragh conduct legal empowerment training for Ogiek community in Kenya

Our Irena Sabic KC and Thalia Maragh volunteered with International Lawyers Project (ILP) to deliver training for the Ogiek community in Kenya.

Tuesday 21 May 2024

Past Notable Cases

 

Balaj et al v The United Nations Mission in Kosovo
This case arose from the fatal shooting of civilians by United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) police during a demonstration in 2007. The United Nations Human Rights Advisory Panel found that the UNMIK police had violated the right to life and the right to peaceful assembly of civilian protestors.

Amicus Brief to Colombian Constitutional Court
An amicus curiae brief led by Garden Court International helped to ensure that the Colombian military will continue to be accountable for any human rights abuses they commit. The Colombian Constitutional Court accepted our submissions, ruling that both international humanitarian law and human rights law apply to the investigation and prosecution of criminal acts by the military.

Kaytan v Turkey (ECHR)
The European Court of Human Rights accepted our submissions that the imposition of a whole life sentence on the applicant – following his conviction for seeking to destroy the unity of the Turkish state – was incompatible with his Article 3 right not to be subjected to inhuman punishment.

Chiragov v Armenia (Grand Chamber of ECHR)
The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the rights of Kurdish Azerbaijani refugees were violated when they were unable to return to their homes, from which they had fled during the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in 1992.  We were involved in the case on behalf of Kurdish Azerbaijani refugees.

KK & ors v AML (High Court)
Garden Court Chambers is representing 142 villagers who live near a large iron ore mine in West Africa. The claimants are seeking damages for personal injury, death and other damage allegedly caused by the actions and negligence of African Minerals Ltd, the British company that owns the mine.

Contact team

We are top ranked by independent legal directories and consistently win awards.

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