Barrister and academic, with extensive research, publishing and advisory experience in former Soviet Union and other countries, fluent in Russian
PREVIOUS POSITIONS/EMPLOYMENT
1974: Called to the Bar – Middle Temple
1975-1990: Full-time practice at the Bar
1990-1995: Senior Lecturer then Principal Lecturer in Law, Polyrechnic then University of East London
1996-2000: Lecturer then Reader in Law, Director of the Pan-European Institute, University of Essex
2000-2006: Professor of Law, University of North London, then London Metropolitan University
2006-2024: Professor of Law, Birkbeck College, University of London.
2024 continuing: Emeritus Professor of Law, Birkbeck College, University of London.
MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL BODIES
Barrister, Member of the Bar of England and Wales
Fellow, Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS)
Honorary President, European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights (ELDH)
International Secretary, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers
Founder and Executive Committee Member, Bar Human Rights Committee
Trustee of Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights
Fellow, Human Rights Law Centre, University of Essex
Society of Legal Scholars
International Law Association (British Branch)
International Bar Association, Institute for Human Rights
RELEVANT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE:
1) Contracted Adviser on "Access to Justice and Rights Issues in Russia" for the UK Government-DFID/Know How Fund (June 1997-Dec 2004). This includes provision of expert advice, monitoring and appraisal, as well as the drafting of project proposals and concept notes.
2) Key expert for the project "Promotion of International Human Rights Standards in Kazakstan", Norwegian Institute for International Affairs, for UNDP, commenced summer 2002.
3) Legal Expert for the EU TACIS Project "Developing Local Democracy and Self-Government in the Russian Federation" No. 221210.217034.00, 2002-2004
4) Expert for the World Bank, on judicial reform in the Russian Federation - diagnostic mission, early 2002.
5) Expert for the Council of Europe: (1) Compliance of Georgia with its Human Rights Obligations; (2) Russia and the Framework Convention on National Minorities; (3) Russia's draft Criminal Procedural Code; (4) Minorities and Education (Rapporteur)
6) Consultant on Law and Legislative Policy to the Russian-European Trust for Welfare Reform, in its Project for UK Department for International Development, in Kemerovo, Russia, "Supporting the Development of Services for the Elderly in Kemerovo and Kemerovo Oblast".
7) Expert for the OSCE's High Commissioner on National Minorities, in Almaty, Kazakstan in 1999 and 2000, in Ukraine and Russia in 2000, and Kazakstan in 2001.
8) Expert on legislative compliance with the UN human rights standards, for the OSCE's ODIHR, in Kazakstan and Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Kazakstan and Tajikistan projects are continuing.
9) Short-term Expert for the EU TACIS contract concerning "Strengthening the State of Law and Legal Education Under New Market Relations", working with the Russian Foundation for Legal Reform and the Higher School of Law, Moscow. This project included legislative comment and drafting, as well as teaching in Russia.
10) Consultant on Law and Legislative Policy to the Russian-European Trust for Welfare Reform, in its EU TACIS contract "Developing a System of Social Services for Vulnerable Groups" (started January 1997). Work included detailed comment on a number of federal and regional draft laws, and proposals for the development of a system of "social treteiskii courts".
11) Teaching courses in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and practice to university lecturers and students, from CIS countries, in Russian, at Russian universities, at the Central European University, Budapest, in Almaty, Kazakstan, and in other locations.
12) Expert advice for Ukrainian Ministry of Justice, UNDP (on CIS laws, 1999), and OSCE (on compliance of the constitutions and laws of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakstan with their obligations under the UN Convention Against Torture, 1999-2000).
13) Acting as Trial Observer for Amnesty International in the treason trial of Alexander Nikitin, St Petersburg, Russia, 20-23 October 1998; at the appeal in the Russian Supreme Court in Moscow, 4-5 February 1999; and at the re-trial in December 1999. Nikitin was acquitted.
14) Legal Adviser to the UNDP's "Crimea Integration and Development Programme", in Crimea and to Kyiv in June, July, and October 1996, writing reports and helping to organise a Round Table Meeting between representatives of the Crimea Tatars and the Ukrainian Government on the question of citizenship.
PROFESSIONAL AND OTHER ACTIVIITES:
1) Professional practice in the European Court of Human Rights, on behalf of clients in cases against Turkey, Latvia and Russia. Successful cases include Aktas v Turkey (App no. 00024351/94, date of decision 24 April 2003), Podkolzina v Latvia (App no. 00046726/99, date of decision 9 April 2002), Ozgur Gundem v Turkey (App no. 00023144/93, date of decision 16 March 2000).
2) Vice-Chairman (to 1998) and Executive Committee member (to present) of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales, since 1995
3) Trustee of REDRESS (reparation and compensation for victims of torture) since 1997
4) Member of the Rule of Law Council of the International Helsinki Federation, since 1999
1) From 2003 to present, expert witness in many extradition cases concerning Russia, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and others; expert witness in many asylum appeals including country guidance; expert witness in commercial and family cases. See Chambers web-site
2) Founder and Member of the International Steering Committee of the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC), based in London and Moscow, 2003 to 2020. Taking more than 100 cases against the Russian Federation, including the first six cases concerning the conflict in Chechnya (judgment given for the applicants on 24 February 2005), and the first environmental case
3) Expert for the EU and Council of Europe Joint Programme ““Minorities in Russia: Developing Languages, Culture, Media and Civil Society” (MINRUS) , €3 million, 2009 to 2011
4) Expert for the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities for his study concerning Ukraine and Russia, 2009; one week in each country with the HCNM, and writing reports and recommendations.
5) Short Term Expert for the EU funded project “Training of Judges and Court Administrators in Russia II”, 2007 to 2008
6) International legal expert for the DfID project, contractor Oxford Project Management, “Reform of Social Services in Moldova”, 2007 to 2009
7) Legal expert for the USAID funded Freedom House project “Constitutional Reform in Kyrgyzstan” 2007 to 2008
8) Legal expert for the EU INTAS project “Language Policy in Ukraine”, 2006 to 2008
9) Project leader and expert on Georgia, Council of Europe pilot project for the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) on implementation of CPT recommendations in Albania, Georgia and Moldova, 2006 to 2007
10) Senior Criminal Justice Law Expert for the EC/British Council project “Reforming the Procuracy in Georgia”, 2003 to 2005. Included scoping, designing training materials and programme, and providing training with colleagues from the HRSJ Institute to all 750 prosecutors in Georgia, including on torture issues.
More than 150 publications from 1992, including two monographs. The first translated into Russian
Some recent publications;
Article “Documents on the Consequences of the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, Namely the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Register of Damage Caused” International Legal Materials, Cambridge 2024
Chapter: “The End of Which War? Uncomfortable Legal and Historical Comparisons and Diagnoses” in Anton Leist and Rolf Zimmermann After the War? How the Ukraine War Challenges Political Theories De Gruyter 2024, pp. 149-170
Chapters: “5. Russian Attitudes to Public International Law”, and “6. Russian Attitudes to Human Rights”. in The Foundations of Russian Law, Marianna Muravyeva (ed) , Hart 2023
Article: “Britain and the Iraq War”, in International Law, Oxford Bibliographies, Oxford University Press 2022, at https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199796953/obo-9780199796953-0238.xml
Chapter “International law and non-recognized entities: towards a frozen future?” in Harzl, Benedikt and Petrov, Roman, Unrecognized Entities: Perspectives in International, European and Constitutional Law (Leiden, Brill, 2021), pp.9-29
Article “Constitutional Reset In Central Asia? The Eurasian Economic Union.” (2021) Percorsi costituzionali 1-3/20 , pp. 125-154. ISSN 1974-1928
Article “Russia and the European Convention (or Court) of Human Rights: the end?” (December 2020) Revue Québécoise de Droit International, 201-218, ISSN 0828-9999. at https://www.sqdi.org/fr/russia-and-the-european-convention-or-court-of-human-rights-the-end/