HRLA President, Patrons & Executive Committee
Honorary President
The Rt Hon Lord Justice Singh
Patrons
Sir Edward Caldwell KCB KC Hon
Professor Christine Chinkin
Edward Fitzgerald KC
The late Professor Conor Gearty KC Hon
Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws KC
Francesca Klug OBE
Jennifer McDermott
Nuala Mole
Lord Pannick KC
Sir Stephen Sedley
The 2025-2026 Executive Committee
HRLA Chair
Shoaib M. Khan
Shoaib is a barrister and solicitor advocate. He manages a law firm specialising in human rights, public and immigration law, and has worked on cases at all levels up to the European Court of Human Rights. He is a member of the Law Society’s Human Rights Committee and has previously sat on the boards of various NGOs, including Liberty’s Policy Council. He has a particular interest in public awareness about human rights and how the media covers such issues.
HRLA Vice Chair
Dr Louise Loder
Louise is a Senior Lecturer in Law and Director of Employability at the University of Exeter; Education & Training Lead at the Bar Human Rights Committee of England & Wales; Vice-Chair of the Learning and Development Committee at the Devon and Somerset Law Society; and an Executive Committee member of the Association of Law Teachers. Louise is a Google Higher Education AI Fellow 2026, and has a specific scholarship and advocacy interest in skills for the future of law as well as the training, development and protection of human rights defenders. In addition to her role as Vice Chair of the Human Rights Lawyers Association, she also leads HRLA’s engagement with higher education and training.
HRLA Vice Chair
Dr Cynthia C. Umezulike
Dr. Cynthia C. Umezulike, PhD, is an international human rights lawyer, legal scholar, and policy strategist serving as President and Director of Policy and Human Rights at the Global Human Rights Centre, UK, and Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Northampton. She previously founded and directed the Centre for Sustainable Development, Energy Transitions and Climate Change at the University of Bedfordshire. A qualified Barrister and Solicitor, she holds a PhD in International Human Rights Law from Birkbeck, University of London, and LL.M degrees from Queen Mary University of London and the University of East London and a Bachelors Degree in Law (LLB).
HRLA Treasurer
HRLA Secretary
HRLA Bursary Officer
Joseph Michael Kelen
Joe is a pupil barrister at 39 Essex Chambers. He was a former Judicial Assistant at the Supreme Court to Lady Rose, and an Associate in Covington and Burling’s International Disputes team. He currently tutors Conflict of Laws at UCL..
Elected Members
Olivia Beach
Olivia is a barrister at One Pump Court Chambers, specialising in public law, community care, human rights law and civil actions against public authorities. Alongside her practice, Olivia undertakes pro bono work with various charities, including the Asylum Support Appeals Project and West London Welcome.
James Cox
Connie Dale
Fraser Eccles
Fraser is a solicitor in the Public Law & Policy team at Hogan Lovells. He assists clients in the public and private sectors on both contentious and advisory matters, including administrative law, judicial review, human rights, public international law, political law compliance and freedom of information. Prior to qualifying as a solicitor, Fraser worked as a policy advisor at HM Treasury.
Mark Emerton
Mark retired as an Employment Judge in 2024. He previously sat as an Immigration Judge and (whilst serving in the Royal Navy) as a Judge Advocate at Courts-Martial. Before becoming a salaried judge he was a Commissioner at the Criminal Cases Review Commission, investigating miscarriages of justice. He now enjoys a portfolio of trustee and governance roles and has a research interest in discrimination/human rights and freedom of religion. He is a Member of the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB), advising the Government on pay for senior public servants, and leads a major review of judicial salaries. He is also an Honorary Visiting Professor at City St George’s University, and a Bencher of Gray’s Inn.
Claudia Hyde
Claudia is a barrister specialising in public law, human rights, inquests and public inquiries. She holds an LLM in Public International Law, and is a co-author of two chapters of the leading practitioner text ‘The Law and Practice of Human Rights’. Before coming to the bar, Claudia worked in campaigns and outreach strategy at a human rights charity.
Catherine Knight
Annabel Lee
Conor Monighan
Conor is a barrister at 5 Essex Chambers who specialises in public law and human rights. He has been instructed in the Grenfell Tower, Infected Blood, Jermaine Baker (Police Shooting) and Post Office/ Horizon IT Inquiries, together with various inquests, judicial reviews and civil matters – including where there is a terrorism aspect.
Vicki Prais
Vicki is an award-winning human rights lawyer, independent human rights consultant, career coach and academic; she likes to call herself a ‘lawyer plus’. Vicki is passionate about two things: humane detention and empowering tomorrow’s human rights leaders. Her experience spans International Organizations, the British Government (Foreign Office), the NGO sector, academia and consultancy. She is also a sloth lover.
Ffyon Reilly
Ffyon is a barrister at No5 Chambers specialising in human rights and public law. This includes prison law, education law, inquests and public inquiries. Ffyon started her career at the Bar as a criminal practitioner, and was a senior lecturer in law at City St George’s London. Ffyon has been involved in numerous not for profit and pro bono legal projects.
J Spooner
J Spooner works at the intersection of law, narrative strategy and systems change supporting NGOs, legal teams and research institutions working on climate justice and human rights. J holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law and was awarded the City Law School Prize for Excellence (highest overall result) and individual prizes in Public International Law and Trial Advocacy – a module exploring how storytelling can maximise the impact of legal argument. Before retraini oh ng in law, J spent 25 years as an artist and Chief Executive in the Arts & Culture sector, leading award-winning collaborations with scientific and cultural organisations across the world.
Nikki Taylor
Nikki is a consultant to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Extraordinary Rendition, where she examines the UK’s facilitation of arbitrary detention and torture. She holds an LLB in Law and Spanish and an MSc in Global Security. Nikki previously worked as a paralegal at the Infected Blood Inquiry and is committed to advocating for justice and equality at all levels. She has carried out pro bono work for various human rights organisations, focussing on gender justice, peacebuilding and climate justice. Nikki was previously a member of the Young Lawyers Committee from 2022 to January 2024.
2026/2027 JUNIOR LAWYERS COMMITTEE (JLC)
Adam Nathan
Anna Ferris Simpson
Audrey Fidegnon
Breshna Rani
Catherine Salma Maunder
Daisy Tipping
Dan Frossell
Esma Turkmani
Harriet Kirsopp
Talia Tanaskovic
Thaminah Choudhury
Theo Hendrich(ova)