Executive Director at GHRH

A multi-award-winning King’s Counsel, in March 2022, Sultana Tafadar became the first hijab-wearing criminal barrister to attain the rank of ‘Silk’. Tafadar is considered one of the foremost experts in counter terrorism and national security cases. She also has an extensive practice across human rights. criminal justice and public international law. Tafadar advises and acts for individuals, states, NGOs, multinational corporations and other national and international bodies, appearing in courts at all levels.

In 2023, Tafadar co-founded the Girls Human Rights Hub with her now 12-year-old daughter.

 Tafadar is the winner of Barrister of the Year, Inspirational Women in Law Awards, 2022; Winner of the Professions Category, Asian Women of Achievement, 2021; HERoes Top 100 Women Future Leaders, 2021; finalist in BSN Lawyer of the Year (Chambers), UK Legal Diversity Awards, 2021; finalist in Outstanding Woman in Professional category sponsored by Baker McKenzie, Precious Awards 2021.

Partner Ambassador for Inclusion at Irwin Mitchel LLP

Alison is Partner Ambassador for Inclusion and former London Managing Partner for Irwin Mitchell. After opening the London office in 1995 she established and until very recently led the medical negligence team in London.

 Championing diversity, inclusion and social mobility within the legal profession has been central to her work. In 2008 Alison helped set up the  Diversity & Inclusion Board and led the  Gender Equality Group for many years. Today, Irwin Mitchell is the only top 50 UK law firm where over 50% of its partners are women.  

Recognitions include winning the 2024 Legal 500 ESG Lifetime Achievement Award for Women in Law.

Head of Legal Services UNISON

Shantha David is the Head of Legal Services at UNISON, the largest UK trade union, and a practising solicitor-advocate (and non-practising barrister) who has led in the field of employment law winning precedent-setting cases on behalf of UNISON and its members She successfully advised and acted in the ground-breaking “ET Fees” judicial review on behalf of UNISON, which resulted in the UKSC ruling that the Lord Chancellor’s decision to introduce fees in the Employment and Employment Appeal Tribunals was unlawful. She runs a team who have had success in the appeal courts, including in Mrs Mercer’s successful case in the Supreme Court, which has seen this government change the law so that workers do no suffer detriment for taking part in strikes. Her efforts have seen her win Liberty’s Human Rights lawyer of the year in 2017, the Lexis Nexis Halsbury Rule of Law award in 2018 and be named in the 2020 Lawyer’s #Hot100 lawyer list. Her cases include: Harpur Trust v Brazel & UNISON (UKSC), Chief Constable of PSNI v Agnew & Ors (UKSC), Lock v British Case (ECJ), Vining & Ors v LB Wandsworth & SoS (CA), Alemo-Herron v Parkwood Leisure Ltd (ECJ), most recently the Windrush judicial review.

Barrister at Old Square Chambers

Rebecca was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2020; she is an employment and discrimination law specialist. She appears regularly in the Employment Tribunal, EAT, High Court and appellate courts. She has particular expertise in industrial relations, acting in injunction proceedings when industrial action is proposed. She is also frequently instructed outside the litigation process, as an investigator, advisor, mediator or to determine grievance or disciplinary issues. She has been recognised as a leading practitioner in Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal for many years. She is noted as “an extremely knowledgeable and tenacious barrister, with a confident engaging delivery [who] really deserved her elevation to QC”.

Philip Rule KC is head of the Public Law Group at No5.

He is an extremely versatile and accomplished leading advocate, whose appellate and first-instance work encompasses many areas of law where his experience and skills enable him to provide clients with the assistance that they need. In addition to his core areas listed below he also undertakes work in varied fields such as extradition cases, or commercial matters particularly involving civil and criminal elements, and employment cases with issues of public law or discrimination arising. He has led in cases before the UK Supreme Court, Privy Council, Court of Appeal (both Divisions of England and Wales) and in other jurisdictions in the Caribbean

Trainee Solicitor at Leigh Day

Shaimaa Al-Mukhtar is a trainee solicitor in the human rights department at Leigh Day, where she works on child abuse matters. Her experience includes working on caseloads supporting victims of domestic violence, UK immigration detainees and trafficked women held in unlawful and arbitrary detention overseas at organisations such as Reprieve and Bail for Immigration Detainees.

Barrister at Exchange Chambers & GHRH Young Expert and Programme Director

Celeste is human rights lawyer and activist recently returned to practise here in the UK in family law, specifically public law children cases. She was called to the Bar in 1991 and in 2011, having reached the pinnacle of junior work in her field, decided to follow her dream to work overseas in the international human rights field. Since her return she has seamlessly picked up her practice and is a highly respected and very sought-after advocate regarded as a leader in the public law family field. She brings a wealth of experience, including experience garnered in the criminal jurisdiction augmented by her overseas experience, a feminist and human rights-based approach, intellectual rigour, and passion. Celestine serves as the Director of Young Expert Programme (YEP), leading the strategic vision and direction of the initiative. Her role encompasses the overall management and development of the program, ensuring that it aligns with its mission to empower young leaders in their fields. Celestine is dedicated to fostering a supportive and engaging environment for all participants, focusing on their growth and impact. She conducts monthly meetings with the young experts to review progress, address challenges, and strategize on achieving their objectives, providing guidance and mentorship throughout the program.

Barrister at No5 Chambers

Tutku Bektas is a member of the Public Law Group at No5 Chambers, where she is building a public law practice in the areas of Court of Protection, education law, prison law, inquests and inquiries and community care.

 Before joining No5 Chambers, Tutku had an international legal practice with a particular expertise in public international law and international human rights law. Between September 2022 to August 2023, Tutku was a judicial assistant to Judge Dalveer Bhandari at the International Court of Justice in the Hague. She also contributed to the work of the United Nations International Law Commission, the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs and the NUS Centre for International Law in various capacities.

Over the past eight years, Tutku has developed a busy pro bono practice in international human rights law. She has worked on applications to the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Committee, primarily focusing on issues related to the prolonged pre-trial detention of journalists and human rights defenders. She has collaborated with leading NGOs and campaigns around the world, including Human Rights Watch, Media Defence, Z2K, ECCHR, Advocates for Human Rights, Campaign to Bring Yahya Jammeh and his Accomplices to Justice and the UK Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom.

Queen's College Mini Hub Representative and Co-Founder of Girls Human Rights hub

Safiyah is 11 years old and the Co-Founder of GHRH. Safiyah has always been driven by the desire to become a human rights lawyer. She came up with the idea of creating a Hub where girls could learn more about their rights and how to claim them.

 She loves representing and advocating on behalf of her peers. She has represented her year group on the School Council for two years. She has been a Form Captain and was voted vice House Captain this year. She is a Digital Ambassador at her school and has recently taken on the role of Inclusivity Ambassador. She loves debating and is a Lamda scholar, Safiyah is super-excited by the Hub and is looking forward to changing the world!

Young Experts Alumni and GHRH Campus & Minihubs Coordinator

Jo is graduate student from Columbia University and works at Integrity Global an international development consultancy and research firm. She helps manage the monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian programmes, mainly in Afghanistan. She specialises in research on GESI topics. She joined The Girls Human Rights Hub in 2022 as a Young Expert and now coordinates the Mini-Hub and Ambassadors programmes.

Founder and Director of the Centre for Women's Justice

Harriet Wistrich is founder and director of the Centre for Womens Justice 2016, a multi partner organisation aimed at bringing cases holding the state to account in relation to violence against women and girls. She is also a solicitor experience working with the 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 and Law Society legal personality of the year 2019.  She was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws by Kent University in 2022.  She is also a founder of the campaign group Justice for Women and trustee of the charity, the Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize. 

She acted for DSD and NBV in the Supreme Court case against the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis (Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (Appellant) v DSD and another (Respondents) [2018] UKSC 11) which has established a duty to investigate under Article 3 ECHR.  She also represented the same claimants in a successful judicial review challenge of the parole board decision to release John Worboys (R (DSD & Anor) v The Parole Board of England and Wales [2018] EWHC 694 (Admin)).  She acted for the claimants, young women formerly pimped into prostitution, in a challenge of the Disclosure and Barring Scheme requirement that they disclose criminal convictions for soliciting, QSA and others v SSHD and SSJ EWHC/Admin/2018/407.html.  She has has over thirty years advised and represented a number of women in appeals against convictions for the murder of their violent partners, most recently including Sally Challen relying on new evidence of coercive and controlling behaviour.  She also led a claim on behalf of eight women who were deceived into relationships with undercover police officers, obtaining an unprecedented apology and settlement of substantial damages.

In 2024, she published ‘Sister in Law: Fighting for Justice in a System designed by Men’ which describes a bumber of legal battles she has fought with her clients.

GHRH Young Expert

Bianca Morariu is a young expert at the Girls Human Rights Hub and a team leader at AIESEC in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Her campaign for the Girls Human Rights Hub (GHRH), The Emancipation of Women in Religions, explores more inclusive interpretations of the Holy Scriptures and examines whether and how a woman can be a feminist while remaining faithful to her religious traditions. This initiative is deeply influenced by the Orthodox Christian environment in which she was raised.

Her advocacy for inclusivity began in high school when she served as the President of the Student Council and the President of Interact Club Blaj, a Rotary International-sponsored club. During this time, she organized an anti-bullying campaign with a focus on social inclusion, led charitable events, and co-founded and co-led three school committees: Debating, Chess, and Film & Theatre Club. With a strong passion for civic work, human rights, and politics, Bianca pursued a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca. She is currently balancing her academic studies with activism, religious research, and volunteering.

Fundraising Officer at Girls Human Rights Hub & Paralegal

Ella Lawrence is a dedicated advocate for human rights law, with a particular focus on the rights of sex workers and the broader discussions surrounding this issue. Her work also extends to championing the rights of women and girls worldwide. 

Her role has evolved into a dynamic blend of communication and paralegal responsibilities. By leveraging her expertise in strategy and research, she delivers meaningful results, combining compelling narratives with legal insights. This dual approach enables her to shape legal strategies, conduct thorough research, and drive impactful change.

Currently studying for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), Ella is committed to advancing her legal career while continuing her advocacy work. She also serves as the Fundraising Officer for the Girls Human Rights Hub, where she plays a key role in securing resources to support initiatives that promote gender equality and human rights.

International Pro Bono Partner at Hogan Lovells

Yasmin Waljee OBE is Hogan Lovells award winning International Pro Bono Partner and co-lead of the Social Impact Practice. She is an international human rights lawyer with a focus on reparations work. With over 27 years of experience and expertise across many areas, including in human trafficking and sexual violence, she has worked on many ground breaking and law changing matters. Hogan Lovells is one of the world's top law firms advising on corporate, finance, litigation, regulatory and IP law, at the intersection of business and government.

Professor of Public International Law, University of Oxford and the Blavatnik School of Government

Philippa Webb is Professor of Public International Law, University of Oxford and the Blavatnik School of Government. She is also a barrister at Twenty Essex and has appeared before the International Court of Justice, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the European Court of Human Rights and the UK Supreme Court. Philippa has held positions in the Presidency of the International Court of Justice, the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court and in United Nations Headquarters. In her human rights practice she has represented an individual who have been allegedly subjected to modern slavery and persons who claim to have been harassed through a State’s use of spyware. Philippa has also represented small island States in international climate litigation and she is counsel to states intervening in cases concerning genocide. Her publications include Freedom of Speech in International Law (2024, chapters on insulting speech and false speech, A Clooney & D Neuberger eds), The Right to a Fair Trial in International Law (2021, with A Clooney) and Oppenheim’s International Law: United Nations (2017, with Dame Rosalyn Higgins GBE KC, D Akande, S Sivakumaran and J Sloan). Her treatise, The Law of State Immunity (2015, with Lady Fox KC) has been cited by leading courts around the world.

Human Rights Lawyer

Coline is a consultant in intersectional justice at the Open Society Foundations. For the past ten years, she has engaged in advocacy, action research, and policy work, and has helped build structural legal aid projects in several countries across Asia, Europe, and North America. She previously worked and consulted for the Open Society Justice Initiative and the International Institute for Environment and Development, where she developed community-based public interest litigation and legal empowerment initiatives to strengthen protection regimes for migrants and refugees, and to seek accountability for the displacement and dispossession of Indigenous communities.

She is the co-editor of the anthology Resisting Borders and Technologies of Violence (Haymarket Books, 2023) and has written on subjects such as migration, displacement, human trafficking, and international law for the Border Criminologies blog, Opinio Juris, and theAsia-Pacific Journal on Human Rights and the Law. She holds a M.St. from Oxford University and a LL.B. from Sheffield University.

Chloe, a Campus Ambassador and Young Expert at the University of Cambridge, first became involved with the Girls Human Rights Hub after attending the Festival last year. Since then, it has been an incredible experience for her.

The mini hub she is part of has been dedicated to spreading awareness and fostering discussions on complex issues surrounding girls' human rights. It has hosted panel and speaker events exploring the role of law and politics in advancing girls' rights, as well as global perspectives on key challenges.

Bianca Morariu is a dedicated advocate for human rights, civic engagement, and gender inclusivity in religious traditions. As a Young Expert at the Girls Human Rights Hub and a Team Leader at AIESEC in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, she is committed to fostering meaningful discussions on the intersection of faith and feminism. Her campaign, "The Emancipation of Women in Religions," explores inclusive interpretations of the Holy Scriptures and examines how women can embrace feminist ideals while remaining true to their religious beliefs.

With a background in student leadership and activism, Bianca has been engaged in promoting social inclusion since high school, organizing anti-bullying initiatives, charitable events, and educational programs. Currently pursuing a BA in International Relations at Babeș-Bolyai University, she continues to balance her academic journey with activism, research on religion, and volunteer work, striving to create a more equitable and inclusive society.