Ben Emmerson

Ben Emmerson
CBE KC
Emmerson at Chatham House in 2013
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Counter Terrorism and Human Rights
In office
2011–2017
Preceded byMartin Scheinin
Succeeded byFionnuala Ní Aoláin
Personal details
Born (1963-08-30) 30 August 1963 (age 61)
Kent, England
OccupationBarrister

Michael Benedict Emmerson CBE KC (born 30 August 1963) is a British barrister, specialising in public international law, human rights and humanitarian law, and international criminal law.[1] From 2011 to 2017, he was the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism. Emmerson is currently an Appeals Chamber Judge of the UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals sitting on the Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. He has previously served as Special Adviser to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, and Special Adviser to the Appeals Chamber of the ECCC (the UN-backed Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia).[1]

In his legal practice, Emmerson has acted for a number of foreign Governments in connection with international armed conflicts, including the Governments of Croatia,[1] Cyprus,[1] Georgia[2] and Ukraine.[2] He has also represented several current and former heads of State and other political figures, including Mohammed Nasheed (former President of the Maldives);[3] Ramush Haradinaj (former Prime Minister of Kosovo);[4] Arseny Yatsenuk (former Prime Minister of Ukraine);[5] and Carles Puigdemont (ex President of Catalonia).[6][7] He has appeared in numerous cases in the European Court of Human Rights, acting for and against the Government of the United Kingdom and other Council of Europe Member States, and has appeared in the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and other international courts and tribunals.[1]

Emmerson's former clients include WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (in connection with an attempt to extradite him to Sweden);[8] GCHQ whistleblower Katharine Gun (who was prosecuted under the UK's Official Secrets Acts following the 2003 invasion of Iraq);[9][10] and Marina Litvinenko (the wife of former Russian FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko, who was assassinated in London in 2006 using the radioactive isotope Polonium 210).[11][12][13][14] Emmerson also represented Abdelbasset al-Megrahi (the Libyan intelligence officer convicted of the Lockerbie bombing) in his appeal against conviction in Scotland, and subsequently acted for Abdullah Al-Senussi, the former head of national security to Colonel Gaddafi, in proceedings before the International Criminal Court.[15]

Within the UK, Emmerson has been a deputy High Court Judge, a Master of the Bench of the Middle Temple, a visiting professor of international law and security at the University of Oxford, and an Honorary Fellow of Mansfield College, Oxford.[1] In 2016, he was awarded an honorary PhD from Bristol University.[16]

In 2023, he represented Nicolás Maduro's government during Venezuela's appeal of the International Criminal Court investigation in Venezuela.[17]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Ben Emmerson QC". Monckton Chambers. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  2. ^ a b Eldarov, Nijat (4 January 2019). "Ukraine appeals to ECHR for release of sailors captured by Russia". Emerging Europe. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Former Maldives' president calls for sanctions against government..." Reuters. 25 January 2016. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  4. ^ Bowcott, Owen; correspondent, legal affairs (29 November 2012). "Kosovan former PM cleared of war crimes by Hague tribunal". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 March 2019. {{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  5. ^ "Ukraine's ex-PM to sue Russia in ECHR". unian.info. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  6. ^ Strange, Hannah (2 March 2018). "Puigdemont's case presented to the UN, arguing Spain has violated his rights". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  7. ^ Madrid, Graham Keeley (5 March 2018). "Catalan anointed leader fights on from jail". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Discourteous and disrespectful, but not rape: the Assange defence". The Independent. 13 July 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  9. ^ Oliver, Mark; agencies (25 February 2004). "GCHQ whistleblower cleared". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  10. ^ "How a GCHQ translator uncovered an American dirty tricks campaign". The Independent. 26 February 2004. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  11. ^ Grierson, Jamie (31 July 2015). "Alexander Litvinenko lawyer points finger at Putin as inquiry ends". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  12. ^ Haynes, Deborah (28 January 2015). "Litvinenko was set to expose 'criminal' Putin". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  13. ^ Haynes, Deborah (31 July 2015). "Putin 'liquidated' Litvinenko to silence crime gang claims, lawyer tells inquiry". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  14. ^ Haynes, Deborah (1 August 2015). "Tinpot despot Putin ordered Litvinenko murder, says widow". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  15. ^ Stephen, Chris (10 February 2014). "Lockerbie bombing inquiry: lawyer warns police over al-Senussi interview". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  16. ^ Bristol, University of. "July: Hon degrees - 24 July | News | University of Bristol". University of Bristol. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  17. ^ Ferrer, Isabel (8 November 2023). "Venezuela tries to stop ICC from resuming investigation into crimes against humanity". El País. Retrieved 8 November 2023.