Our International Law team, which includes both members and associate members of Cloisters, are highly experienced in different aspects of international law, and are instructed to advise or represent on a range of international legal issues.

Our barristers are instructed in complex cases before international courts and tribunals, including the European Court of Human Rights and the European Court of Justice. Members of Chambers also have experience before international and regional human rights bodies, the UN Human Rights Committee and the UN Human Rights Council Special Procedures.

Current and recent cases before the European Court of Human Rights include:

• Duarte Agonstinho & others v Portugal & 32 other states (climate change)

• Caster Semenya v Switzerland (equality, sports law)

• Buttet v United Kingdom (State Immunity Act, equality, employment)

• Joseph Liu & others v Norway (status of Taiwanese nationals in Norway)

• Lee v United Kingdom (“gay cake” case, equality)

Our team also has particular experience of specialist crossover areas where international law sits at the confluence of other specialist areas practiced by Cloisters. These include the range of international human rights law, including natural resources; the environment, including climate change; transnational arbitration and specialist international administrative tribunals, such as the Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal and TACKC. Several of our members have specific experience in cases involving diplomatic and state immunities, at domestic and international level, as well as territorial jurisdiction. Members of our team have an expanding practice in business and human rights work.

Our team, which includes our associate members, includes international lawyers who regularly appear in domestic jurisdictions outside of England and Wales, in particular throughout the Caribbean. Members sit or have sat on international tribunals, contribute to or edit international legal publications or journals and have held leadership positions in international legal organisations. Our members also conduct specialised judicial and international law training.

We are fearless advocates for our clients and take a practical, creative and proactive approach.