Overview
Rebecca is a leading junior offering advice and advocacy to individuals in the fields of extradition, mutual legal assistance, asylum and protection and financial crime. Her breadth and depth of experience affords Rebecca a comprehensive insight and advantage when assisting clients from the pre-request stage through to possible challenges before the European Court.
Rebecca has nearly two-decades’ experience before all levels of Court and is regularly instructed to appear against King’s Counsel. She has particular expertise in cross-border financial crime, requests with a political dimension (including abuse or manipulation by the State), and transnational criminality such as trafficking of people.
Rebecca has strong contacts with an international network of lawyers who can offer insight and parallel advice alongside domestic extradition or asylum challenges. She is a strong tactician and will seek to utilise this network to her client’s benefit. Her exceptional client care is a key strength. She has been described as “compassionate, committed and determined to achieve the right result."
Rebecca is ranked as a Band 1 and Tier 1 barrister in Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500.
Rebecca’s strength lies in her aptitude for identifying and arguing complex and novel legal challenges combined with exceptional client care. The guides say the following about Rebecca:
Rebecca has strong contacts with an international network of lawyers who can offer insight and parallel advice alongside domestic extradition or asylum challenges. She is a strong tactician and will seek to utilise this network to her client’s benefit.
Rebecca has exceptional client care. Chambers and Partners observed ‘Her levels of client care are second to none; she is compassionate, committed and determined to achieve the right result."
Judicial appointments
- Deputy District Judge: South Eastern Circuit.
- Fee-paid Judge of the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber).
Professional Panel Appointments
- Attorney General's Panel of Counsel: B Panel.
- Specialist level 3 prosecutor on the CPS Extradition list.
Extradition & International
Rebecca prosecutes and defends in the most serious and complex cases, involving both European and International jurisdictions and raising the full spectrum of issues including technical and human rights arguments. In addition, she is experienced in ancillary Judicial Reviews, habeas corpus applications and submissions to the European Court of Human Rights.
Rebecca is instructed to advise in cases of international individuals ‘at risk’ of extradition and those who have been returned to the UK by ‘import extraditions’. As such her expertise encompasses every area of work in the extradition field.
Rebecca frequently provides training to solicitors on an ad-hoc basis on current legal issues and topics. She has lectured delegates from the Commonwealth Secretariat on the merits and difficulties of the European Arrest Warrant scheme. Her reputation as an extradition specialist had led her to appear as an expert and commentator in the press and on BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 News.
Interpol
Judicial Review & Public Law
Rebecca is appointed to the Attorney General’s ‘B’ Panel of counsel to advise the Government on a range of substantial and complex legal matters. Her appointment to this ‘fiercely’ competitive Panel is reflective of her aptitude and expertise in all areas of public law.
Rebecca is experienced in advising on government policy and in appearing before the UT and Administrative Court in judicial review challenges. She advises on civil claims including those for Unlawful Detention, Asylum Support and under the Equalities Act.
As with extradition, Rebecca’s practice representing Government affords a unique insight and she also represents individuals in judicial reviews, writs for habeas corpus and other public law challenges.
Immigration
Rebecca’s extensive experience in international human rights’ work places her perfectly to represent the interests of clients resisting removal from the UK or seeking entry clearance. Rebecca has represented Claimants in the First Tier and Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). She is ideally placed to advise in cases with linked extradition proceeding or with a political dimension.
Criminal Defence
Rebecca is an experienced criminal barrister, having acted in serious and complex cases including murder, international fraud, child cruelty, ‘professional’ armed robberies (cash-in-transit) and serious sexual assaults.
Additional Information
Direct Public Access
Rebecca accepts direct public access instructions in suitable cases.
Education
- 2004 Middle Temple Harmsworth Scholar
- 2004 Bar Vocational Course, Nottingham Law School
- 2003 LLB (Hons) Nottingham University
Professional Memberships
- Defence Extradition Lawyers Association (DELF).
- Bar Human Rights Committee (BHRC).
Cases of Note
Extradition
SB (2024)
Representing high-profile individual resisting extradition on grounds of political interference in his prosecution.
BC (2024)
Representing individual with highly complex medical conditions and needs resisting extradition for multi-million Euro fraud.
TC (2024)
Representing first Appellant in lead appeal concerning Cypriot prison conditions and challenges relating to Cypriot criminal process.
Czech Republic v AS (2023)
Instructed on behalf of RP to resist extradition to face trial for a $45 million corporate insurance fraud said to have been perpetrated whilst he was a Company Director.
US v MG (2023)
Instructed on behalf of RP to resist extradition to the US in respect of allegations including laundering of cryptocurrency. Issues advanced in opposition to extradition include challenges to the US authorities’ jurisdiction and the possibility of a domestic prosecution (forum).
ZN v Poland (2023)
Representing individual in challenge against extradition on grounds of politically motivated prosecution.
Rae v USA (2023)
Representing individual in lead case on application of ECHR requirements to non-Contracting States.
Brazil v Savergnini (2023)
Representing individual in the first request by Brazil considering prison conditions for women.
Birbeck v Andorra (2023)
Acting for the SSHD in a lead case before the Divisional Court concerning challenges to the certification of a request.
Turkey v EU (2023)
Representing individual in challenge to extradition on grounds relating to Kurdish ethnicity and prison conditions.
Bhandari v India (2023)
Representing the SSHD in a statutory appeal concerning specialty arrangements with India.
US v Kaura (2022)
Representing individual in challenge to extradition to the US for ‘Darknet’ fraud offences.
Advising on asylum challenge relating to politically motivated extradition request by Kenya (2022)
Chappel & Ors v SSHD (2022)
Acting for the SSHD in a judicial review against certification of the first request from Japan on grounds it was not made in the required way.
Belgium v Klar
Representing the Belgian authorities in their request for consent to the onward extradition of the RP for a £31 million tax fraud.
First extradition hearing under the new post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement
Rebecca'sclient was arrested at Court on a European Arrest Warrant issued in April 2020. Pursuant to Article LAW.SURR.112 of the agreement EAWs issued, but not executed prior to 31st Dec 2020 are to be treated as 'arrest warrants' under the new scheme. Thus the hearing became the first extradition hearing under the post-Brexit 'Surrender Arrangements'. Judgment was adjourned.
MI and BI v Italy [2018] A.C.D. 98
Represented the first Appellant in this lead Divisional Court appeal relating to the right of children to be heard under Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In particular, whether and how district judges need to hear from children before making a decision regarding their parents’ extradition.
Brazil v PD [2018]
Secured the discharge of the Requested Person who faced a 5 year sentence for firearms offences. Successfully argued that prison conditions in Brazil would breach PD’s right to freedom from inhumane and degrading treatment.
USA v RL
Instructed on behalf of the Requested Person, in this case concerning the complex issue of the US Civil Commitment regime which enables sexual offenders to be incarcerated indefinitely. On behalf of the Requested Person, it was argued that the regime breaches the Art 5 right to liberty. The matter presently awaits a decision by the Secretary of State for the Home Department.
France v Kayani
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/26/suspected-trafficker-sent-hundreds-migrants-britain-court-told. Instructed on behalf of the French authorities who sought the Requested Person's extradition for serious offences of human trafficking. The RP resisted extradition on grounds that the warrant was invalid, that he was not wanted for the purpose of trial and that he should be tried in the UK. Mr Kayani's extradition was ordered.
Italy v Doci [2016] EWHC 2100 (Admin)
Represented the Appellant in this lead case on the application of a new provision in the Extradition Act 2003, s12A. The matter involved expert evidence on complex provisions of Italian law and the interrelationship between European and Domestic law. A decision is presently awaited on the Appellant's application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Zagorskij v Lithuania [2015] EWHC 2335 (Admin)
Represented a gay Lithuanian man convicted of sexually assaulting another man and required to serve a sentence. It was argued that whilst Lithuanian prisons are generally Art 3 compliant, homophobia in the State is so rife that it rendered the RP a uniquely vulnerable prisoner who could not be protected.
Hungary v Agardi [2014] EWHC 3433 (Admin)
Representing this Defendant in the test case on Hungarian prison conditions. The case involves the calling of a number of experts and complex legal argument. The cases of four other defendants are linked in order to comprehensively analyse the conditions and reach a conclusive determination which will be binding in all other Hungarian cases.
Albania v Voci (2014) EWHC 4030 (Admin)
Instructed to represent the Defendant in his appeal against extradition order. The Defendant’s return is sought in relation to a murder in 1997. Multiple arguments being raised, namely conviction in absence, retrial rights failing to meet Art 6 standards, prison conditions and risk from non-state actors arising from blood feuds which are well documented in Albania. The case involves no less than three separate experts as well as reliance on voluminous open-source international material.
Netecza v Holland [2014] EWHC 1527 (Admin)
Represented the interests of the Requesting Judicial Authority in this writ for habeas corpus arising from the extension of time for an individual's removal.
Publications and Media Appearances
Law Brief Update
Rebecca is co-author of extradition updates for Law Brief Update, an email update of key developments in case law which is circulated to over 10,000 lawyers on a monthly basis.
BBC News
29th March 2012 – Interview addressing the issues arising from the Shrien Dewani extradition.
Channel 4 News
17th December 2011 – Undertook interview explaining the Extradition Act 2003 and commenting upon the Assange extradition.
Channel 5 News
9th December 2011 – Interviewed as expert on extradition to South Africa in relation to the Dewani extradition.
Commonwealth Secretariat Conference 2008
Lectured delegates on the European Arrest Warrant regime and broader principles of extradition.
