Seven new members have joined the Law Society's Human Rights Committee to help highlight, challenge and condemn human rights abuses across the world.
They are: Immigration solicitor Shanti Faiia of City firm Laura Devine. Faiia was previously with the United Nations development programme and the Sri Lankan human rights commission; Human rights and public law partner Stephen Grosz of London firm Bindmans.
Grosz has appeared before the European Court of Human Rights as well as the European Court of Justice and domestic courts; Alastair Logan, a sole practitioner and the solicitor who acted for Patrick Armstrong, one of the Guildford Four wrongly convicted and jailed for 15 years following the IRA bombing of two pubs in Guildford in 1974; Glyn Maddocks, a consultant with Wales firms Gabb & Co and Bowden Jones, and also with London firm Scott Moncrieff Harbour & Sinclair.
He is an acknowledged expert on cases of wrongful conviction; Global category counsel Marjon Esfandiary of Unilever PLC; Litigation and dispute resolution solicitor Juliya Arbisman from magic circle firm Clifford Chance; Equality and Human Rights Commission barrister Anthony Robinson.
Committee chairman Tony Fisher said the new members would help the committee ensure human rights are at the heart of government, business and daily life around the world.
He added: ‘Perhaps now, more than ever, human rights are under threat. Current events in North Africa and the Middle East, as well as in other jurisdictions, raise concerns about the threat to human rights and how lawyers are able to protect those rights.
'Even here in Britain, debate over our own laws on human rights is rife.
‘The Law Society plays a vital role in monitoring and protecting these fundamental rights. The new committee members will feature heavily in that effort, but the collective effort of the profession as a whole is needed to ensure human rights remain a cornerstone of society.’
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