Year of Call: 2005
Practice Areas
Kathryn Howarth practices in public international law, extradition and public law. She is on the Attorney General’s Public International Law Panel of Counsel and the Attorney General’s Civil Panel of Counsel. She is instructed by UK and foreign government departments and individuals. Kathryn is described in the Legal 500 as combining “intellectual strength with an imperturbable, yet reassuring, court manner”.
Public International Law
Kathryn is an experienced public international law practitioner. She acts in domestic proceedings where issues of public international law arise and has represented parties at international tribunals. She has been instructed in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal in cases involving the interpretation of the United Nations Torture Convention, including the landmark case of R v TRA [2019] UKSC. She has also been instructed in cases involving public international law immunities, including advising on immunities of United Nations personnel. She was junior counsel at the Central Criminal Court in trials involving charges of torture under section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, in relation to conflicts in Nepal (R v Lama) and Liberia (R v TRA). She was prosecution counsel in The Hague between 2008 – 2012 in the proceedings against Charles Taylor, the former President of Liberia, who was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity. She has worked at tribunals including the Special Court for Sierra Leone in Freetown, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the State Court for Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Extradition
Kathryn is regularly instructed in extradition proceedings at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and in the Administrative Court. She has appeared in the Divisional Court acting alone against Queens’ Counsel and as a led junior. Kathryn has built up a strong defence practice, successfully representing clients at first instance and on appeal. She has been instructed in leading cases in relation to the Extradition Act, including the provisions on temporary transfer and the charge or try bar to extradition, as well as complex cases, involving historic war crimes allegations and issues of dual criminality in respect of the International Criminal Court Act 2003. She is currently instructed in a number of cases involving the USA, concerning cyber-crime, drugs trafficking, fraud and money laundering allegations. She has represented requested persons’ in cases concerning prison conditions, including in the USA, Romania and Lithuania. She has been instructed in numerous Part 2 extradition requests in countries including South Africa, Albania, the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria. She undertook a secondment with the CPS Extradition Unit in 2013. She is a contributing author in A Practical Guide to Extradition Law Post-Brexit (Law Brief Publishing).
Public Law
Kathryn has a broad public law practice, which includes acting for government departments and individuals in a range of proceedings, including judicial review. Her current focus is on public inquiries and inquests, although she accepts instructions on a range of matters, including human rights law and environmental law.
Public Inquiries
Kathryn has experience in the area of Public Inquiries. She is currently instructed for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, led by Jason Beer QC. She also represents the Department of Health and Social Care in the Infected Blood Inquiry, led by Eleanor Grey QC and Nicholas Moss QC. She was also instructed by a Core Participant in the Undercover Policing Inquiry in relation to disclosure.
Inquests
Kathryn advises and represents a range of interested parties at Pre-Inquest Review Hearings and Inquests, both with and without a jury. Kathryn’s experience includes representing the Ministry of Justice, local authorities and police forces at inquests relating to deaths in prison custody, deaths following a period in police custody and Inquests where there are or have been criminal proceedings in the Crown Court. Kathryn also accepts instructions on behalf of families, including pro-bono.
Having undertaken a mixed public law and criminal law pupillage, she spent several years at the beginning of her practice representing appellants in public and civil law proceedings, including asylum and immigration and prison law. Kathryn also has many years of prior experience before the criminal courts, including in numerous jury trials. She has been instructed as a led junior in cases involving very significant disclosure exercises, including war crimes cases with cross-border disclosure issues, as well as large-scale fraud and immigration offences. Her knowledge of criminal law and procedure make her well placed to act in cases where issues of criminal, civil and public law intersect. She is a contributing author in Criminal Judicial Review (Hart).
“Kathryn is a very experienced advocate in the field on international criminal law. She is practical and balanced, she is hard working and has good attention to factual details and a strong understanding of the legal issues.”
Legal 500 2021
“Kathryn is a careful and measured advocate, in and out of court. She is very intelligent and brings her experience of international crime to the field of extradition, to the benefit of clients. She is very calm and pleasant to work with.”
Legal 500 2021
“She combines intellectual strength with an imperturbable, yet reassuring, court manner.”
Legal 500 2020, Leading Juniors, International Crime and Extradition
“A well–rounded, hardworking and energetic advocate.”
“Up and coming junior”.
Legal 500 previous entries
Undertakes Public Access work
Appointed to C panel
Kathryn Howarth represented the London Borough of Merton in an inquest concerning the death of 17 years old Katrina Makunvoa, who was killed by a knife wound in an altercation with her ex-boyfriend at a block of flats in London.
Read moreKathryn Howarth represented the Government of the USA before a Divisional Court comprised of Fulford LJ and Laing J.
Read moreSupreme Court decision concerning the interpretation of article 1 of the UN Convention Against Torture. The appeal arose out of a domestic prosecution, under universal jurisdiction provisions, for offences of torture carried out during the Liberian civil war.
Read moreKathryn Howarth successfully represented the Crown and was led by Bobbie Cheema QC (now Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb) before the Court of Appeal, in this important case which considered issues of public international law immunity.
Read more9th September 2021
Published on 6 September 2021 by the TGC Extradition Team.
9th March 2020
This is a comprehensive guide to challenging decisions of criminal courts and public bodies in the criminal justice system using judicial review. Written by a team of criminal and public law practitioners, it considers claims for judicial review arising in the criminal justice system, which now represent a distinct area of public law. Contributing Author (Chapter on EU Criminal Law).
29th October 2014
This is a manual of Moot Court exercises written for the annual International Bar Association’s International Criminal Court Moot Court competition.
10th September 2021
Kathryn Howarth represented the London Borough of Merton in an inquest concerning the death of 17 years old Katrina Makunvoa, who was killed by a knife wound in an altercation with her ex-boyfriend at a block of flats in London. There was significant media coverage of both the Crown Court trial and Inquest before the Senior Coroner for London Inner South.
Read more9th September 2021
The TGC Extraditon Team is delighted to announce the publication on 6th September of ‘A Practical Guide to Extradition Law Post-Brexit’. Find it at www.lawbriefpublishing.com/ExtraditionLawPostBrexit. A 10% off discount code can be found here. Kathryn Howarth; Myles Grandison; Daniel Sternberg; Benjamin Seifert; Émilie Pottle; Saoirse Townshend; Emily Wilsdon; Juliet Wells.
11th February 2021
Extradition is an area of law which frequently produces headlines, with cases involving the USA, such as Julian Assange (WikiLeaks) and Anne Sacoolas (hit and run at RAF Croughton) in the news. Significant changes are afoot with the UK set to withdraw from the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) in 2021.
Read more14th January 2021
In a pre-recorded webinar that will be streamed at 12:30pm on Friday 29th January 2021 Kathryn Howarth will take the participants through the new extradition arrangements contained in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) as well as the implementing legislation and the transitional provisions. The trade deal, struck at the eleventh hour on Christmas Eve, means that from 1st January 2021 the “Arrest Warrant” (AW) replaces the EAW as the mechanism for extradition between the UK and the EU member states. Please see link below for further details.
Read more30th November 2020
TGC Extradition team invites you to a webinar in advance of the publication of A Practical Guide to Extradition Law Post-Brexit.
Read more24th November 2020
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, it will no longer benefit from the European Arrest Warrant, making extradition far more complex.
Read more20th November 2020
Kathryn Howarth and Daniel Sternberg examine the implications for policing following the U.K’s exit from the E.U, in particular the loss of access to the European Arrest Warrant.
Read more28th October 2020
TGC is delighted to announce that Kathryn Howarth has been appointed to the Attorney General’s Public International Law B Panel of Counsel as from 30 October 2020.
27th March 2020
The Coronavirus Act 2020 received royal assent on 25 March 2020. It contains provisions amending the Extradition Act 2003 which came into force on the same day.
Read more9th March 2020
We are delighted to announce that Kathryn Howarth has accepted an invitation to join Temple Garden Chambers. Kathryn specialises in public international law, extradition and public law. She is a member of the Attorney General’s C Panel.
This document describes the information that Kathryn Howarth, in her professional capacity as a barrister, collects about data subjects, how it is used and shared, and the data subjects’ rights regarding it.
Thank you for choosing to instruct me in your case. I will need to collect and hold your personal information in order to advise and represent you. I might also need to collect and hold personal information of third parties. I will take all possible steps to protect your personal information. I am determined to do nothing that would infringe your rights or undermine your trust. This Privacy Notice describes the information I collect and hold about you, how it is used and shared, and your rights regarding information.
I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a Data Controller for the personal data that I hold and process as a barrister. My registered address is Temple Garden Chambers, 1 Harcourt Buildings, Temple EC4Y 9DA and my registration number is ZA213605.
The vast majority of the information that I hold about you is provided to or gathered by your legal team in the course of your case and/or proceedings. Your solicitor will tell you why we need the information and how we will use it.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires all organisations that process personal data to have a Lawful Basis for doing so. The Lawful Bases identified in the GDPR are:
Our Lawful Basis can include any of the above as appropriate, but will generally be consent and/or performance or facilitation of the contract for the provision of legal services to you.
I have another Lawful Basis for processing your information (and that of any third party). That is for the legitimate interests of my business as a barrister.
I do not use automated decision-making in the processing of your personal data.
I collect and process both personal data and special categories of personal data as defined in the GDPR. This includes:
I do not transfer any personal data to third countries or international organisations.
I retain your personal data while you remain a client unless you ask me to delete it. My Retention and Disposal Policy (copy available on request) details how long I hold data for and how I dispose of it when it no longer needs to be held. I will delete or anonymise your information at your request unless:
The General Data Protection Regulation gives you specific rights around your personal data. For example, you have to be informed about the information I hold and what I use it for, you can ask for a copy of the personal information I hold about you, you can ask us to correct any inaccuracies with the personal data I hold, you can ask us to stop sending you direct mail, or emails, or in some circumstances ask us to stop processing your details. Finally, if I do something irregular or improper with your personal data you can seek compensation for any distress you are caused or loss you have incurred. You can find out more information from the ICO’s website and this is the organisation that you can complain to if you are unhappy with how I dealt with you.
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