Year of Call: 2005
Practice Areas
Kathryn Howarth specialises 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, most recently in the landmark case of R v TRA [2019] UKSC. She is instructed in cases involving public international law immunities, including 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 on all aspects of extradition law 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 2001. 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.
Public Law
Kathryn’s public law practice includes acting for government departments and individuals in proceedings for judicial review and in relation to inquests, immigration and asylum proceedings and prison law. She is building her practice in relation to inquests and has represented parties in proceedings before the Coroner’s Court, including several police forces. Having undertaken a mixed public law and criminal law pupillage, she spent several years at the beginning of her practice representing appellants in asylum and immigration and prison law proceedings. She has returned to these areas following her appointment to the Attorney General’s Panel in 2019. Kathryn has many years of prior experience before the criminal courts and 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. She is a contributing author in Criminal Judicial Review (Hart). Her knowledge of criminal law and procedure make her uniquely well placed to act in cases where issues of criminal, civil and public law intersect.
Legal 500 2020, Leading Juniors, International Crime and Extradition:
“She combines intellectual strength with an imperturbable, yet reassuring, court manner.”
Legal 500 previous entries:
“A well–rounded, hardworking and energetic advocate”.
“Up and coming junior”.
Undertakes Public Access work
Appointed to C panel
Supreme 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 more9th 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).
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.
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