Activist Lawyer

When Louise O'Keeffe took her case all the way to the European Court of Human Rights, she changed the landscape of accountability in Ireland. But decades later, many of her former classmates and survivors of sexual abuse in Irish schools are still seeking redress.   In this episode, Sarah is joined by Louise O'Keeffe and Professor Conor O'Mahony of University College Cork, to discuss justice, stat...

What happens when citizenship can be taken away? Why are immigration detainees still struggling to access quality legal advice? And has legal aid been 'strangled by reform'? Host Sarah Henry sits down with Dr Ayesha Riaz to discuss her fascinating research on citizenship deprivation, immigration detention and the long decline of legal aid. Drawing on years of practice and academic research, Ayesha...

We revisit the archive of Activist Lawyer episodes with one of the UK's leading feminist lawyers and founder and director of Centre for Women's Justice - Harriet Wistrich.   We were reminded of the importance of Harriet's work after watching the ITV drama 'Believe Me,' which tells the story of the women who fought for justice and to be believed after serious sexual assaults perpetrated by convicte...

Sarah is joined by Sahar Francis, a Palestinian lawyer and human rights defender, to discuss Israel’s recently passed “Prisoners’ Execution Law” and its devastating impact on Palestinian political prisoners. With over 10,000 detainees- including 350 children, Sahar highlights the ongoing torture, extrajudicial killings, and systemic abuses perpetrated by Israel. Drawing on her 27 years defending p...

In today’s episode, Sarah is joined by activist Basira Paigham and legal officer, Ebrahim from ‘Rainbow Afghanistan.’ Learn more about the work of this impactful and vital organisation established to defend the rights, dignity and lives of members of Afghanistan’s LGBTQI+ community.  Rainbow Afghanistan, is a non-profit organisation established to defend the rights, dignity, and lives of members o...

Sarah is joined by Dr Yousef Aljamal on his visit to Ireland as Gaza co-ordinator at the American Friends Service Committee.  This discussion focuses on writing as a form of resistance from the perspective of a Palestinian growing up in Gaza at the hands of Israeli apartheid and oppression.  Dr Aljamal, in a candid conversation, shares how the genocide and decades of aggression impacted his family...

In this episode of The Activist Lawyer, we’re joined by barrister Ifé Thompson, whose ground breaking work is reshaping criminal defence through a racial justice and linguistic lens. Ifé is the host of the Black British English Podcast and is widely recognised by communities and by her peers as a champion for linguistic, cultural and human rights.  From challenging the criminalisation of rap and d...

We are delving into the archive and sharing this 2022 Activist Lawyer episode featuring solicitor Jude Copeland. Jude shares his journey into law, his practice as a legal technology specialist and his outstanding work with the LGBTQ+ community.  We chose to ‘replay’ this episode as it is full of brilliant anecdotes and stories showing how activists, campaigners and fearless people can help shape t...

In this episode, host Sarah speaks with solicitor Jack Murphy of McIvor Farrell Solicitors about his work across a broad range of human rights areas. From representing Raymond McCord Sr in the long-running campaign for an Article 2-compliant public inquiry into his son’s murder, to challenging unlawful housing decisions affecting refugees and social housing tenancy succession, Jack discusses the l...

In this episode of Activist Lawyer, host Sarah Henry speaks with Roi Bachmutsky from Amnesty International’s Business and Human Rights team about corporate criminal liability - how companies become implicated in international crimes, and what it takes to investigate and pursue those cases. From tracing supply chains to preparing criminal complaints, Roi unpacks how corporate accountability operate...

We kick off our first Activist Lawyer Book Club of 2026 – with ‘Through the Gates of Hell – American Injustice at Guantanamo Bay’ by Joshua Colangelo – Bryan.   Listeners to the podcast will remember a recent episode featuring lawyer and author , Joshua Colangelo – Bryan discussing his career in international human rights law, his role with Human Rights First and his latest publication which of co...

Host Sarah Henry interviews Keir Monteith KC from Garden Court Chambers, discussing his pivotal work with the Art Not Evidence campaign. Keir explores the use of rap lyrics as evidence in court, shining a light on the systemic racism that pervades the criminal justice system. He shares the story of Ademola Adedeji, an aspiring law student whose conviction for conspiracy to commit grievous bodily h...

We are delighted to welcome two brilliant lawyers, Marbré Stahly-Butts and Ameca Reali, to the Activist Lawyer podcast. Talking to our host Sarah Henry, the discussion centres on movement lawyering - what it is, what it takes, and how lawyers can be forces for liberation. Marbré and Ameca have recently launched an excellent new book, Lawyering for Liberation: A Toolbox for Movement Lawyers -  an i...

Activist Lawyer Podcast, host Sarah Henry sits down with Diarmuid Brecknell, solicitor at Phoenix Law, to discuss his pivotal role in securing justice for victims of historical abuse and families affected by the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Diarmuid shares his experience of working on inquests, inquiries, and actions against public authorities, and sheds light on his involvement in some of the mo...

Host Sarah Henry is joined by international lawyer Eitan Diamond, who specialises in international humanitarian law and human rights law. As Manager and Senior Legal Expert at the IHL Centre, Eitan leads efforts in the Israeli-Palestinian context.   Discussing the ongoing challenges faced by human rights organisations, he speaks about Israeli-imposed restrictions on humanitarian and human rights g...

Host Sarah Henry meets Joshua Colangelo-Bryan, a renowned human rights lawyer and special counsel at Human Rights First. Joshua shares his journey into law, his role in the fight for justice at Guantanamo Bay, and the inspiration behind his new book Through the Gates of Hell: American Injustice at Guantanamo Bay.   Joshua Colangelo-Bryan is Special Counsel at Human Rights First, where he spearhead...

A short reminder of the Activist Lawyer Book club with registration details is discussed in today’s episode.  The next Book Club Meeting features 'Pride and Prejudices Queer Lives and the Law by Keio Yoshida. Tune in to find out more!  

In this special episode of The Activist Lawyer Podcast, host Sarah Henry sits down with international human rights lawyer and barrister, Keio Yoshida, to explore their journey into law and the release of their new book ‘Pride and Prejudices: Queer Lives and the Law.’ Celebrating the progression in LGBTQ+ rights while highlighting the pressing issues still faced by queer communities around the worl...

In this episode,  criminal defence attorney, business coach, and visionary educator Courtney Teasley, Esq. joins host Sarah Henry to discuss her revolutionary approach to justice. As the founder of emeffen™ and creator of the MFN Framework for Proactive Advocacy, Courtney is changing the way we fight systemic injustice. She shares how her work empowers disproportionately affected, marginalized min...

In this episode, Sarah speaks with Roman Shortall, a solicitor and investigative journalist, about his unique career at the crossroads of law and media. Roman shares examples of where his legal background and journalistic approach have combined to secure impactful outcomes. This timely discussion also addresses the recent detention of activists and humanitarians by Israeli forces in international...

In this episode, human rights expert and senior policy advisor Brian Dooley joins Sarah to share his experience of working in conflict zones and supporting human rights defenders as they work under extremely challenging circumstances.  This episode explores the intersection of activism and policy while offering insights into working in the human rights sector more generally. As Senior Advisor, Bri...

We kick start a new season of Activist Lawyer with dual-qualified solicitor Miglena Ilieva.  Miglena is founder of ILEX Law Group – a law firm specialising in UK and Irish immigration law.  Miglena shares what motivated her to build upon her career as an immigration lawyer practicing in multiple jurisdictions before setting up her own practice providing services across the UK and Ireland.  Miglena...

Sarah speaks with solicitor Aine Rice, who works on the Legacy Litigation and Historical Institutional Abuse Team at KRW Law, about Stormont’s proposed inquiry and redress scheme for survivors of Mother and Baby Homes. With growing concerns over the scheme being ‘unfit for purpose,’ Aine shares insights from her work supporting survivors and challenging systemic failings.   Aine Rice graduated fro...

A short reminder of the Activist Lawyer Book Club with registration details is discussed in today’s episode.  The next Book Club Meeting features ‘Just Mercy’ by Bryan Stevenson. Tune in to find out more!   Next Activist Lawyer Book Club 4th September 6.30pm (GMT) Register:  info@activistlawyer.com

Activist Lawyer welcomes Kenneth Roth, former long-serving Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, for a compelling conversation about his career at the forefront of the global human rights movement. Drawing on his new book, Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments, Kenneth shares insights into confronting authoritarian regimes, defending the ‘rule of law’ i...