Welcome to the website of the UK Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation. I am proud to take over from my distinguished and rightly celebrated predecessor, David Anderson QC. Where he led the way in engaging with all sides in national and international discussion about terrorism and national security, so I hope to follow and to build upon David’s excellent work.

I have been involved in terrorism casework for fifteen years, but I have been a professional lawyer for twice as long. As a practising barrister, I have both defended and prosecuted in criminal trials of almost every type and level of seriousness. Throughout my three decades of working life, I have never been under a contract of employment, and I remain a self-employed barrister and Head of Chambers at my place of work, Red Lion Chambers in London.

I intend to grasp this opportunity to use my working knowledge of terrorism legislation, gained over many years prosecuting terrorist trials, and to combine that with my long experience of defending citizens charged with the most serious non-terrorist criminal offences. My work as Independent Reviewer requires an intense focus on the balance between the right of citizens to live in peace without interference from the State, and the need for society to protect itself from any real risk to national security. If I am to fulfil this task, I will need help from as many sections of the population as possible, remembering that as UK Independent Reviewer I have a responsibility covering the whole of the UK, meaning that I need help from anyone in Scotland and Northern Ireland who has a view on terrorism legislation, just as much as those within England and Wales. Please use this website to get in touch with me, and bear with me as I get used to this challenging yet exciting new role.