Isabella Kirwan
(Member)
Guernica 37
Called: 2022
Qualified to accept Public Access Instructions.
Introduction
Isabella is a Barrister specialised in public law, human rights and international law.
International instructions
Isabella’s specialisms are public international law, international human rights law, international criminal law, international humanitarian law and transitional justice. She works on cases before international courts and tribunals, including the International Criminal Court and the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC). She is currently instructed as part of a defence team in proceedings before the KSC in The Hague.
She has also worked on matters before the UN Human Rights Council and UN Special Mechanisms, including the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Committee Against Torture. Isabella advises individuals and organisations on international law issues, including engagement and advocacy before United Nations treaty bodies and mechanisms.
Isabella is currently engaged in work on niche areas of international law, including being at the forefront of the representation of groups advocating for the repatriation of cultural heritage, reparations for slavery, the protection of indigenous and minority groups, and accountability for violations of international humanitarian law. She has a particular interest in transitional justice and peacebuilding in post-conflict states.
Domestic instructions
Public Law/Judicial Review
Isabella represents clients in claims against public authorities on behalf of individuals, including claims under the Human Rights Act 1998, the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Equality Act 2010. Examples of her work include:
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Delays in decision-making
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Fresh claim refusals
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Immigration detention, removals and deportation
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Human trafficking and modern slavery claims
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Sanctions
Immigration and Asylum
Isabella has extensive experience representing individuals in immigration and asylum cases, including:
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International protection claims, including asylum, political asylum and humanitarian protection
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Nationality and citizenship law
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Appeals against refusals of visa applications, including family applications and applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain
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High Net Worth Individual (HNWI) cases
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Human trafficking and modern slavery claims
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Immigration bail
Crime and Extradition
Isabella also represents clients in the Magistrates Court and Crown Court for crime and extradition matters.
Career
Before transferring to the Bar, Isabella was a qualified Solicitor before the Senior Courts of England and Wales. Isabella also worked at the United Nations’ Migration Agency, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR, Human Rights Council) in Geneva, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in London, and as a Trainee Lawyer at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg. She has also worked for various non-governmental organisations, both as an employed lawyer and consultant. Notably, in 2022, the Equal Rights Trust appointed her to a team of specialist human rights lawyers to analyse the issues surrounding the realisation of the legal right to non-discrimination. In 2019, Isabella was on Amnesty International UK’s Children’s Rights Committee.
Mediation
Isabella is also a practicing Mediator. She qualified through the Society of Mediators in London and is able to mediate a wide range of disputes, from complex commercial disputes to disputes between trustees of charities, employment issues or disputes within families or communities of a sensitive nature.
Appointments
Isabella is an elected member of the prestigious Executive Committee of the ‘Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales’ (BHRC).
Memberships
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
The Law Society (Roll of Solicitors)
Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC)
International Law Association (British Branch)
Human Rights Lawyers Association (HRLA)
Member of the Society of Mediators (MSoM)
Education
LLB Law (Hons.), LLM Public International Law, LPC.
Languages
English (Mother Tongue)
French (C1)
Italian (B2)
German (B1)