Bar Pro Bono Award 2013: Rachel Barnes commended

At the Bar Conference on Saturday, 2 November, Rachel Barnes received one of two special commendations awarded during the presentation of the 17^th annual Sydney Elland Goldsmith Bar Pro Bono Award.

In her speech, Maura McGowan, Chair of the Bar, praised Rachel for her pro bono commitment, which dates back to 2000 when she started as junior counsel on a US death penalty appeal, followed by a three-month consultancy project for the Office of the Prosecutor in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. For the last three years, Rachel has been representing four individuals, against whom the UN Security Council has applied financial sanctions for alleged associations with Al-Qaida or Al-Qaida related persons. Rachel is also a member of the Fair Trials International Legal Experts Advisory panel and regularly volunteers as a co-ordinator at Hackney Winter Night Shelter.

Our congratulations go to Rachel for her achievement.

4th November 2013