extremely

client-

focused,

dynamic

and

professional"

Legal 500

Karim A. A. Khan QC

Karim A. A. Khan QC

Profile

Karim combines a practice at the national and international levels in public law and human rights. He specialises in international criminal law acting on behalf of Governments, Heads of States, political leaders, military officers, and victims before all the international criminal courts. His advisory work includes acting in proceedings before the International Court of Justice and the ECHR. His international work encompasses advisory work in many foreign jurisdictions embracing matters such as the right of return, issues of nationality and citizenship and property rights under international law and the ECHR. Karim is currently representing the Minister of Transport and Communications in the first EULEX prosecution in Kosovo . Domestically he has significant experience in asylum and immigration work and has acted for the Home Office and for applicants in numerous cases at all levels.  To this he adds substantial criminal law experience.

Notable Cases

  • As a member of the Prosecution in the ICTY and ICTR acted, between 1997-2000, in various trial and appeal cases including: Prosecutor v Delalic et al (ICTY), Prosecutor v Akayesu. Prosecutor v Kayishema and Ruzindana, Prosecutor v Musema (ICTR).
  • Prosecutor v Fatmir Limaj, Defence Counsel, (2003-2007), International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the first commander of the KLA charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity before the ICTY. Represented at trial and on appeal.
  • Prosecutor v Charles Ghankay Taylor, Lead Counsel (April 1996 - June 1997) to the Former President of Liberia for crimes allegedly committed in Sierra Leone, before the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
  • Prosecutor v Bruno Stojic, (2008- to present) Defence counsel to the Former Head of the Defence department, the Croatian Community of Herceg Bosna, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Allegations of War Crimes and Crimes against humanity.
  • Prosecutor v Kaing Guek Eav, alia Duch, Lead Counsel (Feb 2008 - July 2010) to the largest group of civil parties (victims) in the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia, (ECCC) in the first trial conducted therein relating to events during the Khmer Rouge period.
  • Prosecutor v Astrid Haraqija, Acted as defence Counsel to the Former Minister of Culture in Kosova, in relation to charges of contempt, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Represented at trial and on appeal. (2008-2009).
  • Prosecutor v Florence Hartmann, Lead Counsel (2008-2010) at trial and on appeal to the Former spokesperson of the Prosecutor of the ICTY (and Former Le Monde Journalist) charged with criminal contempt arising out of the publication of a book Paix et Chastisement. Case involved numerous issues of Human Rights Law, especially Article 10 of the ECHR.
  • Prosecutor v Jean-Pierra Bemba, International Criminal Court, Co-lead Defence Counsel,  (2008-2009) to the Former Vice President of the Democratic republic of Congo for crimes allegedly committed in the Central African Republic.  Allegations of War Crimes and crimes against humanity.
  • Prosecutor v Bahar Idris Abu Garda, International Criminal Court. Lead Defence Counsel (2008-2010) to the first rebel leader to voluntarily surrender to the International Criminal Court. Allegations of war crimes arising out of the situation in Darfur.
  • Prosecutor v Abdullah Banda and Saleh Jerbo (ICC): Lead Defence counsel (2010 to date) representing both suspects in relation to war crimes arising out of the situation in Darfur.

Appointments

  • Permanent Member of the Disciplinary Appeals Board of the ICC.
  • Member of the ICTY Disciplinary Board (along with ICTY judiciary) (2009 - to date).
  • Member of the Executive Committee of the Association of Defence Counsel at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. (2010-to date)
  • Honorary Lecturer, School of Law, University of Utrecht, Netherlands (2010-2011).
  • Director of the Peace and Justice Initiative.
  • Member of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Pro Bono Human Rights Panel. (2002-to date)
  • In 2008 elected an individual member of the International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC).
  • Past Member of Disciplinary Council of the Association of Defence Counsel of the ICTY (ADC) (2007 to 2010).
  • Past Chair, Amicus Committee, of the Association of Defence Counsel of the ICTY (ADC) (2007-2008).
  • Included on Attorney-General's panel of Prosecution Advocates (2001-2004).
  • Past member of international justice sub-committee of the IRC of the Bar Council.
  • Member of the CBA's working group on the ICC Act 2001.
  • Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Department of War Studies, King's College, London (1999-2002).
  • Former Legal Adviser, (1997-2000) Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda (ICTR) (International Law and Appeals).
  • Grade 7 Lawyer, Law Commission of England & Wales (1996-1997).
  • Former Senior Crown Prosecutor (1993-1996).
  • Included on Defence counsel list, ICC, ICTY, ICTR, SCSL, ECCC and STL.

Publications

  • Co-Author, of Archbold International Criminal Courts (Sweet & Maxwell, 1st ed 2003; 2nd ed 2005, 3rd ed 2009)
  • Co-editor and contributing author: "Principles of Evidence in International Criminal Justice" (Oxford University Press, December 2010).
  • Co-Editor of the International Criminal Law Reports (ICLR) (Cameron May) (2006 to present).
  • Contributing Author to A Commentary to the Rome Statute on the ICC  (Baden-Baden) 2000; 2nd ed 2008.
  • Contributor to Human Rights Practice (Sweet & Maxwell, 2002 to present).
  • Author, Oxford Transitional Justice Research -Working Papers Series, paper on victim participation before the ECCC (2010)
  • Co-Author,"Enlargement and human rights law, norms and realities" in Security Dimension to EU enlargement, (Manchester University Press, Shepherd and Brown ed.) (2007).