Iain Edwards

Practice Areas

Iain is a seasoned barrister with particular expertise in international criminal law. For the last 11 years he has been one of a handful of leading juniors ranked by C&P in international crime. He prides himself on his meticulous preparation and intelligent trial strategy. Iain is counsel in a case on appeal before the ICC, defending a Janjaweed militia commander convicted on 27 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur, Sudan. He is also lead counsel representing a high-profile defendant before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. Additionally, Iain represents a Rwandan client seeking to be resettled in a safe country having completed his sentence for genocide passed by the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha. He was counsel for the former head of the Serbian state security service before the IRMCT in The Hague, and, between 2012 and 2016, was counsel for a senior Hezbollah commander accused of terrorism before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. From 2009 to 2012, he was a legal adviser at the ICTR in three defence teams representing clients charged with genocide and crimes against humanity. Iain has experience in all areas of national and international sanctions work, and currently represents applicants for delisting before the UN’s Ombudsperson to the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee. He undertakes public access work. Iain is regularly invited to provide advocacy training and to speak at international conferences, particularly on defence issues. He is fluent in French. LL.M. Public International Law, University College London (1999).