SILK PROFILE
Schona Jolly KC

Schona Jolly KC

UK Bar 2026

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Ranked in 5 practice areas

About

Provided by Cloisters Chambers

Practice Areas

Schona Jolly KC has a high profile domestic and international silk practice, highly acclaimed in her principal specialist areas in equality, employment, human rights law, and public international law. She has notable expertise in conducting group litigation as well as highly regarded for her strategic advice on complex litigation and policy in the UK and internationally. She routinely acts for a wide range of clients in domestic and international courts including international NGOS and inter/national bodies across governance, diplomacy, politics, media and entertainment. Her practice intersects widely with other areas of law, including AI, sports, and public law. She is longstanding Panel Counsel to the EHRC.

Schona was Chair of the Bar Human Rights Committee 2019- 2021 and is Head of Cloisters Human Rights and International Law Practice Groups. She is a Visiting Professor at Goldsmiths University, London.

Career

Called to the Bar 1999; Licence Speciale (European Law) at University of Brussels; BA Jurisprudence, Magdalen College, Oxford.

Professional Memberships

Bar Human Rights Committee; JUSTICE, ELA, IBA, CORLA, DLA, ELBA, ALBA, Women in Sports Law.

Publications

Contributing author:-

- British Academy: Judicial Independence in Times of Crisis (2022)

- Sweet & Maxwell, 'Human Rights Practice': Article 9 ECHR.

- OUP 'Equal Pay' : Introduction to EU law, Brexit and Equal Pay (2021);

- 'Discrimination in Employment: A Claims Handbook', LAG, 2013.

Co-author: Age Discrimination Handbook, LAG 2006

Former associate editor of the European Human Rights Reports.

Regular academic/media contributions.

Personal

Legally fluent in French. High level Spanish, Punjabi, Intermediate Hindi/Urdu, Basic Arabic.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

UK Bar

International Human Rights Law - London (Bar)

Band 1
Band 1

Individual Editorial

Schona Jolly KC is a well-regarded practitioner with notable expertise across human rights matters, including discrimination, trafficking and judicial reviews. She has deep experience in international human rights issues and is noted for her work defending journalists in major freedom of expression cases. She is particularly recognised for her work on the impact of Brexit on human rights and equality law.

Employment - London (Bar)

Band 1
Band 1

Individual Editorial

Schona Jolly KC is an admired silk whose employment practice is bolstered by her human rights knowledge. She is a regular counsel for banking clients and trade unions, and has been instructed in one of the leading gig economy cases in the court system. She also handles complex discrimination claims. She has represented clients in the High Court and appellate courts.

Civil Liberties & Human Rights - London (Bar)

Band 2
Band 2

Individual Editorial

Schona Jolly KC is a well-regarded practitioner with notable expertise across human rights matters, including discrimination, trafficking and judicial reviews. She has deep experience in international human rights issues and is noted for her work defending journalists in major freedom of expression cases. She is particularly recognised for her work on the impact of Brexit on human rights and equality law.

Public International Law - London (Bar)

Band 3
Band 3

Individual Editorial

Schona Jolly KC of Cloisters Chambers is experienced in such matters as state and diplomatic immunity and statehood and citizenship. She frequently appears before the ECtHR.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Schona is an intelligent and thoughtful advocate with a strong command of empathy for individuals who have been victimised by legal regimes.

    International Human Rights LawUK Bar
  • Schona has a particular ability to just slice through an issue while still maintaining the empathy that is required in a case.

    International Human Rights LawUK Bar
  • Schona is an all-round outstanding barrister.

    International Human Rights LawUK Bar
  • Schona has excellent analytical capacity, impressive advocacy skills and shows strong leadership.

    International Human Rights LawUK Bar
  • Schona is just fantastic.

    International Human Rights LawUK Bar
  • She has a brilliant legal mind and is always a pleasure to work with. She is brilliant with clients and faultless on discrimination law.

    EmploymentUK Bar

Ranked Barristers at Cloisters Chambers (62)

All Circuits

London (Bar)

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