Steven Kay KC
UK Bar Guide 2024
Spotlight : Crime: International Criminal Law
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
020 7489 2727Share profile
Spotlight
About
Provided by Steven Kay KC
Practice Areas
Steven Kay KC is the Head of 9BR Chambers, a leading set of barrister’s Chambers established in London over 70 years ago. He is a leading international criminal lawyer with a global reputation who has been in the landmark cases that have established modern international criminal law including: the first UN trial at the Yugoslavia Tribunal (Dusko Tadic); the first trial of a former Head of State (ex-President of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic); the first trial at the ICC of an incumbent Head of State (President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya).
Steven is engaged by governments and organisations to challenge on their behalf prevailing international narratives and set out their case upon matters of international concern. Below are some examples - the 30 years conflict in Sri Lanka between the Tamils and the State; Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood; Montenegro Corruption and Conflicts of Interest - see Report; Human rights abuse alert Algeria; IBA report on Political Prisons in North Korea - available here; Armenia – Azerbaijan conflict https://armenia-azerbaijan-conflict.com A Report on the Lundin Case commissioned by the Board of Directors for Lundin Energy. The causes of the 2013 and 2016 conflicts in South Sudan that discredited the narratives of the UN and AU - http://southsudanreports.com/
Steven’s international fraud and corruption practice focuses upon the criminal issues arising in complex international commercial cases and transactions where he works with multi-national and multi-disciplinary teams. Steven is now engaged by clients to oversee complex national and international litigation and provide his experience and expertise to review and assist in the development of their cases. These cases include jurisdictions such as Georgia, UAE, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Austria, Singapore, BVI, Cayman Islands etc. In August 2020, in response to demands from clients for advice upon the impact of the UK Bribery Act, Steven with Richard Paton-Philip set up a 9BR Chambers UK Bribery Act International Advisory Service. View a TV interview with Steven regarding Corruption in Montenegro.
Other international areas of practice include Sanctions and Interpol Red Notices. The latter arising from the increasing number of politically or financially motivated cases brought by governments. In April 2022 he presented a review of UK sanctions laws to the All Party Parliamentary Corporate Governance Group in the Houses of Parliament.
Steven is experienced in advising clients at the crisis stage of an international situation by setting out their options and guiding their responses, whilst also making the preparations necessary for future litigation. His cases demonstrate the depth of experience and the quality of the work for which he has been hired. 9BR’s other international lawyers have been involved in most of these cases with him and they have developed an impressive team to meet the unique challenges these cases present in whatever part of the world they may arise. Some international cases upon which he has been asked to advise are necessarily confidential.
Steven is registered to accept instructions under Direct Public Access and is licensed to litigate in the courts of England and Wales.
Certain work is not in the public domain and is necessarily confidential.
Career
• Called to the Bar 1977, Silk 1997
• Recorder of the Crown Court 1997
• Secretary CBA 1993-96
• Co-Chair IBA War Crimes Committee 2013-16
• Co-Chair ABA International Criminal Justice Task Force 2017- 2020
• Secretary IBA Judges Forum 2019 – current
• Founder European Criminal Bar Association 1998
• Founder International Criminal Law Bureau 2008
• Chairman Oculus Financial Intelligence Ltd
Professional Memberships
International Bar Association, Criminal Bar Association
Publications
Commentary on The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, OUP 2002 International Criminal Justice, Westlaw UK Insight Cases That Changed Our Lives: The Nuremburg Trials And Their Enduring Legacy That Even Rulers Are Under God And The Law, Lexis Nexis
Personal
Educated Epsom College; Leeds University