Ms Shami Chakrabarti
![]() Our Lawyer of the Month is Shami Chakrabarti. Shami was born in London in 1969 and has been the Director of Liberty (The National Council for Civil Liberties) since September 2003. Shami read law at the London School of Economics and graduated in 1991. In order to fund her Bar Finals she held several jobs for two years, including doing a bit of teaching for the University of London external law students and “pulling pints” at the Middle Temple Bar. She was able to fund her Bar Finals in 1993 and was called to the Bar (Middle Temple) in 1994. She did her pupillage at 39 Essex Street Chambers. In 1996 Shami joined the Home Office as an employed barrister where she remained until the summer of 2001. At the Home Office Shami worked for both the Conservative and Labour Governments on policy, legislation and litigation in the Counter-terror, asylum and criminal justice areas and on the implementation of the Human Rights Act. During her time at the Home Office, Shami also acted in a number of high profile cases both in the House of Lords and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Shami’s bosses at the Home Office included Michael Howard, the then Home Secretary under John Major and the immediate predecessor of David Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party. On 10 September 2001 Shami joined Liberty as In- House Counsel. This was indeed a very significant date as the day after she joined Liberty, we had the 9/11 attack on the United States of America. The effect of this was that Liberty suddenly had an automatic priority – domestic consequences on the war on terror. In the days and indeed weeks following the 9/11 terrorist attack, Liberty was one of the very few vocal, if not the sole vocal opposition to the emergency measures by the Government to combat terrorism, including the Belmarsh Policy (detention of foreign national without trial). Others were however, later to join the condemnation. Shami therefore became heavily involved in Liberty’s engagement with the “War on Terror” and with the promotion of human rights values in Parliament, the Courts and the society at large. She has vigorously attacked the proposed ID cards, the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 (prior to and since becoming law), the wide use of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) as infringing civil liberties, draconian, unnecessary (as there are laws on the statute books which more than adequately cover the same acts) and dangerous quick fix reactionary legislations.
In September 2003 Shami became the Director of Liberty. She has campaigned passionately, vigorously and tirelessly against anti-terrorist measures and legislations since the 9/11 terrorists attack and the more recent London bombing on 7 July 2005, even when this was an unpopular stance. There was hardly a day, particularly in the latter part of 2005 when Shami was not our screens, in the papers or on the radio.
Shami is a Governor of the London School of Economics and sits on the Advisory Board of the British Institute of Human Rights and the Executive Committee of the Administrative Law Bar Association and is an Editorial Board Member of the European Human Rights Law Review. Also in 2005 Shami was named as a winner in the sixth annual Asian Women of Achievements Awards. She memorably had a single in her honour titled "Shami Chakrabarti" by the band the Dastards. Shami is touched by the single of the group who are members of Liberty. She describes the group as “talented members of Liberty who are an indication that it is not true that the young are not interested in politics but they are just uninspired by the political parties”. In February 2006 Shami was awarded the title of "anarchist in a barrister’s wig" by the ”laddish” magazine, Loaded. Shami was awarded honorary degrees from Wolverhampton University 2004 and Loughborough University in 2005. Below is our interview with Shami:
BLD: What do you say to those who state that you are more concerned about terrorists and not the victims, such as the 7th July victims of the London bombing?
BLD: If you were to choose a profession other than law, what would it be and why?
BLD: What was the best career advice you were given?
BLD: What was the best career advice you will give to other lawyers and budding lawyers?
BLD: The person you most admire (dead or alive)?
BLD: Tell us your professional high point(s).
BLD: What was your worst case/worst moment as a lawyer?
BLD: What was the most famous/interesting case(s) you have handled to date?
BLD: What are you most passionate/happiest about?
BLD: What are your dislikes?
BLD: Any professional regrets?
BLD: If you could rule the world for a day what would you change/do?
BLD: How do you cope with the media attention and find the time to do so much – head Liberty, write, give endless interviews (like this one!), sit on different bodies and have time for family life?
BLD: Do tell us about your family. |