5RB : Barristers : Iain Christie

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Iain Christie

Profile

Iain specialises in the human rights aspects of media law, in particular the relationship between the right of personal privacy and the right to freedom of expression. Prior to joining 5RB he was a legal adviser at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and acted for the Government in a number of high profile cases before the European Court of Human Rights. He worked on several Parliamentary Bills including the Human Rights Act 1998.

Iain is now on the Attorney General's B Panel of junior counsel to the Crown. Given that background he is particularly interested in the public law aspects of media law including freedom of information and judicial review of administrative decisions affecting the media. However, his practice covers all areas of media law including defamation, privacy, data protection, contempt of court and breach of confidence.

Iain is currently instructed for the UK Government in the application brought by Max Mosley in the European Court of Human Rights. He previously appeared in the House of Lords for the Claimants in Wainwright v Home Office, for which he was nominated for the Bar Pro Bono Award in 2003, and in their subsequent successful application to the European Court. He also represented Michael Durant in his bid to overturn the controversial Court of Appeal ruling on access to personal data.

Iain is the joint editor of The Law of Privacy and the Media (Second Edition due to be published October 2010).

Mediation
In addition to his practice at the bar, Iain is an accredited mediator in civil and commercial, family and workplace disputes. He conducts mediations in a wide range of disputes and is on the Bar Council’s top tier of barrister-mediators.

Career

Called

1989 Called to the Bar

Education

University of Durham BA (Hons) in Law

Qualifications

Fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies
Accredited Mediator

Areas of work

Defamation
Privacy and Confidence
Sports Law
Data Protection
Pre-publication Advice
Mediation
Public Access
Administrative Law
Contempt
Foreign Jurisdictions
Human Rights
Injunctive Relief
Malicious Falsehood
Media Law
Publishing

Verbatim

My employment with the FCO has given me a wider outlook than my purely domestic practice and a strong sense of public service in my professional career. Being in the Diplomatic Service and frequently involved in international negotiations has also given me additional experience relevant to my work as a mediator. I retain a keen academic interest in the law and, as well as writing extensively on privacy, I am on the Editorial Board of the European Human Rights Law Review and the Board of Management of the Durham University Human Rights Centre. Outside of the law, I have two young daughters with whom I spend much of my spare time. When not with my family, I can be found on the golf course or enjoying the performing arts.

Languages

French

Memberships

Administrative Law Bar Association
Human Rights Lawyers Association
Bar Human Rights Committee
Bar Council ADR Committee
British Association of Sport and Law
UNESCO Communication and Information Committee for the UK
Called to the bar of the Australian Capital Territory