Haydée Dijkstal

Barrister at 33 Bedford Row Chambers | Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council

London, England, United Kingdom Contact Info
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About

Haydee Dijkstal is a UK Barrister at 33 Bedford Row Chambers practicing international criminal and human rights law, and a US attorney with nearly 15 years of experience in international law. She is also a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council.

In the area of int’l criminal law, Haydee's work includes cases before the ICC, ICTY and SCSL, and for victims, governments and accuseds. Haydee is currently counsel for a group of Afghan victims participating before the ICC. Her previous ICC instructions include: 1) co-counsel for victims of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, and for the Gov of the Comoros, in the first Article 53(3) judicial review proceedings; 2) Defence team for former Libyan spy chief, Abdullah Al-Senussi; 3) legal team for the Gov of Kenya for its admissibility challenge; 4) co-counsel to amicus curiae brief in the Palestine Situation (on scope of court’s territorial jurisdiction); 5) co-counsel to amicus brief in the Ntaganda case (on scope of ‘attack’ for war crimes against cultural property). She has been instructed as counsel for numerous Art 15 Submissions to the Office of the Prosecutor. She was formerly on the defence team for Charles Taylor at the SCSL, and defence team for Milan Lukic at the ICTY for review proceedings.

In the area of int’l human rights law, Haydee's practice addresses issues of arbitrary detention, fair trial rights, torture, disappearances, diplomatic protection, free expression, indigenous peoples’ rights, natural resources, cultural heritage and the right to identity. Haydee is regularly instructed for cases before the European Court of Human Rights, African Commission and Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and UN bodies - incl Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Committee against Torture, Committee on Enforced Disappearances and UN Special Rapporteurs.

Her practice also addresses int'l violations in domestic jurisdictions. In the UK, she acted as co-counsel for a UK Parliamentary panel on Saudi political prisoners, and in the US for Alien Tort Statute, Torture Victim Protection Act & Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act cases in US federal courts.

In the area of transitional justice, she assisted the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) of Seychelles as a legal consultant.

Haydee received an LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from George Washington University Law School in Washington DC, a juris doctor degree from University of Wyoming College of Law and a Bachelor's degree in international relations from Rhodes College. She is founder of UK Small Charity, ICLMR.

Experience

  • 33 Bedford Row

    33 Bedford Row

    5 years 10 months

    • 33 Bedford Row Graphic

      Barrister, and Head of International Law

      33 Bedford Row

      - Present 1 year

      London, England, United Kingdom

    • 33 Bedford Row - Barristers & Arbitrators Graphic

      Barrister

      33 Bedford Row - Barristers & Arbitrators

      - Present 5 years 10 months

      London, United Kingdom

      Barrister practicing international criminal and human rights law, and general crime and civil law.

      *For a full list of recent international and human rights instructions please see: https://www.33bedfordrow.co.uk/people/dijkstal-haydee#content/notable-cases

  • Atlantic Council Graphic

    Non-Resident Senior Fellow

    Atlantic Council

    - Present 1 year 8 months

    Nonresident Senior Fellow with the Strategic Litigation Project at the Atlantic Council

  • International Criminal Law and Human Rights Attorney

    Practicing int'l criminal and human rights law before int'l, regional and domestic courts

    - Present 13 years 10 months

    London / The Hague

    Notable Cases:

    UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), App on Moroccan Journalists & Protesters detained (2018 – present)
    - Co-counsel on legal team

    UN WGAD, App for former S. Korean President Park Geun-hye (2017-2018)
    - Co-counsel on legal team

    Scoping Exercise Application with UK Metropolitan Police on Torture in UAE (2017-present)
    - Lawyer on legal team

    Situation on Registered Vessels et al, International Criminal Court (ICC) (2014-present)
    -…

    Notable Cases:

    UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), App on Moroccan Journalists & Protesters detained (2018 – present)
    - Co-counsel on legal team

    UN WGAD, App for former S. Korean President Park Geun-hye (2017-2018)
    - Co-counsel on legal team

    Scoping Exercise Application with UK Metropolitan Police on Torture in UAE (2017-present)
    - Lawyer on legal team

    Situation on Registered Vessels et al, International Criminal Court (ICC) (2014-present)
    - Co-counsel for Gov of Comoros & Victims of Gaza Freedom Flotilla

    Dogan v. Barak - US District Court, Central District of California (2015-present)
    - Co-counsel for Alien Tort Statute & Torture Victim Protection Act claims

    Schermerhorn, et al., v. State of Israel et al., - US District Court for the District of Columbia (2015–2017)
    - Co-Counsel on team for victims of Gaza Freedom Flotilla

    Advice for the Tivoli Garden Committee (2013–present)
    - Co-counsel for victims of Tivoli Gardens Massacre, Kingston, Jamaica

    Prosecutor v. Abdullah Al-Senussi – ICC (2013–2017)
    - Defence team

    African Commission v. Libya - African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (2013-2016)
    - Co-counsel on team for Saif Gaddafi

    Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi v. Libya - African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (2012-2013)
    - Co-counsel on team for Saif Gaddafi

    Case on behalf of 529 individuals sentenced to death in Egypt – African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (2014–2015)
    - Legal team

    Legal Advice for Multi-National Oil & Gas Exploration Company (2015)
    - Advice on corporate responsibility under int'l law, natural resources / indigenous peoples

    Prosecutor v. Milan Lukić – ICTY (2013-2015)
    - Defence team in review proceedings

    Prosecutor v. Banda and Jerbo – ICC (2011–2013)
    - Legal team for Sudanese Victims

    Prosecutor v. Muthuara et al., and Prosecutor v. Ruto et al. – ICC (2011-2012)
    - Legal team for Gov of Kenya admissibility challenge

    Prosecutor v. Charles Taylor - Special Court for Sierra (2010)
    - Defence team (prequal)

  • Justice Rapid Response Graphic

    Rostered Expert

    Justice Rapid Response

    - 11 years

    Trained and certified, and on the roster to deploy as a legal expert to international justice and rule of law related missions, including UN commissions of inquiry and fact-finding missions concerning violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

  • ICL Media Review Graphic

    Founder, Trustee, Contributing Editor

    ICL Media Review

    - 12 years 1 month

    London, United Kingdom

    Founded a UK Small charity aimed at promoting education and awareness on developments in international criminal and human rights law through a website and multiple social media platforms (twitter, facebook and linkedin) which publish daily reports on developments.

    www.iclmediareview.com

  • Lawyers Without Borders Graphic

    Staff Attorney and Field Researcher

    Lawyers Without Borders

    - 1 year

    Windhoek, Namibia

    Conducted independent field-research in Namibia on women’s right to property and inheritance including interviews with government officials, local attorneys, NGOs, human rights activists, academics and affected victims. Produced an in-depth report on the current legal framework, with recommendations on programming and advocacy activities aimed to advance women’s rights to inheritance and property.

Education

Licenses & Certifications

  • Call to the Bar of England and Wales

    Inner Temple

    Issued

  • Member of the Illinois Bar

    Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar

    Issued

  • Certificate in International Human Rights Law

    The George Washington University Law School / Oxford University Program in Int'l Human Rights Law

    Issued

Publications

Projects

  • Trainings

    - Present

    • Trainer for training on international standards and advocacy techniques for prosecutions of Child Labour cases, Kathmandu, Nepal (19-21 July 2017)

  • Mentoring

    -

    Mentor - American Society of International Law, Women in International Law Interest Group Mentorship Program
    - 2017-2018 program
    - 2019-2020 program

Organizations

  • International Criminal Court Bar Association (ICCBA)

    -

    - Present

    Elected Committee Member: (https://www.iccba-abcpi.org/governance) 2021-2022 Term: Executive Council and Victims Committee 2020-2021 Term: Executive Council and Victims Committee 2019-2020 Term: Executive Council and Victims Committee 2018-2019 Term: Amicus Committee and Counsel Support Staff Committee 2017-2018 Term: Counsel Support Staff Committee

  • American Bar Association (ABA), International Courts & Judicial Affairs Committee

    -

    Appointed positions: (https://www.americanbar.org/groups/international_law/committees/) Co-Chair of the IC&JA Committee (Aug 2021 - 2022) Co-Chair of the IC&JA Committee (Aug 2020 - 2021) Vice-Chair of Programs (Aug 2019 - 2020) Vice-Chair of Membership (July 2018-2019)

  • Bar Human Rights Committee

    -

    Elected Committee member: (https://barhumanrights.org.uk/) Executive Committee (2022-2023)

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