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Human Rights & The Rule of Law

Overview

The co-convenors of the Human Rights and Rule of Law Committee are CLA Council members Sophie Stanbrook (Turks and Caicos Islands) and David Greene (England and Wales).

The co-convenors invite CLA members to join this committee which aims to be instrumental in the promotion and protection of Human Rights and the Rule of Law in the Commonwealth and to raise awareness where human rights are violated, with a particular focus where violations impact on the independence of the legal profession and the judiciary, the separation of powers, Latimer House Principles and Rule of Law matters.

The Committee is to act as a resource for the President, both in terms of providing input when requested and in terms of flagging issues that should be raised at higher levels.

CLA members are encouraged to read the Committee’s Terms of Reference and email info@commonwealthlawyers.com to join this committee which meets every two months.

Next Meeting

15th March 2026

14:00 – 16:00 GMT

Virtual Meeting (Zoom)

Download

Terms of Reference

Download the committee’s official terms of reference and governance framework.

Download PDF

Next Meeting Resources

Download the resources for our next committee meeting.

Download ZIP

Join the Committee

Interested in contributing to the
committee’s work?

Apply to become a member.

Committee Co-Convenors

Dr. Sarah Williams

Dr. Sarah Williams is a leading constitutional law scholar with over 20 years of experience in human rights advocacy. She has advised governments across the Commonwealth on constitutional reform and has published extensively on comparative constitutional law. Sarah currently serves as Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of London and is a frequent contributor to international human rights tribunals.

Justice Michael Chen

Justice Michael Chen brings extensive judicial experience to the committee, having served on the High Court for 15 years. His landmark judgments on constitutional rights have shaped jurisprudence across multiple Commonwealth jurisdictions. Before his judicial appointment, Michael practiced as a human rights barrister and represented clients before the European Court of Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Committee.

Committee Highlights

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