Baroness Helena Kennedy of The Shaws LT KC

Baroness Helena Kennedy of The Shaws LT KC

Baroness Helena Kennedy of The Shaws is a founding member of Doughty Street Chambers and one of the UK’s most distinguished lawyers and leading legal and social reformers.

A King’s Counsel and life peer since 1997, she has spent over 50 years at the Bar specialising in criminal law and human rights, working on many landmark cases. She is internationally recognised for her work on women’s rights, gender equality, and legal reform.

Baroness Kennedy has held senior academic roles at institutions including Mansfield College, Oxford, and founded the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights. She has also led major public inquiries and advised on international human rights issues, including work with the United Nations.

In 2024, she was appointed to the Order of the Thistle in recognition of her outstanding public service and global impact on human rights and social justice.