Ben Emmerson is now five years into his practice as a silk, and the past 12 months have seen him emerge as the leading QC in key human rights and terrorism cases.

Emmerson has led both of the major hearings before the House of Lords on unlawful imprisonment of terrorist suspects (Belmarsh) and the use of evidence gained by torture.

The latter case has yet to be decided as it was only heard in October 2005, but the December 2004 ruling of the Lords in Belmarsh was a superb victory for Emmerson and his team. Lord Hoffmann's words on the legality of detention without trial in that case were welcomed by human rights campaigners everywhere.

Campaigning and human rights organisations praise Emmerson's tenacity and skill in dealing with such cases. Those fighting for basic freedoms will be glad to have him on their side.