A NEW award honouring the late civil liberties lawyer Bernard Simons has been created by the International Bar Association.

The Bernard Simons Memorial Award, presented by the IBA's Section on General Practice (SGP), will recognise personal endeavour in the practice of criminal law which makes a substantial contribution to the promotion, protection and advancement of human rights.

The award is open to all legal practitioners and the international dimension of the lawyer's work will be taken into account.

Simons, who died in 1993, was a long-time member of the IBA and vice-chair of its criminal law committee. He also served as president of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors' Association.

The first award will be presented at the SGP biennial conference in Edinburgh in June.