Helena Kennedy QC

Doughty Street

One of a kind, with a huge heart, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC needs no introduction. Her most prominent work this year is in tandem with the International Bar Association Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), where she been working to support female judges based in Afghanistan.

In 2009 the IBAHRI, of which Kennedy is now the director, established the Afghan Independent Bar Association, as the country did not have one. In January last year, two Supreme Court judges were assassinated, leading Kennedy and the IBAHRI to issue a statement denouncing the extremists responsible. Then, when the Taliban took control of the country in August, female judges fearing for their lives reached out to IBAHRI and Kennedy for help.

She has been working tirelessly ever since, raising money and organising flights for these women and their families. She has conducted international relations with government leaders to secure temporary safe landings for the planes and visas for the judges and their families, all the while battling to raise awareness of this important issue.

This fantastic work has enabled the rescue of three planes’ worth of people in need. But more judges remain in danger, and Kennedy also needs to find ultimate safe havens for those already evacuated. To do that, she needs more funding.