HUMAN RIGHTS & INTERNATIONAL LAW

Sultana advises and represents diverse clientele, including individuals, non-governmental organisations, and State Parties, representing them before regional and UN human rights mechanisms. Her practice encompasses international human rights, international criminal law, and humanitarian law issues. In addition to litigation, she engages in a wide array of advisory, consultancy, and capacity-building activities in these critical areas.

Public International Law, International Criminal Law, & International Humanitarian Law

Sultana advises and represents States, non-governmental organisations and individuals on matters engaging public international law, international criminal law and international humanitarian law. Her work focuses on accountability for serious violations of international law, including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and breaches of the laws of armed conflict, before domestic courts and international forums.

She is regularly instructed by State parties on issues of state responsibility and individual criminal liability, including the investigation and prosecution of international crimes through international mechanisms and domestic proceedings based on universal jurisdiction. Her advisory work has included matters concerning referrals to international criminal jurisdictions, the application of the Genocide Convention, requests for provisional measures, and the assessment of violations of international humanitarian law during ongoing armed conflict, including questions surrounding the applicability of self-defence.

A significant strand of her practice concerns the interaction between international legal obligations and domestic legal systems. This includes advising on the potential criminal and human rights liability of corporations operating overseas; the development and implementation of international criminal law frameworks; the compatibility of domestic legislation with international instruments such as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; and advising on criminal evidence and procedure in common law jurisdictions in the context of high-profile international trials.

She has extensive experience working with international human rights organisations on conflict-related accountability and rule-of-law issues. Her work has included investigation and intervention in cases of arbitrary detention, torture and enforced disappearance; analysis of post-conflict legal systems; and advising on the international legal consequences of amnesties for grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law. This experience underpins her ability to engage authoritatively with complex international disputes and accountability processes across multiple jurisdictions.

International Human Rights Law

Sultana represents individuals and organisations in treaty-based and regional human rights proceedings, including before the European Court of Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Committee and the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council. She has particular expertise in cases engaging freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression and protest (Articles 9, 10 and 11 ECHR), as well as the right to liberty and the right to a fair trial (Articles 5 and 6). Her work engages issues of equality, minority rights, judicial independence and proportionality, and sits at the intersection of human rights law, public law and international legal accountability.

A significant strand of her current practice concerns Asmeta v France, arising from the prohibition on female Muslim lawyers wearing the hijab in French courts. She acts before the UN Human Rights Committee and multiple UN Special Rapporteurs, including those on freedom of religion or belief, minority issues, racism and discrimination, judicial independence and privacy. She has also represented the applicant before the European Court of Human Rights, challenging the decision of the Cour de Cassationupholding the ban and raising alleged violations of Articles 6, 9, 10, 13 and 14 ECHR.

Her work includes advisory and litigation before regional and international bodies in cases concerning detention, parole, fair-trial guarantees and cross-border enforcement. This includes advising on applications to the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of women prisoners in Chechnya challenging parole refusals; proceedings before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights seeking precautionary measures for journalists at risk; and representing individuals subject to Interpol Red Notices. She is instructed in matters requiring strategic use of international human rights mechanisms, coordination between domestic and international proceedings, and rigorous analysis of state justifications for restrictions on fundamental rights.

Appointments

• Founder, Girls Human Rights Hub – non-profit empowering girls to use advocacy, leadership & litigation to advance gender equality & eradicate gender-based violence.

• Chair, Taskforce on Religion & Belief, Bar Standards Board - Advising BSB on the development of strategy, policy and activity to how to advance equality of opportunity, diversity, and inclusivity at the Bar with regards to religion & belief. (April 2021- Present)

• JUSTICE, Council Member - Contributing to the work of law reform and human rights charity, working to reform the UK justice system. (Jan 2023 – Present)

• Advisory Board, Influencing Corridors of Power (ICOP), School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London - Promoting university-based research in Westminster. Advising on enquiries and new, proposed legislation. (Feb 2022 - Present)

• Legal Advisory Panel, The People’s Review of Prevent - Alternative review platform giving a voice to those impacted by the Prevent duty, Countering Violent Extremism programme in the UK. (Aug 2021-Present)

• Special Advisor on Human Rights, Oxford Initiative for Global Ethics & Human Rights - Advising on projects in relation international human rights issues. (July 2020 – Present)

• Head of Strategic Litigation, Muslim Lawyers Action Group (MLAG) - Overseeing strategic litigation cases; advising on legal developments (April 2020 – 2022).

• Member of Legal Expert Advisory Panel (LEAP), Fair Trial International - Advise on fair trial safeguards, pre-trial detention, appeals processes. Annual conferences: Netherlands (Feb 2015), Greece (Mar 2017), Bulgaria (Feb 2018), Online (2021). (Oct 2014 – Present)

• Roster for Criminal Justice Sector Experts dealing with Counter-Terrorism, Organisation for Security & Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) – Roster of experts to assist with responses to terrorism consistent with human rights standards. (2015-Present)

• Member of Detention Experience, Advocat Sans Frontieres (ASF)- Specialist network of lawyers providing legal responses to arbitrary detentions in Uganda. (Dec 2020 -Present)

• Joint Director of Counsel for Leadership (CfL) - Bespoke leadership training programmes delivered to participants from the UN, Home Office, British Medical Association (2013).

• Previously worked at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International in the Africa Program; the Middle East Program; and the International Justice Project of the International Law Program.