His Majesty The King has approved the appointment of 96 barristers as new King's Counsel (KC) in England and Wales. The title of KC is awarded to those who have demonstrated particular skill and expertise in the conduct of advocacy.
His Majesty has also approved the award of eight new Honorary King's Counsel (KC Honoris Causa). Their biographies are listed below. Honorary KC is awarded to those who have made a significant, positive impact either on the shape of the law of England and Wales, or on the legal profession, outside the courtroom.
The Lord Chancellor will preside over the award ceremony at Westminster Hall in March 2026, he will formally bestow the title of KC upon the successful applicants and award the Honorary KCs.
Honorary King's Counsel biographies
Professor Eirik Bjorge
Professor Bjorge is a legal academic at the University of Bristol and specialises in public international law, human rights, European law, and constitutional and administrative law.
He was nominated for his influential scholarship, which has been cited by the UK Supreme Court, the European Court of Human Rights, and leading academic authorities, strengthening the development of English and Welsh public law and supporting judicial understanding of international legal principles. He has also advanced dialogue between the English and Welsh and wider European legal systems through his work with the European Legal Dialogues Group.
Dean Dunham
Dean Dunham is a solicitor specialising in consumer law and alternative dispute resolution (ADR). He has led the development of major ADR schemes in the aviation, retail, and non-regulated energy sectors, including through founding Consumer Dispute Resolution Limited in 2014, the first approved ADR scheme under UK regulations. He is also a prominent national commentator on consumer rights through broadcast and print media.
He was nominated for pioneering accessible ADR mechanisms in key consumer sectors, improving routes to redress, and shaping dispute resolution practice in England and Wales. His further schemes, including AviationADR, RetailADR and UtilitiesADR, now handle tens of thousands of complaints each year, helping to reduce pressure on the courts. His work has empowered large numbers of consumers and contributed to the wider public's understanding of legal rights.
Professor Susan Edwards
Professor Edwards is a legal academic at the University of Northumbria and specialises in gender-related issues, notably domestic abuse, sexual offences, and women who kill in self-defence- authoring numerous academic texts and over 150 academic articles.
She was nominated for her sustained contribution to understanding and reforming the law of England and Wales on domestic abuse, gender-based violence, and homicide. Her research has shaped policing reforms, CPS practice, and major legislative change - including reforms in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. She has further influenced policy, professional practice, and generations of students and lawyers through her teaching, writing, and extensive pro bono engagement.
Professor Rosie Harding
Professor Harding is a legal academic specialising in social justice, disability and family law, with a particular focus on the place of law in everyday life. She has authored extensive academic work, led research projects such as CLARiTY and COALITION to improve access to legal services, and served as Chair of the Socio-Legal Studies Association.
She was nominated for her substantial contribution to the development of disability and mental capacity law in England and Wales, for influencing legislation and law reform - such as the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019 and the Law Commission's draft Wills Bill - and for improving access to justice for disabled people.
Professor James C Hathaway
Professor Hathaway is a legal academic, currently Degan Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Michigan, specialising in public international law. He is a leading authority on international refugee law and author of influential works such as The Law of Refugee Status and The Rights of Refugees under International Law.
He was nominated for his scholarship's influence on asylum jurisprudence in England and Wales. His work has been cited extensively by UK courts and tribunals, including the House of Lords and Supreme Court, shaping judicial interpretation of the 1951 Refugee Convention. He is also recognised for his role in ensuring that domestic refugee law aligns with international standards and for contributions to the education and training of students, practitioners and judges.
Peter Kandler
Peter Kandler is a solicitor who co-founded the UK's first Law Centre and was its first director, in North Kensington in 1970. His pioneering model established a distinctive form of practice that combined legal services, social policy work, and public legal education, providing free legal assistance to people experiencing poverty.
He was nominated for transforming access to justice, inspiring the nationwide Law Centres movement, and strengthening the legal profession's commitment to rights and community-based practice. His approach helped give rise to social welfare law, including the development of new areas of practice such as housing law and criminal defence at police stations.
Her Honour Judge Emma Nott
Her Honour Judge Emma Nott is a Circuit Judge at Oxford Crown Court, Reading Family Court, and the Court of Protection, and a Justice of the British Indian Ocean Territory Court of Appeal. She is a Judicial College Criminal Course Director and a Bencher at Gray's Inn where she trains pupils and students.
She was nominated for her efforts to drive fairness and equality at the Bar, including empirical analysis that exposed systemic gender disparities in work allocation and remuneration. Her evidence-based research prompted internal reviews within the CPS and GLD, reforms to data collection and monitoring, and has been widely cited by professional bodies and the Justice Select Committee.
Colin Passmore
Colin Passmore is a solicitor and the author of Privilege, a leading text on legal professional privilege in England and Wales. He is a former Senior Partner of Simmons & Simmons and the current Chair of the City of London Law Society, where he oversees 20 specialist committees engaging with government, regulators and business on law reform and regulation.
He was nominated for shaping the modern understanding of privilege through his scholarship and for his leadership in firm-level and sector-wide approaches to diversity, social mobility, and responsible business, including through initiatives to support access to the profession and support for the next generation of lawyers.
