BIHR Advisors

We are lucky to be able to draw on a wide variety of knowledge, experience and skills thanks to the members of our advisory board. Members meet on average twice a year and many also provide strategic and other advice and support to BIHR in between meetings. The advisory board also appoints the President and Vice President of BIHR from among its members, on the recommendation of the trustees.

President of the Advisory Board Sir Nicolas Bratza

Sir Nicolas Bratza was appointed as President of the BIHR Advisory Board in Feburary 2013. The former President of the European Court of Human Rights, Sir Nicolas served as the judge of the Court elected in respect of the United Kingdom for 14 years. During his time at the Court, Sir Nicolas held various other posts including President of a Section and Vice-President of the Court. From 1994 -1998 he was the United Kingdom Member of the European Commission of Human Rights.  Educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, Sir Nicolas was called to the Bar by Lincoln's Inn in 1969; he was appointed a Bencher of the Inn in 1993. Sir Nicolas was in private practice at the Bar of England and Wales from 1969 until 1998, specialising in commercial law, public law and human rights law from Chambers at 1 Hare Court, Temple, London. He advised and appeared as Counsel in numerous cases before the former European Commission and European Court of Human Rights from 1970 until 1993. He was appointed as a Junior Counsel to the Crown, Common Law in 1978 and became a Queen's Counsel in 1988. In 1993, Sir Nicolas was appointed a Recorder of the Crown Court and, in 1998, as a judge of the High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division.   He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Essex (2005) and the University of Glasgow (2007). He is an Honorary Fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford (2011) and an Honorary Bencher of King's Inns, Dublin (2012.)