Pete Weatherby QC is a human rights barrister who practices domestically in public inquiries, inquests, criminal, public, prison and police law. He is a both a trial and appellate lawyer, and has regularly appeared in judicial review claims. Pete has appeared at all domestic court levels and before the European Court of Human Rights, including the Grand Chamber. He specialises in cases involving miscarriages of justice, freedom of expression, extradition and ‘terrorism’, and he has a particular expertise in statutory interpretation.

Pete led the team representing 22 of the bereaved Hillsborough families at the new inquests, and continues to act for them in a number of matters, including their campaign to get the Public Authorities (Accountability) Bill 2017 (‘Hillsborough Law’) enacted. He was one of the drafters of the Bill which seeks to provide a lasting legacy and prevent what happened to the families happening to others. Since the conclusion of the Hillsborough inquests, Pete has appeared for the partner of Anthony Grainger at the Public Inquiry into his death (a police shooting), and represented 80 of the victims of the Grenfell disaster during phase one of the Inquiry. He is now appearing for bereaved victims of the Manchester Arena bombing outrage at the inquests.

Pete has advised ministers and shadow ministers regarding a number of high profile cases and he has regularly spoken publicly on matters of law reform particularly with regard to inquiries and inquests, opposing legal aid cuts, and for changes to prison and sentencing law, notably with regard to IPP and other indeterminate sentences.

Pete represented Reggie Kray (parole), Robert Brown (conviction quashed after he had served 26 years of a life sentence for a murder he did not commit), and Michael Shields (the football fan wrongly convicted of attempted murder in Bulgaria, who is the only person ever pardoned with respect to a foreign conviction).

Pete also practices internationally. He has appeared or advised in matters relating to Bulgaria, Japan, Spain, Mauritius, and the Maldives, and has pro bono international human rights experience in matters relating to the US, Kashmir, Bahrain, UAE, Turkey and elsewhere.

Pete has appeared and advised in a number of criminal, prison and human rights cases in Mauritius, and is currently challenging the legality of its ID Card system before the UN Human Rights Committee. Pete has undertaken pro bono international human rights work for the Bar Human Rights Committee, particularly regarding Turkey, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Pete is a regular commentator on legal and human rights issues in the media. Recent media comment has related to the Grenfell disaster and Inquiry, and show trials of journalists in Turkey. It includes:

http://thejusticegap.com/2017/09/grenfell-inquiry-opens-lesson-alienation/; and http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/turkey-erdogan-failed-coup-gulen-democracy-trials-human-rights-a7934171.html.

Pete was founding member of Garden Court North Chambers and, although he has always practised from Manchester, he is also a door tenant at Garden Court Chambers, London. Pete is a member of the Executive of the Bar Human Rights Committee, and is a Trustee of INQUEST.