Strategic Litigation & Justice Reform

Overview

Sultana Tafadar KC combines frontline courtroom advocacy with structural justice reform — working across domestic courts, the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the UN system and to challenge laws and practices that fail the vulnerable, and to drive institutional change that outlasts any individual case. She brings a dual lens to this work: not only as a courtroom advocate of over two decades’ experience, but as a systems thinker who understands how precedent shapes policy.

The Girls Human Rights Legal Empowerment Network (GHR-LEN)

Sultana founded GHR-LEN — a criminal law initiative focused exclusively on sexual violence cases affecting girls. Even where legislation criminalising serious violence appears robust, its application is often inconsistent: weaknesses in investigation, charging decisions, procedural safeguards and prosecutorial practice mean victims fall through the gaps. GHR-LEN provides advisory and strategic legal support — working with victims and local representatives through legal analysis and targeted submissions to the appropriate bodies to ensure statutory protections are properly applied. Law firms participate by reviewing cases and providing ‘representation’ to the victim without needing to assume conduct of proceedings, making the model viable across jurisdictions and regulatory frameworks.

International Litigation — Asmeta v France

One of the most significant international cases Sultana is currently conducting is Asmeta v France — a landmark challenge to France’s prohibition on female Muslim lawyers wearing the hijab in court. After the French Cour de Cassation upheld a Lille Bar Council ban preventing Sarah Asmeta from representing clients in court — endorsing the restriction as necessary for lawyers’ “independence” and “equality of citizens” — Sultana brought the case before the European Court of Human Rights, arguing violations of Articles 6, 9, 10, 13 and 14 ECHR. She is simultaneously acting 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. The case raises fundamental questions about whether a state can lawfully exclude a lawyer from practice because of her faith — and its outcome will have consequences for the legal profession across Europe.

Palestine — Pro Bono Representation

A significant strand of Sultana’s pro bono practice concerns Palestine-related allegations under counter-terrorism legislation. She has represented professionals, activists and campaigners facing charges under sections 12 and 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 — criminalising expression of support for proscribed organisations — where the underlying conduct is peaceful protest, social media activity or professional advocacy in relation to Palestine. She is currently acting for defendants in proceedings arising from some of the largest mass arrests for alleged terrorism-related expression in recent UK history, including representing clients charged in connection with alleged support for Palestine Action alongside a group of approximately 30 defendants. This work sits at the intersection of counter-terrorism law, freedom of expression and the right to protest — areas where Sultana is one of the leading practitioners in the country.

Prevent & Counter-Terrorism Law Reform

Through her role on the Legal Advisory Panel of the People’s Review of Prevent, Sultana contributes to work scrutinising how the UK’s counter-terrorism Prevent programme operates in practice — examining its impact on Muslim communities, civil liberties and the chilling effect on lawful expression and belief. This advisory work draws directly on her unmatched courtroom experience: she has acted in over 100 terrorism and national security cases across every level of the court system, giving her a uniquely informed perspective on where counter-terrorism law overreaches and where reform is needed.

International Human Rights Work

Sultana’s international human rights practice extends across multiple forums and jurisdictions. She has worked on proceedings before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights seeking precautionary measures for journalists at risk, and has advised on applications to the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of women prisoners in Chechnya challenging parole refusals. She has represented individuals subject to Interpol Red Notices — a complex area requiring coordination between domestic and international proceedings and raising acute issues of fairness and state power. Earlier in her career she worked with the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre and the Latin American Centre for Human Rights (CLADH) on issues ranging from prisoners’ rights to freedom of expression, and prior to coming to the Bar she produced specialist reports on human rights and humanitarian law issues arising from Afghanistan, the War on Terror, and US and UK domestic counter-terrorism measures, used in immigration and SIAC proceedings.

Pro Bono Commitment

Pro bono representation is a thread running throughout Sultana’s career. She led bespoke programmes for participants from the United Nations, the Home Office and the British Medical Association. She has delivered advocacy training to NGOs including Oxfam, Amnesty International and Women for Women International. Throughout her career she has provided pro bono representation and strategic advice to individuals, activists, students, academics and organisations who could not otherwise access KC-level advocacy — particularly in counter-terrorism, expression and Palestine-related proceedings.

Foundations

Sultana’s commitment to justice reform began at the Amnesty International International Secretariat, where she worked on urgent action campaigns and post-conflict reform in Darfur, Iraq and other conflict zones. That formative experience — working where legal systems had collapsed or failed entirely — shapes every aspect of her reform work today.