Dr Justin Yang.
Practice profile:
Justin has a busy practice in general, serious, and financial crimes. He takes a meticulous and thorough approach to each and every case. He is able to build strong rapport with clients and establish confidence. He regularly receives instructions beyond his year of call.
Justin has a strong background in criminal practice at the international courts and legal academia.
He has worked in the trial chambers of the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania (The Prosecutor v Nizeyimana, ICTR-00-55-PT) and the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague, The Netherlands (The Prosecutor v Ayyash et al., STL-11-01/PT/PTJ).
Most recently, he was on the defence team of Mr Bruno Stojić at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, The Netherlands (The Prosecutor v Prlić et al., IT-04-74).
He holds a PhD in international criminal law, where he explored the relationship between the International Criminal Court and non-Western legal systems. He has published his book, ‘Domestic Legal Pluralism and the International Criminal Court: The Case of Shari'a Law in Nigeria’ with Routledge.
He was recently nominated for the 2022 Rising Star Award by the Society of Asian Legal Lawyers.
Present and recent instructions:
- R v. M Junior counsel for the lead defendant in a 6-week three hander youth murder trial.
- R v. M Junior counsel for the lead defendant in a 3-month £38 million mortgage fraud trial involving 19 defendants.
- R v. B Instructed in a 5-week money laundering trial.
- R v. B Instructed in an importation of cocaine trial.
- Rv. A armed robbery with a shotgun (unanimous acquittal).
- R v. M s18 GBH (R v M).
- R v. P Violent disorder involving the complainant being disembowelled (unanimous acquittal).
- Appearing for Essex Police in civil claims under the Police Property Act 1897
- Defending a French national in commendation proceedings against the Director of Border Revenue
- Acting for an international food company against the Southend-on-Sea Council under the Food Safety Act 1990
- Representing a global travel company accused of engaging in unfair commercial practices (R v W)
- Defending a Parish Council in a private prosecution
Qualifications and Appointments
- 2019 Bar Professional Training Course, University of Law – Very Competent
- 2018 PhD in International Criminal Law, King’s College London – Successful defence with no corrections
- 2013 LLM in Public International Law, Leiden University – First class
- 2010 LLB Hons, Kingston University – Upper Second Class
Scholarships and Prizes
- 2019 Kalisher Trust Advocacy Training Program
- 2018 Gray’s Inn BPTC Cynthia Terry Award
- 2016 University of California Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law Visiting Scholar
- 2016 University of Cambridge, Centre of Islamic Studies Visiting Researcher
- 2015 Amnesty International UK Internship Scholarship
Affiliations
- Criminal Bar Association
- South Eastern Circuit
- Young Legal Aid Lawyers
Languages
- Korean
- Italian