# Michael Mansfield

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{{short description|English human rights barrister (born 1941)}}
{{Other people|Michael Mansfield}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Michael Mansfield
| honorific_suffix   = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|KC|size=100%}}
| image              = Michael Mansfield QC 04.jpg
| caption            = Mansfield in 2015
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|df=y|1941|10|12}}
| birth_place        = 
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| education          = [University of Keele](/source/University_of_Keele)
| occupation         = [Barrister](/source/Barrister), [legal scholar](/source/legal_scholar)
| organisation       = [Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers](/source/Haldane_Society_of_Socialist_Lawyers) <br /> Nexus Chambers
| known_for          = Representing:<br />{{bulleted list| [Stephen Lawrence](/source/Stephen_Lawrence)'s family| the [Guildford Four](/source/Guildford_Four), the [Birmingham Six](/source/Birmingham_Six), [Dolours](/source/Dolours_Price) and [Marian Price](/source/Marian_Price), and others accused of involvement in [IRA](/source/Irish_Republican_Army) bombings| the families of the victims of [Bloody Sunday](/source/Bloody_Sunday_(1972))| [Mohamed Al-Fayed](/source/Mohamed_Al-Fayed) in the inquest into the deaths of his son [Dodi Al-Fayed](/source/Dodi_Al-Fayed)|[Princess Diana](/source/Princess_Diana)| the [McLibel Two](/source/McLibel_case)| [Barry George](/source/Barry_George) in the murder of [Jill Dando](/source/Jill_Dando)| the families of the victims of the [Hillsborough disaster](/source/Hillsborough_disaster) | the [Cambridge Two](/source/Cambridge_Two)}}
| spouse             = Melian Bordes (divorced)<br />Yvette Vanson (divorced)<br />Yvette Greenway
| children           = (6)Jonathan, Anna, Louise, Kieran, Leo, Fred 
}}
'''Michael Mansfield''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|KC}} (born 12 October 1941) is an English [barrister](/source/barrister) and head of chambers at Nexus Chambers.<ref name=nexus>{{cite web|url=http://www.nexuschambers.com/nexus/team/michael-mansfield-qc/|title=Nexus Chambers|work=nexuschambers.com}}</ref> He has been described as "The king of [human rights](/source/human_rights) work" by [The Legal 500](/source/The_Legal_500) and as a leading [Silk](/source/Queen's_Counsel) in [civil liberties](/source/civil_liberties) and human rights (including actions against the police).

A [British republican](/source/Republicanism_in_the_United_Kingdom),<ref>{{cite news |last= Edemariam |first= Aida |author-link=Aida Edemariam|date= 19 July 2013 |title= 'There is now a republican movement': anti-royal campaigners get organised |url= https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/jul/19/there-is-now-republican-movement |work= [The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |access-date= 18 June 2020 |quote= "One of the things I thought staggering," says Michael Mansfield, QC, another republican, who acted for Mohamed al-Fayed in the inquest into the deaths of Dodi al-Fayed and Diana, Princess of Wales, "was the increase of the Queen's sovereign grant. She's getting £5m more than she got last year. That was the day after Osborne outlined cuts of £11.5bn. Now, I know she's got expenses – I dare say the refurbishment of Kensington Palace is necessary but why does the public have to foot the £600,000 bill, rather than the Queen?"}}</ref> [vegetarian](/source/Vegetarianism), [socialist](/source/socialist)<ref>{{cite news |last= Dyer |first= Clare |date= 8 April 2008 |title= The great defender? |url= https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/apr/08/diana.michaelmansfield1 |work= The Guardian |access-date= 18 June 2020 |quote= No mere mouthpiece, Mansfield is a socialist who throws himself passionately into his clients' causes.}}</ref> and self-described "radical lawyer",<ref>Mansfield, Michael, ''Memoirs of a Radical Lawyer''. London: Bloomsbury, 2009.</ref> he has participated in prominent and controversial court cases and inquests including the [Birmingham Six](/source/Birmingham_Six), [Bloody Sunday massacre](/source/Bloody_Sunday_(1972)), the [Hillsborough disaster](/source/Hillsborough_disaster), the deaths of [Jean Charles de Menezes](/source/Jean_Charles_de_Menezes) and [Princess Diana](/source/Princess_Diana),<ref>{{cite news|title=Memoirs of a Radical Lawyer|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/books/2009/09/mansfield-trial-darrow-memoirs|first=Thom|last=Dyke|work=New Statesman |access-date=25 June 2011 | date=24 September 2009}}</ref> and the [McLibel case](/source/McLibel_case).

==Early life ==
Mansfield grew up in north [Finchley](/source/Finchley), north London, and attended Holmewood Preparatory School ([Woodside Park](/source/Woodside_Park_(Barnet%2C_London))) before going to [Highgate School](/source/Highgate_School) and the [University of Keele](/source/University_of_Keele), where he graduated with a [BA](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) (Hons) in history and philosophy, and was Secretary of Keele's [Students' Union](/source/Students'_Union).{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

==Career==
Mansfield was called to the bar at [Gray's Inn](/source/Gray's_Inn) in 1967, became [Queen's Counsel](/source/Queen's_Counsel) in 1989 and was elected as a [Bencher](/source/Bencher) of Gray's Inn in 2007.

He is currently the president of the [Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers](/source/Haldane_Society_of_Socialist_Lawyers). Mansfield is an after-dinner and keynote speaker.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.law.ox.ac.uk/event=11475/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120803144304/http://www.law.ox.ac.uk/event=11475/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 August 2012 |title=Oxford University – An audience with Michael Mansfield QC |access-date=23 April 2012 }}</ref>

===Notable cases===
[[File:Michael Mansfield QC 01.jpg|thumb|Mansfield gives the first [Gerry Conlon](/source/Gerry_Conlon) Memorial Lecture at [St Mary's University College, Belfast](/source/St_Mary's_University_College%2C_Belfast), in January 2015]]

As well as representing those wrongly convicted of the [IRA's](/source/Provisional_Irish_Republican_Army) [Guildford](/source/Guildford_Four_and_Maguire_Seven) and [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham_Six) pub bombings, Mansfield has represented: the [Angry Brigade](/source/Angry_Brigade); [Dolours](/source/Dolours_Price) and [Marian Price](/source/Marian_Price); [Brian Keenan](/source/Brian_Keenan_(Irish_republican)); the [Orgreave miners](/source/Battle_of_Orgreave); [Mahmood Hussein Mattan](/source/Mahmood_Hussein_Mattan), [Ruth Ellis](/source/Ruth_Ellis) and [James Hanratty](/source/James_Hanratty) (in posthumous appeals); those involved in the [Israeli Embassy bombing](/source/1994_London_Israeli_Embassy_attack); [Frank Crichlow](/source/Frank_Crichlow), owner of the [Mangrove restaurant](/source/Mangrove_restaurant); [Stephen Lawrence](/source/Stephen_Lawrence)'s family; [Michael Barrymore](/source/Michael_Barrymore) at the [Stuart Lubbock](/source/Stuart_Lubbock) inquest; [Barry George](/source/Barry_George) both at the inquest into the death of [Jill Dando](/source/Jill_Dando) and George's wrongful conviction; the gangster [Kenneth Noye](/source/Kenneth_Noye);<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1591240.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=Road rage killer's appeal rejected | date=10 October 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Noye+hires+Dando+QC%3B+HE+GETS+'THE+BEST'+IN+ROAD-RAGE+APPEAL.-a075596307|title=Noye hires Dando QC; HE GETS 'THE BEST' IN ROAD-RAGE APPEAL.|work=thefreelibrary.com}}</ref> the [Bloody Sunday](/source/Bloody_Sunday_(1972)) families; [Arthur Scargill](/source/Arthur_Scargill); [Angela Cannings](/source/Angela_Cannings);<ref name=tooks>{{cite web|url=http://www.tooks.co.uk/people/michael_mansfield/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807134139/http://www.tooks.co.uk/people/michael_mansfield/|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 August 2008|title=Tooks Chambers|work=tooks.co.uk}}</ref> [Colin Norris](/source/Colin_Norris);<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c23m2ky10gxo.amp |title=Convicted nurse appeal 'straightforward', court told |newspaper=BBC News |date=4 June 2025}}</ref> [Fatmir Limaj](/source/Fatmir_Limaj), a [Kosovo](/source/Kosovo)-Albanian leader prosecuted in [the Hague](/source/the_Hague); [Mohamed al-Fayed](/source/Mohamed_al-Fayed) in the inquest into the deaths of his son [Dodi al-Fayed](/source/Dodi_al-Fayed) and [Diana, Princess of Wales](/source/Diana%2C_Princess_of_Wales); the [Cambridge Two](/source/Cambridge_Two); the families of [Jean Charles de Menezes](/source/Jean_Charles_de_Menezes) and [Mark Duggan](/source/Death_of_Mark_Duggan); the [Tottenham Three](/source/Tottenham_Three) and the [Cardiff Five](/source/Cardiff_Five).<ref name=NFXep3>{{Cite episode |title=Episode 3 |time=16:24 |time-caption=Event starts at |series=Who Killed Jill Dando? |publisher=Empress Films; 42 M&P |network=[Netflix](/source/Netflix) |season=- [Documentary miniseries](/source/Television_documentary) |number=3 |date=2023-09-26}}</ref> In March 2019 Mansfield was engaged by the family of footballer [Emiliano Sala](/source/Emiliano_Sala) to represent their interests in [the dispute over his death](/source/2019_Piper_PA-46_Malibu_crash).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cardiff-city-emiliano-sala-contract-15941596|work=[Wales Online](/source/Media_Wales)|title=The Cardiff City Emiliano Sala contract dispute explained, the loopholes lawyers are exploring and the likely next steps|first=Paul |last=Abbandonato|date=27 March 2019}}</ref> In 2025 he acted on behalf of the [Palestinian Centre for Human Rights](/source/Palestinian_Centre_for_Human_Rights), helping to prepare and submit a criminal complaint against British nationals accused of atrocities during the [Gaza war](/source/Gaza_war).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/law/2025/apr/07/ten-britons-accused-of-committing-war-crimes-while-fighting-for-israel-in-gaza |title=Ten Britons accused of committing war crimes while fighting for Israel in Gaza |date=7 April 2025 |newspaper=The Guardian |first=Haroon |last=Siddique}}</ref>

Mansfield has been referred to as a "[champagne socialist](/source/champagne_socialist)" though he has said that 95 per cent of his work comes from [legal aid](/source/legal_aid).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article3758831.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080923203913/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article3758831.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 September 2008|title=Law|work=The Times}}</ref>

===Lockerbie bombing===
Warning against over-reliance upon [forensic science](/source/forensic_science) to secure convictions, Mansfield in the [BBC Scotland](/source/BBC_Scotland) ''[Frontline Scotland](/source/Frontline_Scotland)'' TV programme "Silence over Lockerbie", broadcast on 14 October 1997, said he wanted to make just one point:
<blockquote>Forensic science is not immutable. They're not written in tablets of stone, and the biggest mistake that anyone can make—public, expert or anyone else alike—is to believe that forensic science is somehow beyond reproach: it is not! The biggest miscarriages of justice in the United Kingdom, many of them emanate from cases in which forensic science has been shown to be wrong. And the moment a forensic scientist or anyone else says: 'I am sure this marries up with that' I get worried.</blockquote>

==Political views==
In November 2019, along with other public figures, Mansfield signed a letter supporting [Labour Party](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) leader [Jeremy Corbyn](/source/Jeremy_Corbyn), describing him as "a beacon of hope in the struggle against emergent far-right nationalism, xenophobia and racism in much of the democratic world", and endorsed Corbyn in the [2019 UK general election](/source/2019_United_Kingdom_general_election).<ref name="nme">{{cite news |last=Neale|first=Matthew|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/new-letter-supporting-jeremy-corbyn-2568734|title=Exclusive: New letter supporting Jeremy Corbyn signed by Roger Waters, Robert Del Naja and more |work=[NME](/source/NME)|date=16 November 2019|access-date=27 November 2019}}</ref> In December 2019, along with 42 other leading cultural figures, he signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership in the 2019 general election. The letter stated that "Labour's election manifesto under Corbyn's leadership offers a transformative plan that prioritises the needs of people and the planet over private profit and the vested interests of a few."<ref name="theguardian1">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/03/vote-for-hope-and-a-decent-future|title= Vote for hope and a decent future |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)|date=3 December 2019|access-date=4 December 2019}}</ref><ref name="theguardian2">{{cite news |last=Proctor|first=Kate|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/03/coogan-klein-lead-cultural-figures-backing-corbyn-labour|title=Coogan and Klein lead cultural figures backing Corbyn and Labour|newspaper=The Guardian|date=3 December 2019|access-date=4 December 2019}}</ref>

==Charity work==
He is an environmental and animal rights activist and in 2019 said that meat may become banned in the future, and there should be a law made to criminalise [ecocide](/source/ecocide), or destruction of the environment as a result of intensive animal agriculture.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/shortcuts/2019/sep/23/should-meat-be-banned-save-planet-new-laws-environment|title=Should meat be banned to save the planet?|first=Emine|last=Saner|date=23 September 2019|work=The Guardian}}</ref> Mansfield is a patron of the animal rights organisation [Viva!](/source/Viva!_(organisation)) (Vegetarians International Voice for Animals) and refers to meat production as "genocide".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.viva.org.uk/celebs/michael.html |publisher=viva.org.uk |title=Viva! – Vegetarians International Voice for Animals – Star Supporters |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418102917/http://viva.org.uk/celebs/michael.html |archive-date=18 April 2008}}</ref> 

He is also patron of Hastings Advice and Representation Centre, a charity providing free welfare benefit advice and representation for local people in [Hastings](/source/Hastings), East Sussex and the surrounding area.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}} He is a co-founder and trustee of the charity Silence of Suicide (SOS).<ref>{{Cite web |last=SOSAdmin |title=Home |url=https://sossilenceofsuicide.org/ |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=SOS Silence of Suicide |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Mansfield has been married three times. He was married for 19 years to Melian Bordes, with whom he had five children, Jonathan, Anna, Lousie, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leomansfield/ Leo] and Kieran, and for 30 years to Yvette Vanson, from whom he separated in 2014 and with whom he had a son. He has been with his current wife, Yvette Greenway, since 2015.<ref name="Pelling">{{cite news|last=Pelling|first=Rowan|author-link=Rowan Pelling|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/11792269/Michael-Mansfield-QCs-most-difficult-case-his-daughters-suicide.html|title=Michael Mansfield QC's most difficult case, his daughter's suicide|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date=8 August 2015|access-date=14 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vc504|title=Michael Mansfield|publisher=BBC Radio 4|work=Desert Island Discs|date=22 October 2010}}</ref> His daughter, Anna, died by suicide in May 2015.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-35498851 "Mansfield on daughter's suicide: 'Why didn't you tell me it was that bad?"], BBC News, 4 February 2016.</ref>

== See also ==
*[Hans Köchler's Lockerbie trial observer mission](/source/Hans_K%C3%B6chler's_Lockerbie_trial_observer_mission)
*[Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial](/source/Pan_Am_Flight_103_bombing_trial)
*[University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 2011](/source/University_of_Cambridge_Chancellor_election%2C_2011)

==References==
{{reflist|30}}

== Further reading ==
* Michael Mansfield, ''Presumed Guilty: British Legal System Exposed''. 1993.
* ''Who's Who'', 2006
* Michael Mansfield, ''Memoirs of a Radical Lawyer''. London, Bloomsbury. 2009. {{ISBN|978-0-7475-7654-9}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.nexuschambers.com/nexus/ Nexus, the Chambers of Michael Mansfield QC] Michael Mansfield's Chambers

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mansfield, Michael}}
Category:1941 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Finchley
Category:People educated at Highgate School
Category:Alumni of Keele University
Category:English lawyers
Category:Members of Gray's Inn
Category:English barristers
Category:British King's Counsel
Category:British republicans
Category:English animal rights activists
Category:English environmentalists
Category:English human rights activists
Category:English legal professionals
Category:English legal writers
Category:English socialists
Category:Human rights lawyers

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Michael Mansfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Mansfield) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Mansfield?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.