OUR TRUSTEES & STANDING VOLUNTEER TEAM
Meet the Team
A-Law is governed by a Board of Trustees who oversee the charity's work and compliance with charity and company regulations. The charity is assisted by a standing volunteer team, who fulfill executive functions involved in the running of the charity and by other volunteers who contribute to A-Law's project, policy and research work.
POLICY TEAM
TRUSTEE
Paula Sparks
Paula is Chairperson of the UK Centre for Animal Law (A-Law) and previously practiced as a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers. Paula has an interest in animal law and regularly lectures and writes on topics around animal law and policy. She also has experience in the voluntary sector, where she worked prior to starting independent practice as a barrister.
TRUSTEE
Alan Bates
Alan is A-Law’s Legal & Policy Director. He is a barrister who specialises in competition, procurement, public/administrative and EU law. From 2000–2001 he worked at the Law Commission, auditing the compatibility of legislation with the ECHR. He advises campaign organisations on Parliamentary procedure and the legal aspects of their lobbying strategies.
VOLUNTEER
Hannah Brown
Hannah is A-law’s Legal and Project Manager. She works with our lawyers and NGOs to facilitate the provision of legal help, through our seminar and events program, pro bono assistance and project work. She is an experienced litigation solicitor (non-practising).
STUDENT TEAM
TRUSTEE
Edwina Bowles
Edwina is an A-law trustee and student group manager. Edwina has been involved with the UK Centre for Animal Law (A-law) since 2010 and helped set up the student group, which she now manages. She is a solicitor working at Cruelty Free International.
VOLUNTEER
Sally Shera
Sally is a Student Coordinator at A-Law. She completed an LLB (Hons)/Bachelor of International Relations at Griffith University in Australia, which included two semesters abroad at Sciences Po, Paris. After completing her PLT with Justice Connect in Melbourne, Sally will commence a Master of Laws at Monash University in February 2018.
VOLUNTEER
Alice Collinson
Alice provides support and liaison between A-law and universities and academics. She recently obtained an Animal Law LL.M at Lewis and Clark Law School in Oregon. She previously worked as a civil litigation solicitor at Russell-Cooke LLP, and completed her law degree at Oxford Brookes University following a BA in History and Philosophy at Leeds University.
Mike Radford, OBE LLB
Mike is a Reader in Law at the University of Aberdeen. He leads A-law's work with universities and academics and has taught and lectured on animal law widely, in addition to working extensively on the development of animal welfare law and policy with politicians, officials, veterinarians, NGOs, and other interested parties. Mike is presently a trustee of Dogs Trust, the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, and OneKind; a member of the All Party Group on Animal Welfare; and a visiting lecturer at both Edinburgh and Glasgow Vet Schools. He was a founder member of both A-law and the Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Veterinary Association. Mike was appointed OBE in 2008 for services to animal welfare law.
Journal team
TRUSTEE
Jill Williams
Jill is a non practising solicitor and editor of A-law’s Journal. She joined A-law as a director in 2009 and has continued to play a significant role in the group’s work. Jill has both a health and legal background. She originally trained as a nurse before qualifying as a solicitor, and is currently working in the field of public health in a non-legal capacity.
VOLUNTEER
George Pennington
George is a commercial lawyer who works in-house in the sports sector. He trained in Bristol before moving to London 4 years ago, shortly after which he became a member of A-law. Outside of work he is a keen football fan and currently battling the transition from vegetarian to vegan.
Social media & communications team
TRUSTEE
Abigail Scott
Abigail recently finished her law degree with the Open University. During her studies, Abi was Chair of the Open University Law Society and received the title of UK Environmental Law Association Junior Moot winner, as well as being awarded student prizes in employment law and European Union law. Abigail is marketing manager in her family’s motorcycle dealership, Two Wheel Centre. Abigail is passionate about animal welfare issues and has been a trustee since 2013.
VOLUNTEER
Natalie Harney
Natalie is Social Media & Communications Coordinator at A-law. She is also the editor of A-law's eMagazine for students, Animal Justice UK. Natalie holds a degree in English from the University of Birmingham and is now undertaking her GDL/LLM. Alongside her studies, Natalie works with deaf and visually impaired students in the Higher Education sector. Natalie has a long-standing interest in animal law, particularly enforcement and the accountability of public authorities responsible for animal welfare.
Trustees (non-executive functions)
TRUSTEE
Jeremy Chipperfield
Jeremy is Co-founder of ALAW. He is a barrister and Assistant Coroner in West London and in Oxford. Jeremy’s civil liberties experience includes defending the first criminal prosecution of the new offences (re animal research organizations) under s 145/6 Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 and various proceedings relating to the activities of activists around the country; civil actions against the police and defending High Court actions and Committal applications brought by claimants including Monsanto, Huntingdon Life Sciences, John Lewis and Circus King.
TRUSTEE
Simon Cox
Simon is an Associate Tenant of Doughty Street Chambers. He is employed as the Migration Lawyer for the Open Society Justice Initiative, where he develops, implements and manages legal strategies and projects to promote the rights of international migrants worldwide. Before taking up his current post in October 2011, Simon was a tenant of Doughty Street Chambers where he acted for many civil society organisations, including Amnesty International, the AIRE Centre, Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, Refugee Legal Centre, Child Poverty Action Group and BUAV.
TRUSTEE
Christina Warner
Christina qualified as a solicitor advocate in 2012, cross qualifying as a barrister in 2014. With extensive experience across family, criminal and corporate immigration practices, she has worked for a variety of clients. Throughout her legal career she has also worked as a legal journalist and interpreter. Christina also regularly volunteers at the LGBT charity, Broken Rainbow, offering legal advice to those suffering and/or fleeing from domestic violence. She also sits as a magistrate.
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