HRDF mourns friend and associate member Jonathan Cooper OBE

We have been shocked and saddened to learn that Jonathan Cooper OBE, the renowned human rights barrister and world leading campaigner for human dignity, died suddenly in September 2021. He was a good friend and associate member of the Human Rights and Democracy Forum since its inception in 2017 and delivered our inaugural lecture in October of that year. He generously gave his time and shared his insights in a number of guest lectures arranged by Forum members and had long supported their activities even before the Forum was established, including work on human dignity and the right to life. As editor of the European Human Rights Law Review, he was an enthusiastic champion of research publications on the European Convention on Human Rights and related issues and, having influenced the development of the Human Rights Act 1998, he was one of its strongest advocates in the face of increasing political opposition. A warm, welcoming and engaging man and an inspiring human rights lawyer, Jonathan will be sorely missed by us all.