Douglas Ewen 1967 – 2024

Douglas Ewen KC, who died on 4 August, was a long-time member of the Council and served on its Executive Committee. He was interested in the idea of a Civil Liberties Trust as a separate entity and as a means of raising funds for the Council.

Douglas represented many defendants in human rights issues, and appeared regularly in the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court all with considerable success. Among those were matters relating to the incorrect calculation of prisoners’ release dates, the three strikes legislation, and the use of pepper spray in cells. As the Chief Justice observed “he was the voice of the most marginalised in society.”

An occasion of particular satisfaction was his success before the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations [ICCPR] in respect of compensation for wrongful arrest and detention.

Aged 57, Douglas died far too soon. Shortly before he died, Douglas was made King’s Counsel [KC] – a very well merited award. Rest well, good friend.