The Times Lawyer of the Week: Tom Forster KC

Congratulations to Tom Forster KC who has been recognised as this week’s “Lawyer of the Week” by The Times.

Tom acted as advocate to the court, and then special advocate (leading Paul Mertens of Pump Court Chambers and assisted by the Special Advocates Support Office) – advising the court and representing the interests of the media defendants in the closed proceedings from which they were excluded – in the High Court and Court of Appeal in the unprecedented Afghan super-injunction case. The Ministry of Defence obtained a super injunction to keep secret a data leak by the British military that put the lives of thousands of Afghans at risk and the government’s response to it. Thousands of Afghans were relocated to the UK under a secret scheme as a result of the data leak, which could only be reported after the High Court ruled that the gagging order should be lifted.

In his interview for the Times, Tom Forster KC reflects on key moments and influences in his legal career — from those he most admires in the profession to the best advice he’s received. Highlights include citing “My Cousin Vinny” as containing “the most masterful cross-examination committed to celluloid you could ever wish to see” and championing a ban on emails after midnight.

Read full interview here: [The Times]

Tom Forster KC: [Tom Forster KC Profile]