Welcome you to the site of the United Kingdom Association of Jewish Lawyers & Jurists, this country’s branch of the International Association of Jewish Lawyers & Jurists, which makes us part of a global family. We have served the interests of Jewish lawyers and the Anglo-Jewish community, and those who share our values, for many years by our commitment to the rule of law and the role of the law in securing a just society which respects human rights and dignity and combats antisemitism.We seek to explore the legal issues of the day that have a bearing on our particular interests in a wholly non-political and open-minded way, to celebrate the contribution made by Jewish lawyers, and to provide encouragement and opportunities for younger lawyers. We welcome your interest in our activities, extend a warm invitation to you attend our events and hope you will consider becoming a member. Please contact us if you have any queries.
Welcome to our new Chairman, Sir Clive Freedman KC.
Following the stepping down of Prof Graham Zellick CBE KC, we are delighted to announce that Sir Clive Freedman KC has agreed to take over as Chair of the Association.We look forward to working with him and to an exciting programme in the forthcoming months.
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We would like to thank Prof Zellick for his hard work and enthusiasm, and wish him a speedy recovery.
Clive Freedman has been a Judge of the King’s Bench Division of the High Court since 2018. He was formerly at the Commercial Bar, having been appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 1997. He is a Bencher of Middle Temple and is a member of the Northern Circuit.
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He was joint head of Littleton Chambers from 2006 to 2013, before moving to 7 King’s Bench Walk. His practice at the Bar was in international commercial fraud, joint venture disputes, professional negligence, banking and a broad range of financial disputes. He appeared in arbitrations in and outside the UK and co-wrote the section on International Trade and Arbitration in Burton on Civil Appeals. He was called to the Bar of the British Virgin Islands. He has lectured on a variety of subjects both in the UK and abroad about commercial law as well as about comparative English law and Jewish law
He is a former joint chair of the UJIA Bench and Bar Committee where he and his joint chair (now Mr Justice Roth) led a fundraising campaign to create the Lord Taylor Music Therapy Clinic in Jerusalem. Twenty years later, it still serves the wider community of all faiths in Jerusalem. He was a governor of Immanuel College, Bushey, chairing the religious education sub-committee for a number of years. He is a former trustee of Hadassah UK (the UK supporter of the hospital). He is a committee member of the British Friends of the Hebrew University.
He is married to Hadassa and they have four children, a son and a daughter, both lawyers in London, and two daughters both in High-Tech in Israel.
It is with great regret that we announce the death on 6 May 2025 of The Rt Hon the Lord Etherton GBE KC PC, former Master of the Rolls and one of our Vice-Presidents. We offer our condolences to his husband, Andrew Stone, and family at this very sad time.
In response to the recent rise in antisemitism, and in particular the increase in antisemitic incidents on university campuses, the Association of International Jewish Lawyers has partnered with the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) and B’nai Brith International to launch a legal assistance project, tailored to the needs of Jewish students. Students who want to explore avenues for redress can contact: campus@bnaibrith.org or info@wujs.org.il.In addition, Asserson Law Offices is offering free legal advice and confidential support for students affected by antisemitism. They can be contacted at: campus@asserson.co.uk.UKLFI can also be contacted regarding concerns about anti-Israel or antisemitic activity at: office@uklficharity.com
THE MEANING OF PROPORTIONALITY IN THE INTERNATIONAL LAW OF ARMED CONFLICT​
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Israel’s right to defend itself under international law following the attack by Hamas on October 7 is beyond question.
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In its military operations, Israel is of course obliged to act in compliance with the international law of armed conflict, which includes the principle of proportionality, but many take a mistaken view of the limits placed on Israel’s military action against Hamas by that principle.
Proportionality in this context does not mean, as many suppose, that defensive military action must be limited so as to cause no more than proportionate harm to the enemy. Thus, the number of casualties or the damage caused to civilians and non-military targets is not in itself an indication of disproportionality.
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What the principle does require is that the military action, when targeting a particular military target, should not proceed if the information available indicates that the probable collateral damage to civilians and non-military objects would be excessive in relation to the military advantage expected from the military action.
This is therefore a more nuanced and fact-sensitive equation than is commonly understood.
Application of the correct definition of proportionality in international law is therefore of the utmost importance in assessing the legality, and indeed the morality, of current Israeli military action and any further action that is undertaken in the future.
For a fuller statement of the relevant legal principles, see the speech of Lord Verdirame KC, Professor of International Law at King’s College London and practising from 20 Essex Chambers, in the House of Lords debate on Israel/Gaza on 24 October 2023 (Hansard, HLDebs, Vol. 833).