The members of Monckton Chambers congratulate pupil barristers Kyle Johnson and James Fraser on being invited to join Chambers following successful completion of pupillage, during which they have experienced a wide range of Chambers practice areas. All are delighted they have accepted.
Kyle and James will join Chambers as tenants in October 2026.
We are pleased to announce that 5 members of chambers have been appointed to the Attorney General’s Panels of Counsel following the competition launched this year.
Michael Armitage and Kristina Lukacova have been appointed to the A Panel, Will Perry has been appointed to the B Panel and Khatija Hafesji and Clíodhna Kelleher have been appointed to the C Panel.
The Attorney General maintains three panels of junior counsel to undertake civil and EU work for all government departments in addition to its regional panels. The new appointments commence in September and last for a term of 5 years.
The current list of Monckton Chambers panel members is:
Lord Christopher Bellamy KC has been appointed to the Panel of Arbitrators of the BVI International Arbitration Centre (BVI IAC).
The BVI International Arbitration Centre (BVI IAC), an independent not-for-profit institution, was established to meet the demands of the international business community for a neutral, impartial, efficient and reliable dispute resolution institution in the Caribbean, Latin America and beyond.
The BVI IAC aims to become the go-to institution for International Arbitration and all other forms of dispute resolution in the Caribbean, The Americas and beyond. The IAC will be a nerve centre for dispute resolution, thought leadership, seminars and trainings as well as various other initiatives that contribute to the expansion of Arbitration worldwide.
Monckton Chambers is pleased to welcome back Tom Sebastian, who rejoins chambers on Monday, 22nd June.
Tom acts in substantial regulatory and commercial disputes, often with an international element. He has a diverse practice which spans competition law, public international law and international commercial arbitration. Tom is a member of the CMA’s Panel of Standing Counsel and the Attorney-General’s PIL-A panel.
Tom said: “It is great to be returning to Monckton Chambers. I look forward to developing my practice alongside old, and new, Monckton colleagues in the years to come.”
Joint Heads of Chambers Tim Ward KC and Philip Moser KC said “We are delighted to welcome Tom back to Chambers. He adds strength and depth to Monckton’s practice in competition law and in the complementary areas of public international law and commercial arbitration”
The Legal 500 Bar Awards UK seeks to recognise chambers as a whole and individuals (barristers of all levels of seniority), clerks, other chambers professionals and arbitrators from London and across England, Scotland and Wales.
The shortlist for the 2026 awards has been announced and we are delighted to have been nominated for 15 awards, across 14 categories
Congratulations to everyone that has been shortlisted! The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on the 22nd September 2026.
The full shortlist can be found on the Legal 500 website here.
Monckton Chambers is pleased to announce that Ian Rogers KC has been appointed to the Expert Panel of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR).
The Football Governance Act 2025 establishes an internal review function as an important part of the IFR regime. It provides clubs, owners and other persons directly affected by specified IFR decisions with the opportunity to request a review of those decisions by a panel of decision-makers who were not involved in the original decision. It offers a quicker and less costly route for persons seeking to challenge a decision of the IFR, without the need to incur the costs and follow the procedures involved in an appeal to the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
For the majority of reviewable decisions listed in Schedule 10 of the Act, the applicable reviewer is a committee of the IFR’s Expert Panel. The Expert Panel consists of individuals with a broad range of skills, knowledge and experience in areas relating to the operation, organisation or governance of football clubs or competitions, financial or other regulation, and four KCs.
During the course of the term of his appointment, Ian will be unable to represent or advise individuals, clubs or competition owners in relation to their obligations under the Act, including any proceedings against the IFR, but will otherwise continue to accept sports law and other instructions.
The guide is intended to provide an overview of the Football Governance Act 2025 and the powers and duties of the Independent Football Regulator. It aims to identify and explain several key legal, regulatory, and practical issues that are likely to arise as the new regime begins to operate in practice, including issues relating to licensing, enforcement, the ODSE regime, and the IFR’s investigatory and decision-making powers. It also offers practical guidance on reviews and appeals, including proceedings before the Competition Appeal Tribunal. It is not intended to be exhaustive, nor does it constitute legal advice. The Guide is up to date as of 7 May 2026.
To read the full guide please scan the QR code below or click to download here Monckton Chambers Guide to the Independent Football Regulator.
Sir Christopher Vajda KC elected vice chair for the London Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators for the year 2026/27.
Sir Christopher says: “I was delighted to have been elected the Vice Chair of the London Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators for the year 2026/27. I look forward to working with the new Chair, Paul Kinninmont, a partner at Freeths, and the Committee.”
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Ciarb) is the world’s leading professional body for dispute avoidance and dispute management.
The London Branch serves Ciarb members who live or work in London. It is one of the largest branches in the Ciarb network, with almost 2,000 members.
Clíodhna Kelleher has contributed a chapter to a new edited volume examining the role of female judicial leaders of courts worldwide, ‘Female Chief Justices in Comparative Perspective’, which is published by Edward Elgar Publishing. The book investigates women’s contributions to constitutional guardianship and to feminist institutional and jurisprudential change across global court systems.
Clíodhna’s chapter focuses on the Hon. Mrs Justice Susan Denham, the first woman to serve as Chief Justice of Ireland.
The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Global Plaintiff Lawyers have been announced and 11 Monckton barristers have been recognised.
The Lawdragon 500 is led by expert journalists, involving research, peer reviews, and client submissions. They focus principally on work in the areas of antitrust and competition, investor and shareholder rights, mass torts, consumer fraud, aviation accidents, global asset recovery and civil and human rights.
