Jo Sidhu
Jo Sidhu QC Esq. | |
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Native name | ਜੋ ਸਿਧੁ |
Born | London, England |
Residence | London |
Nationality | British |
Education | Law |
Alma mater |
London School of Economics University of Oxford |
Occupation | Barrister |
Years active | 1993–present |
Organization | Chairperson for the Society of Asian Lawyers |
Board member of | Bar Council, City Sikhs, Society of Asian Lawyers |
Jo Sidhu QC (Punjabi: ਜੋ ਸਿਧੁ) (born in 1966 in London) is a leading British criminal law barrister.
Career
Sidhu has worked as a criminal law barrister since 1993.[1]
He is the chairperson for the Society of Asian lawyers, the biggest BAME lawyers’ society in the UK representing over 3,000 members[2] and since 2001 he has been the Vice chair of the Equality & Diversity Committee at the Bar Council. [3]
In 2012 Sidhu was appointed to the highest position within his profession by being appointed to become a Queen's Counsel which is awarded to only 8 per cent of barristers.[4] He is one of approximately 100 BAME QCs in Britain and one of only a handful from the Sikh community. [5]
Sidhu has particular expertise in terrorism cases, homicides and conspiracies involving frauds, robberies and drug trafficking[6] and has worked hard to expose corruption in the British justice system. As a result he was the target of death threats and online harassment lasting 12 months in 2015. After police were unable to provide assistance due to a lack of resources, Sidhu was forced to hire a private forensic computer expert at considerable expense to track the cyber-criminal behind the smear campaign, who was then subsequently jailed for 5 years. [7]
Sidhu has said that the government must do more to tackle cyber threats of this nature.[8] He also supports the use of law in protecting the right to freedom of speech. [9]
Awards and recognition
In 2016, Sidhu was awarded the UK's Asian Professional of the Year Award 2016[10]
See also
References
- ↑ "Jo Sidhu QC | Counsel for Leadership". www.counselforleadership.com. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
- ↑ "British Punjabis 9th August 2014 (p. 13)". British Punjabi Magazine. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- ↑ "The Legal 500 > 25 Bedford Row (Chambers of Paul Mendelle QC, George Carter-Stephenson QC and Je) > London, ENGLAND > Lawyer profiles > Jo Sidhu QC". www.legal500.com. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- ↑ Gates, James (2012-03-12). "Ealing barrister attains highest of legal honours". getwestlondon. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- ↑ "Queen's Counsel statistics - Bar Standards Board". www.barstandardsboard.org.uk. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- ↑ "Fraudster jailed for stalking barrister". Kent Online. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- ↑ "Barrister hit with death threats in revenge for his war on corruption". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- ↑ "This is why the government must do more to tackle cyber threats". Metro. 2016-01-02. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- ↑ "Law should protect, not curtail, freedom of speech". Law Society Gazette. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- ↑ ABPL. "2016". www.abplgroup.com. Retrieved 2018-06-24.