CHAMBERS
Omar Soliman
(Member)
Guernica 37
Called: 2012
Qualified to accept Public Access instructions
Introduction
Omar Soliman became a Guernica 37 member, following successful completion of his pupillage in 2020. He has developed a practice across a spectrum of chambers' practice areas, with a particular focus in domestic and international crime, international human rights, immigration and professional discipline.
Current work
Omar has a busy domestic criminal practice representing clients accused of a wide range of criminal offences and appears regularly in the youth, magistrates' and Crown Court.
Omar is developing an international law practice, which has included being instructed as a Legal Associate on the Haradinaj defence team at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC). In January 2022, Omar was admitted to the List of Specialist Counsel before the KSC as Co-Counsel.
Omar is currently instructed as Legal Adviser (with a focus on defence investigations) on the Abd-al-Rahman defence team at the International Criminal Court. Mr Abd-al-Rahman is alleged to be a commander of the Arab militia in Darfur, Sudan commonly known as the Janjaweed. He is charged with 31 counts of murder, rape, forcible transfer, persecution and torture as crimes against humanity and war crimes, arising out of the conflict in West Darfur between August 2003 and April 2004.
Omar is also developing his extradition practice and played an active role as part of the defence team in the successful case of Slovakia v. Dunford-Wood [2020].
He similarly assisted with an international child abduction case before the Family Division of the High Court.
Omar has also been actively involved in the sphere of asylum and immigration law, including acting in an Iraqi asylum case, where the applicant was a former interpreter who worked with the British army during the Iraq war.
Omar is developing a professional discipline practice and has appeared on behalf of Social Work England in disciplinary proceedings concerning social workers.
Previous experience
Prior to commencing his career at the Bar, Omar was a Caseworker in the Middle East and North Africa team at NGO Reprieve where he worked on cases and projects involving people facing the death penalty or execution in Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Casework included conducting interviews and family visits, legal research, drafting legal documents and UN submissions, presenting at UN bodies, liaising with local counsel, Government outreach and MP engagement and coordinating input from experts, pro bono lawyers and other supportive organisations and individuals.
Omar was a caseworker at Legal Centre Lesbos, defending the rights of asylum seekers and refugees in Greece. Here he managed an extremely busy caseload, drafted family reunification and UNHCR accommodation transfer requests, conducted client meetings (in English and Arabic) involving asylum interview preparation, in addition to other legal research and advocacy tasks on asylum and family reunification cases under Dublin III Regulation.
Prior to this Omar freelanced as a Barrister’s Assistant to various members with an immigration practice at Garden Court Chambers. In addition to this Omar worked as a Legal Assistant to leading fraud solicitor David Harbron at both Hedleys and Chivers Solicitors and as an immigration paralegal at Lambeth Law Centre.
Omar has worked on several international teams, including internships on the Nuon Chea defence team at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) in Phnom Penh, and the Oneissi defence team at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) in The Hague. Following these, Omar was a Legal Assistant at international consultancy firm Global Diligence LLP, in Paris, where he worked on an International Criminal Court (ICC) communication.
Omar has volunteered at several different charities including Bail for Immigration Detainees, Detention Action and Equal Rights Trust.
Education
Executive Course in Public International Law, SOAS
BPTC, College of Law (Very Competent)
LLM in Law and Development, University of Manchester (Merit)
BA in Law with Politics, University of Manchester (2:1)
Memberships
The Honourable Society of Inner Temple
Criminal Bar Association
Human Rights Lawyers Association (HRLA)
Association of Young International Criminal Lawyers (AYICL)
Arab Lawyers Forum
Appointments and Awards
Admitted to the List of Assistants to Counsel before the International Criminal Court (ICC)
Admitted to the List of Specialist Counsel before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) as Co-Counsel
Guernica 37 Equality & Diversity Officer
Geoffrey Nice Foundation on ‘Law, History, Politics and Society in the Context of Mass Atrocities,’ Dubrovnik and Prishtina – Awarded scholarship from Inner Temple to attend this Master Class and Alumni Conference
Expertise
Domestic Criminal Law
International Criminal Law
Public International Law
International Human Rights
Extradition & Mutual Legal Assistance
Immigration & Asylum
Rule of Law Development
Government Advisory Work
Atrocity Crime Prevention
Languages
English
Arabic
Recent Cases
Professional Discipline
Social Work England and TS (2023) - Secured the continuation of an Interim Suspension Order against a social worker charged with two criminal offences: (i) concealing criminal property in her premises; (ii) acquiring criminal property from another defendant for the benefit of criminal conduct.
Social Work England and CB (2023) - Secured an Interim Suspension Order against a social worker who has been dismissed for gross misconduct.
Social Work England and AH (2023) - Secured the continuation of an Interim Suspension Order against a social worker facing allegations of sexually motivated and discriminatory behaviour.
Criminal
R v CA - Wood Green Crown Court (2022) - Secured a community order in the sentencing of a defendant with mental health issues, indicted on 7 counts of racially aggravated intentional harassment and common assault.
R v AS - Snaresbrook Crown Court (2022) Secured bail for a defendant indicted on three counts of theft
R v. KI - Romford Magistrates' Court (2022) - Secured an acquittal in a case of ABH after getting the Crown to withdraw their case against a defendant with mental health issues.
R v. JA - Westminster Magistrates' Court (2022) - Secured a community order in the sentencing of a defendant indicted on three counts of racially aggravated disorderly behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
R v. DH - Stratford Youth Court (2022) - Secured an acquittal for a 13yo indicted on one count of having article with blade or point on school premises (CJA 1988, s.139A(1) and (2)).
R v. MS – West Hampshire (Southampton) Magistrates’ Court (2022) – Secured a community order in the sentencing of a defendant indicted on two counts of assault and one count of criminal damage.
R v. VK – Snaresbrook Crown Court (2021) – Represented a defendant indicted on a breach of a Serious Crime Prevention Order.
R v. MD – St Albans Magistrates’ Court (2021) – Secured an acquittal in a case concerning failure to give information relating to the identification of the driver of a vehicle.
R v. ECP – Thames Magistrates’ Court (2021) – Secured an acquittal in a case of criminal damage after getting the Crown to withdraw their case against a defendant with mental health issues.
R v. AL – Romford Magistrates’ Court (2021) – Secured an acquittal in a case of common assault.
R v. AF – Stratford Magistrates’ Court (2021) – Secured an acquittal in a case of criminal damage and assault by beating.