David Young is a highly accomplished barrister, who has consistently defended in high profile complex International criminal trials. He provides strong representation to his clients, both internationally and nationally. For some 12 years he continuously acted as a trial lawyer in three different International Courts in the Hague, consecutively as between 2011 to 2023. Since early 2024 he has been more London based, having moved from the Hague.

In 2020 he was appointed Lead Counsel for one of the four accused charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in the Hague, where he led a team of international defence lawyers preparing for contested trial proceedings.

Previously he was the only UK counsel instructed to lead for the defence in the Hariri assassination case before The Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the Hague (2011-2020). In the 18th August 2020 judgment from the STL Trial Chamber the accused (Assad Sabra), whose interests he represented, was acquitted of all charges. Between 2018 to 2019 he was also appointed as Counsel in the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in the Hague, on another war crimes case.

He is the former Director of International Affairs for the Criminal Bar Association for England and Wales, having been appointed in 2020. David is co-chair of Red Lion Chambers’ International team of barristers.

In the UK he defends in, and advises upon, cases across the spectrum of criminal and regulatory matters, with the focus being on investigations into public International Law. He is currently receiving CIArb training on International Arbitrations. His interests in particular include commercial crime, International Investigations, human rights work, and preparation on International criminal court and other cases, and matters before the International Court of Justice.

Bar Human Rights Committee (2016)

ICC Bar Association Executive Council (2016)

Member of the Bar Council’s International Committee (2008- 2010)

CBA Committee (2007-2010)

The Bar European Committee (2003-2007)

ICC list of Defence Counsel, The Hague

International Bar Association War Crimes Committee 2024

Publications:

Abuse of Process in Criminal Proceedings, Bloomsbury Professional, 5th edition, 2022, co-author of all editions, from 1st edition in 2000 to the 5th edition in 2022, with Mr David Corker (Partner in Corker Binning Solicitors), and from the 3rd edition, with Mr Mark Summers KC of Matrix Chambers.

Fluent in French and English. Learning Arabic.

CBA

International Criminal Court Bar Association

BA Hons, LLM London University