Caoilfhionn Gallagher

Caoilfhionn Gallagher is an Irish barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in London, specialising in human rights and civil liberties.

Life Gallagher studied at University College Dublin and graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Law.

She is one of the three joint founders of the ‘Act for the Act’ campaign (with Martha Spurrier and Fiona Bawdon), a crowdfunded advertising campaign to tell positive stories about the Human Rights Act 1998.

Gallagher led the lawyers working for the release of Ibrahim Halawa, Halawa was adopted by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience and Lynn Boylan led a vote in the European parliament of 500 to 11.

Gallagher has spoken about the importance and value of pro bono work. She has represented survivors of the Hillsborough disaster and the 7/7 bombings.

In 2017, she received UCD's alumni award in Law and she became a Queen's Counsel in the same year. Gallagher also served as a judge that year at the Freedom of Expression Awards with actor Noma Dumezweni, Tina Brown, Anab Jain and Stephen Budd.

In 2022, she spoke out against what she saw as anti-Irish

In 2023, she was appointed to the Irish independent role of Special Rapporteur-for Children. She replaced Professor Conor O'Mahony and will serve for three years.