PBI UK Patron Sir Henry Brooke passes away

We are deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of Sir Henry Brooke CMG, a Patron of PBI UK and an invaluable supporter.

Sir Henry Brooke was a lawyer at Fountain Court Chambers who went on to serve as a High Court judge. Sir Henry became a Patron of PBI UK in 2006 upon retiring from the judiciary.

"I first heard of PBI when I received a letter out of the blue from its indefatigable director Susi Bascon in October 2006, a month after I retired from the Bench.  This led me to having lunch with her and a very brave visiting lawyer from South America."

This initial meeting led to Sir Henry becoming a Patron of PBI UK and founding the Alliance for Lawyers at Risk of which he was President from its creation in 2010 until 2017.

“The launch of the Alliance marks an opportunity for lawyers in the UK, individually and through their firms and Chambers, to fulfil our commitment to the protection of human rights around the world and help our fellow professionals.”

Sir Henry contributed enormously to our work with his expertise and commitment to supporting Human Rights Defenders (HRDs). As a patron of Peace Brigades International UK, Sir Henry supported HRDs at risk through generous contributions, life-saving intervention letters, and making statements to protect the lives of legal practitioners around the world.

In October 2017 at the re-launch of the Alliance for Lawyers at Risk event Sir Henry Brooke was presented with an ‘Invisible Mandelas’ award by PBI UK. The award honours Sir Henry’s long-standing commitment to assisting human rights defenders at risk. A legacy that the Alliance for Lawyers at Risk will carry on with continued vigour.

"Sir Henry was a man of integrity and a compassionate soul. As a patron of PBI UK and founder of the Alliance for Lawyers at risk Sir Henry supported many courageous Human Rights Defenders and spent uncountable hours advocating for their safety and their right to continue their work without fear of intimidation. His generous and kind spirit will be greatly missed by all of us at PBI." - Susi Bascon, PBI UK Director.

PBI UK is extremely grateful for Sir Henry Brooke’s support, both for the organisation and the human rights defenders we protect. He was a great inspiration to us all and will be greatly missed. We extend our condolences to his family.