Sierra Leone Telegraph: 24 June 2025:
The Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone has tonight issued a statement saying it has learned with great sadness of the death of Courtenay Griffiths, KC.
Mr Griffiths represented former Liberian President Charles Ghankay Taylor during his war crimes trial before the Special Court for Sierra Leone sitting in The Hague. On 31 August 2023, he was appointed as pro bono counsel at the request of Mr Taylor.
Mr Griffiths served as Lead Counsel for Charles Taylor from his appointment in July 2007 until the end of the trial phase in May 2012.
Previously, Mr Griffiths had practiced law before the Bar of England and Wales.
Principal Defender Ibrahim Yilla described him as “unyielding and eloquent beyond measure in presenting his case before the Special Court.”
RSCSL President Justice Richard Lussick remembered Griffiths as “a fine lawyer.” Registrar – Binta Mansaray called him “forceful and kind”.
The RSCSL extends its condolences to his family.
May he rest in eternal Peace.
About the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone
The Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone is responsible for the ongoing legal obligations of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, which concluded its mandate in December 2013. These include supervision of prison sentences, witness protection and support, maintenance and preservation of the archives, and assistance to national prosecution authorities.
According to ITV News, tributes have been pouring in, in recognition of the amazing work of Courtenay Griffiths KC.
The British legal world has paid tribute to “legendary” defence barrister Courtenay Griffiths KC, who has died at the age of 69.
Jamaica-born Dr Griffiths was among the first black lawyers to be awarded the then-Queen’s Counsel status and rose to become a most prominent and formidable force at the criminal bar.
He defended in many high-profile criminal trials after he was called to the bar in July 1980 and awarded silk in 1998.
Notable cases included the Pc Keith Blakelock murder trial, the Brighton bombing and the Damilola Taylor murder trial.
In 2007 he represented former Liberia president Charles Taylor in his war crimes trial in The Hague and also sat as a part-time judge.
Barrister Laurie-Anne Power KC, of 25 Bedford Row, said: “He was the single most influential figure in my legal career.
“He epitomised brilliance, intellect and fearlessness in equal measure.
“He considered it his duty to open doors and provide opportunities to those who might not otherwise have them.
“He was unapologetic about changing the landscape of the bar.
“As an advocate, there was simply no-one better.
“He commanded the attention of anyone and everyone in the courtroom.
“He had it all in abundance.
“But behind the advocate was a gentle, kind, and selfless man who loved the law.”
Ms Power said she first met Dr Griffiths at a law fair in 1998 and he immediately asked her if she was Jamaican after sharing stories of their mutual love for the island.
She added: “He was my only mentor, in the true sense of the word.
“He hounded me into applying for silk and did not stop until I got it.
“He was a friend first and made me believe that I could achieve anything within the profession.”
ITV News senior correspondent Ronke Phillips said: “To watch Courtenay Griffiths in action at the Old Bailey was compelling.
“He was a skilled advocate. Sharp, clever and when needed, witty.
“Like all great barristers, he treated the courtroom as though he was the leading man in his own drama.
“His exchanges were often devastating for witnesses, but those of us on the press benches were delighted.
“He never failed to deliver the quotes we needed for our copy.
“Courtenay was charm itself. Serious about his work but never too serious to be friendly and always with a twinkle in his eye. RIP”
Writing on X, Jacqueline McKenzie, solicitor and partner at law firm Leigh Day, said: “Through his practice at Garden Court and 25 Bedford Row Chambers, he acted in major criminal and human rights cases, in the UK and overseas, and left an indelible mark of greatness on our profession, and on the world.”
Barrister Amina Graham, from 2 Hare Court Chambers, wrote on LinkedIn: “He demonstrated the importance of representation for me in my pursuit of a career at the Bar.
“I worked with him during my time at the Special Court for Sierra Leona where he represented Charles Taylor … a formidable advocate and an inspiration to so many.”
Dr Griffiths was a multi-award-winning barrister who spent the majority of his career between Garden Court Chambers and 25 Bedford Row.
In 2020, Dr Griffiths was handed an outstanding achievement award at the Legal 500 Awards and was given a lifetime achievement award at the UK Diversity Legal Awards in 2018.
He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2005.
In societies where democratic values and norms are the rule rather than the exception, even the devil must have his advocate and day in court in the name of fairness, equity and justice. Charles Taylor was the devil incarnate. His blood stained quest for power resulted not only in destroying his homeland but in bringing our own country to its knees, leaving in its wake tens of thousands dead, never mind the hundreds of thousands wounded and unimaginably disfigured and irreversibly so.
But in defence of the obsessed Taylor the lawyer Courtenay Griffiths stepped in, using his well-honed legal skills and expertise to make a case for the scoundrel perhaps if only in the name of that modicum of humanity that every child of Adam and Eve must have in him or her at birth, but which the likes of Charles Taylor have squandered in their delusional pursuit of power at all costs.
Courtenay Griffiths defended not Taylor the killer but the flame of humanity he had regrettably betrayed and lost. He will be remembered for his faith and trust in the quintessential goodness in man. Now that he is no more, may his soul rest in the everlasting radiance of the possibilities of hope and redemption for evil-prone humanity.