GIR Awards 2024 - Winner

The judgment of the Court of Appeal earlier this year in R (World Uyghur Conference) v NCA has been identified as the 'Most Important Development of the Year' award at the 10th annual GIR Awards which took place on Thursday 14 November 2024. Admas Habteslasie was part of the counsel team for the successful claimant/appellant.

In the World Uyghur Congress case, the Court of Appeal held that the National Crime Agency had erred in law in refusing to carry out an investigation into cotton imported from China which had been produced in conditions amounting to forced labour or other serious human rights breaches. The Court of Appeal’s judgment is noteworthy in confirming the breadth of the money laundering offences in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and in particular the central concept of ‘criminal property’. The broader consequences of the judgment are significant and have attracted widespread commentary, particularly in the business and human rights context.

The full list of award winners can be found here.