Desmond Browne QC - Chairman of the Bar

Desmond Browne QC was called to the Bar in 1969 and took silk in 1990. He specialises in defamation and privacy cases.

He has appeared in the House of Lords for Neil Hamilton (against Mohammed Fayed), for the Russian businessman Boris Berezovsky (against Forbes magazine) and for the Daily Mirror (against Naomi Campbell). Clients for whom he has acted in the Court of Appeal include Elton John, Michael Douglas, Don King and Victoria Beckham. He also represented the Financial Times in the £250m libel action brought against them by the brokers, Collins Stewart.

Desmond is Joint-Head of 5, Raymond Buildings, the leading media law chambers. He has been a Recorder of the Crown Court since 1994 and a Bencher of Gray’s Inn since 1999. He chaired the Bar Council group dealing with the Clementi reforms and the subsequent Legal Services Act.