Posted on 08/10/2016 8:55:04 AM PDT by TigerClaws
One of the UKs most respected international criminal lawyers who was representing Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has died after being hit by a train in West Hampstead.
Married father of two John Jones, QC, worked at renowned legal chambers, Doughty Street and died last Monday morning. Police say they are not treating the death as suspicious.
The 48-year-old barrister has been described as a giant in his field by colleagues, who said that his death is a monumental loss to the cause of international justice and human rights.
Oxford graduate Mr Jones, who took silk in 2013, specialised in extradition, war crimes and counter-terrorism, representing clients from around the world in high profile cases.
He was part of a team of lawyers acting to prevent the extradition of Julian Assange - holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy for four years - whose case is currently being heard by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
Mr Jones was also working with his colleague Amal Clooney to try and halt the execution of Colonel Gaddafis son Saif and Libyan spy chief Abdullah-al Senussi.
Earlier in his career, he helped bring to justice some of those responsible for genocide in the former Yugoslavia as part of the UNs International Criminal Tribunal, working to establish procedures that were used in the historic trials.
As well as his criminal law work, Mr Jones acted as a human rights lawyer, saving a 19-year old from the death penalty in Singapore, fighting on behalf of journalists for free speech in Africa, and making representations to the UN to prevent torture.
He joined Doughty Street in 2005, where he worked alongside some of the UKs top barristers, including Keir Starmer, MP for Holborn and St Pancras, who remains an associate tenant there.
Mr Starmer, who knew Mr Jones well, said: John made a huge contribution to international justice. His loss is felt deeply by all his friends and colleagues, and all our thoughts are with his family and friends.
Doughty Street Chambers said in a statement: The passing of John Jones QC is a monumental loss to the cause of international justice and human rights worldwide. He was a pioneer, at the forefront of establishing our modern system of international criminal justice, and a giant in the field.
John was a good friend, great colleague and a brilliant and creative lawyer.
John was admired and appreciated for his amazing sense of humour, his professionalism and his deep commitment to justice and the rule of law.
His death is a huge loss for all of us in Chambers, for the British and international legal profession, but mostly for his family to whom we offer our sincerest and deepest condolences.
The statement also praised Mr Jones for his wit, eloquence and benevolence. His colleagues said: John prepared humbler cases with a rigour equal to his higher profile ones. He constantly gave his services for free, and his generous spirit and selfless devotion came at some cost.
Mr Jones lived in Kentish Town with his wife and two young children.
A statement from British Transport Police said officers attended West Hampstead rail station at 7.07 on Monday morning after a man was struck by a train.
It said: He was pronounced dead at the scene. The mans death is not being treated as suspicious. A file will be prepared for the coroner.
In close proximity to the Clintons, one could be forgiven for calling it the swine flue.
Harry got up
Dressed all in black
Went down to the station
And he never came back
WOW! I see a pattern here.
Don’t worry... “it’s not being treated as suspicious.” Notice the wording... it doesn’t say that it isn’t suspicious...just that it isn’t being treated as suspicious.
Well at least he didn’t shoot himself TWICE in the back of the head at point blank range!
Reminds me of the South Texas enemy of LBJ that committed suicide by shooting himself in the back, five times, with a rifle. Sounds reasonable right?
I am just trying to imagine a news report saying Erin Brockovich was killed after being hit by a train, with no details of the event whatsoever, except saying it was not “suspicious”.
If a high profile and intelligent American like that suddenly died being hit by a train, I think the public would be pretty demanding to know the details of how Erin Brockovich died and why and where, what time, the circumstances, if she had any recent death threats, etc.
Inquest rules that death of Julian Assange’s lawyer, John Jones QC, was not ‘suicide’, opening door to law suits https://t.co/WRJZLvT4S9
WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) August 21, 2016
the article explains that the ruling was due to lack of certainty of intent
[C]oroner Mary Hassell [ ] was satisfied [from the CCTV footage] that nobody else was involved. Recording a narrative verdict, Ms Hassell said she could not be certain that Mr Jones intended to kill himself because the balance of his mind was affected. Ms Hassell said: John Jones died instantaneously when he jumped in front of a moving train. However, the state of his mental health at the time meant that he lacked the necessary intent to categorise this as suicide.
https://investmentwatchblog.com/wikileaks-lawyers-death-ruled-not-suicide/
Renowned lawyer who represented Julian Assange died after being struck by train
Way behind and trying to catch up again.
Check out # 41 , # 46 , and # 68 .
Also:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3461072/posts
Thanks, thouworm, and thanks Wildhighlander57 for locating the threads at this late date.
Was he pushed?
It has not been ruled out obviously
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