Ife Thompson is a remarkable Movement Lawyer and UN Fellow who focuses on criminal defense, family law, and cases involving police misconduct. She uses innovative legal strategies, drawing from UN International Human Rights Law and community-based issues to challenge these matters within her criminal defense practice.
As a UN Fellow for the international decade for people of African descent, Ife passionately fights for the human rights of Black individuals in the UK. In the courtroom, she challenges biased narratives and stereotypes attached to Black language terms, often bringing in Black language experts to challenge these misconceptions. She believes that racial justice is closely tied to language justice and that Black liberation involves normalizing communication and perspectives.
Ife has a wide range of experience in Criminal Defense work, appearing in Crown, Magistrates, and Youth Courts. She handles various aspects of cases, from first appearances to trials, and has successfully defended clients facing charges and excluded evidence under s.78 at trial.
One of Ife’s notable achievements was securing the dismissal of an assault charge against a client with paranoid schizophrenia. Her proactive approach and emphasis on the effects of racial discrimination played a crucial role in the case being dropped. In another case, she secured a lenient sentence for a young adult client with previous drug convictions, highlighting the impact of racial discrimination on her client’s life.
Ife Thompson is a globally renowned Movement Lawyer and speaker, known for her expertise in law, digital freedom, and human rights. She recently spoke at a prestigious event in Berlin, advocating for a more just and liberated digital future.
Aside from her legal work, Ife is also a UK-based Community Activist, Black History Expert, Curator, and Writer. She campaigns for the rights of people of African Descent in the UK and has founded two civil society organizations to support these causes.
Ife was selected as the United Nations Fellow for the Decade for People of African Descent, aiming to protect the human rights of Black people locally and globally. She has been recognized for her work in making the Criminal Justice System fairer and promoting Black history and culture.
