Saul Lehrfreund and Parvais Jabbar appointed to the House of Lords

We are delighted that Saul Lehrfreund and Parvais Jabbar have been appointed to the House of Lords as life peers, recognising their outstanding contributions to human rights, access to justice and criminal justice reform.

Having co-founded The Death Penalty Project in the early 1990s, Saul and Parvais have dedicated more than three decades to protecting the rights of some of the world’s most vulnerable individuals. Through their leadership, advocacy and legal expertise, they have played a significant role in advancing human rights, supporting those facing the death penalty and promoting criminal justice reform across the Commonwealth and beyond.

Over the course of their careers, Saul and Parvais have become internationally recognised authorities on capital punishment and human rights law. Through The Death Penalty Project, they have worked alongside governments, legal professionals and policymakers around the world to improve access to justice and encourage fairer legal systems. Their expertise has seen them advise parliamentary commissions, lead international delegations, contribute to constitutional and criminal justice reform initiatives, and publish extensively on human rights issues.

As Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of The Death Penalty Project, Saul has dedicated his career to challenging the use of capital punishment and providing pro bono legal assistance to individuals facing execution. A respected academic and commentator, he regularly lectures and writes on human rights and criminal justice issues. In recognition of his services to international human rights, he was awarded an MBE in 2000.

Parvais is an internationally recognised expert in constitutional and human rights law, with particular expertise in the administration of capital punishment and criminal justice reform. Throughout his distinguished career, he has combined legal, political and policy expertise to support those at risk of execution and advise governments on constitutional development and justice reform. He was awarded an MBE in 2012 for services to international human rights and continues to play a leading role in shaping criminal justice policy internationally.

Their appointments to the House of Lords mark the latest chapter in careers dedicated to advancing human rights, challenging the use of capital punishment and improving access to justice across the world.

A lasting legacy at SMB

Saul and Parvais’ appointments are particularly meaningful for SMB, reflecting the firm’s longstanding commitment to human rights work and access to justice.

The firm’s involvement in death penalty cases began in 1975, when SMB acted for Michael de Freitas (Michael X) in a high-profile death penalty case in Trinidad and Tobago. Following that case, the firm became increasingly involved in representing individuals facing execution across the Commonwealth Caribbean, often providing legal assistance on a pro bono basis. As awareness of the firm’s work spread, SMB was approached by a growing number of people seeking support to challenge death sentences before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Recognising the need for dedicated specialists in this field, SMB recruited Saul Lehrfreund and Parvais Jabbar in the early 1990s to lead its growing death penalty and human rights work. Their leadership helped establish The Death Penalty Project as a globally respected organisation dedicated to advancing human rights, criminal justice reform and access to justice.

Simon Goldberg, Senior Partner at SMB – ” Saul and Parvais started the work of The DPP together in the early 1990s, with the unstinting financial, administrative, and moral support of Simons Muirhead Burton LLP. The organisation has, under their watch and leadership, gone from strength to strength and is now unarguably one of the world’s leading human rights organisations.”