She succeeds Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury after his five-year tenure as the expert body’s inaugural chair. 

The High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom serves as the independent advisory body to the Media Freedom Coalition, currently co-chaired by the governments of Estonia and Germany. 

Baroness Kennedy was a founding member of the panel and has contributed significantly to the panel’s work both in her capacity as a member of the panel and as director of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), which serves as secretariat to the panel.

Professor Can Yeginsu and Catherine Amirfar, deputy chairs of the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom, said: “We are absolutely delighted that our brilliant colleague, Helena Kennedy, will be taking on this new role.

“She is a founding member of the High Level Panel and a leading force behind its establishment and continued work. At the five-year mark of the coalition, she is ideally placed to help take us forward with our work.”