Conor Gearty

The human rights lawyer and teacher who spoke truth to power 'incisively, passionately and elegantly'

- Patrick Kidd

Keir Starmer's decision to recognise the state of Palestine last week would have been welcomed by Conor Gearty, professor of human rights law at the London School of Economics, though as a critic of Israeli aggression, he would probably have used it to rebuke the prime minister for not doing enough to stop the war in Gaza.

Gearty, also a barrister and founder member of Matrix Chambers, did not hide his low opinion of the west's handling of Israel. "No one is safe, not the UN ... not journalists, not university professors, not aid or health workers," he said.

Nimer Sultany, reader in public law at the School of Oriental and African Studies, said: "Conor was an unwavering and courageous champion of the rights of the Palestinian people." Ben Saul, UN special rapporteur on counter-terrorism, added: "No one spoke truth to power in pursuit of justice in dark places as incisively, passionately and elegantly."

Gearty expressed other similarly trenchant views in his final podcast, for Prospect magazine. After regretting that few politicians today have a background in protest, he criticised Starmer for failing to defend universalism. He warned that Labour's failure to assert liberal views could usher in a far-right government that would enact a death to illegal migrants act, since "English law charmingly doesn't allow you to kill foreigners".