Call: 2023, 2016 (Ontario, Canada)dj@onepumpcourt.co.uk
Specialist in
Experience
Dharsha Jegatheeswaran joined One Pump Court as a pupil barrister in October 2023. She is building a practise in crime, inquests and housing.
Dharsha is well versed in representing vulnerable lay clients. She is able to earn clients’ trust and advise them effectively. She is known as a “capable, zealous and natural advocate”.
Dharsha is cross-qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor in the province of Ontario, Canada where she was called to the Bar in 2016. She comes to the Bar of England and Wales after almost a decade working in international law.
Crime
Dharsha has built significant experience conducting trials in the Magistrate’s Court and is now developing a Crown Court practise.
One instructing solicitor who observed Dharsha conduct a trial in her first month on her feet described her as having a “natural flair for advocacy” and being a “star in the making.”
Dharsha has particular interests in modern slavery and protest law. She also has extensive experience and interest in international criminal law.
Housing
Dharsha regularly represents clients in possession proceedings brought by social and private landlords.
She is also building a public law practise in homelessness and has experience with s204 appeals and judicial reviews.
Inquests
Dharsha accepts instructions in inquests and inquiries. During her second six she represented the bereaved family in a two-day inquest into the death of a man in custody. She offered pastoral support to the family and delivered effective advocacy, described by the instructing solicitor as “impressive”. During her first six, she observed a three-week inquest into the death of a man in custody and assisted with research for submissions on gross negligence manslaughter and corporate manslaughter.
Previous Experience
Prior to joining One Pump Court, Dharsha had extensive experience working in international human rights and criminal law. Until commencing pupillage she was the Co-Director of the Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research (ACPR), a human rights think-tank based in Jaffna, Sri Lanka which she co-founded while being based in Jaffna between 2016 and 2018. At ACPR she led documentation of atrocity crimes and explored avenues for accountability in foreign domestic courts. She worked closely with families of victims of enforced disappearances to build participatory models of advocacy, including providing training on international human rights and criminal law across eight districts in Sri Lanka. She continues to assist with ACPR’s work as a strategic advisor.
As part of Dharsha’s interest in universal jurisdiction, whilst completing her LLM she volunteered for REDRESS where she assisted with developing a novel legal argument on an intervention in an appeal to the UK Supreme Court on a universal jurisdiction case.
Dharsha also previously led Reprieve UK’s South Asia Death Penalty team in assisting in the defence of individuals facing the death penalty for a wide range of offences including terrorism, drugs and murder in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. Through this work she developed a particular interest in the experience of victims of trafficking in the criminal justice system in the UK and internationally. She organised advocacy on legislative reform to reduce the scope of the death penalty in the region with parliamentarians and policy makers in the EU and the UK.
In Canada, Dharsha completed her articles at a pre-eminent litigation firm in Toronto where she assisted on matters in a wide range of areas including employment, human rights, and constitutional law. While in law school in Toronto she also developed significant casework and legal research experience in refugee and immigration law.
Education
The London School of Economics and Political Science: LLM (2019)
The University of Toronto: Juris Doctor (2015)
McMaster University: Honours Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry (2011)
Professional Memberships
Honourable Society of Middle Temple Inn
Women in Criminal Law
The Haldane Society
Human Rights Lawyers’ Association
Languages
Tamil (basic spoken)
Awards
Canadian Millennium Provincial Scholarship (2007-2011)
McMaster Entrance Scholarship (2007-2011)
Emerging Professional Award from the Canadian Tamil Professionals Association (2018)
Dharsha secured a suspended sentence order for a Defendant sentenced for 1 count of possession of a bladed article, over a dozen counts of theft, 3 counts of non-domestic robbery and....
Area of Law: Crime
— Read moreDharsha represented first Defendant in armed robbery
Area of Law: Crime
— Read moreDharsha defended one of three co-defendants charged with aggravated trespass in relation to a Palestinian Action protest.
Area of Law: Crime Protest Rights
— Read moreDharsha successfully defended an application brought by the Metropolitan Police Service for a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) against her client.
Area of Law: Crime General Crime
— Read moreDefended a young man charged with possession of child pornography at trial. In sentencing, secured a community order and successfully opposed an SHPO.
Area of Law: Crime General Crime
— Read moreDharsha Jegatheeswaran’s client was charged with one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) and one count of cruelty to a child (s1(1) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933).
Area of Law: Crime General Crime
— Read moreDharsha Jegatheeswaran’s client was charged with one count of non-domestic burglary.
Area of Law: Crime General Crime
— Read moreDharsha Jegatheeswaran’s client was charged with a speeding offence to which he intended to plead guilty meaning he would have 12 points on his licence and face driving disqualification.
Area of Law: Crime Driving Offences
— Read moreMargo Munro Kerr, Dharsha Jegatheeswaran and Meghan Curran successfully overturn convictions of Palestine Action protestors for aggravated trespass on appeal to the Crown Court at Southwark.
Area of Law: Crime Protest Rights
— Read moreDharsha Jegatheeswaran made representations to the Prosecutor and a CPS Manager on the morning of trial, describing the case chronology, the weaknesses in the evidence, an issue with disclosure from t
Area of Law: Crime General Crime
— Read moreDharsha Jegatheeswaran’s client was charged with theft from a shop. The only issue at trial was mistaken identity.
Area of Law: Crime
— Read moreThe three appellants were charged with aggravated trespass. They admitted having trespassed on to the premises of Lockheed Martin, an arms factory.
Area of Law: Crime Protest Rights
— Read more