NLJ profile: Daniel Sternberg

What was your route into the profession?

I never set out to practice law. My decision to study law stemmed from my interest in politics which I studied at university and was directly involved in. I found the law was always being used as a barrier to stop people doing things government and agencies found inconvenient. I wanted to understand what these ‘legal reasons’ were, what they meant and whether they really were the brick wall they were sometimes presented as.

After studying politics at university I decided to do the Graduate Diploma in Law. I enjoyed the intellectual challenge and was lucky enough to do mini-pupillages across a range of areas including crime, family law and public law which stimulated my interest in practicing.

A stint as a paralegal sitting in dull data rooms working on corporate deals (before they became fully virtual) and nine months working for the Home Office as an advocate in the immigration tribunal filled the gap between bar school and pupillage.

All of this has laid the foundations for my current practice at the bar focusing on extradition, public law including immigration and sitting as a Deputy District Judge in the Magistrates’ Courts.

What has been your biggest career challenge so far?

I’ve recently finished a long running extradition case which has taken over four years seeking to extradite a wealthy Eastern European media mogul for corruption offences.

The other side deployed six QCs, including a former Attorney General, and instructed at least five different firms of solicitors over the course of the litigation which included first instance proceedings, abuse of process arguments, concurrent international arbitration proceedings, satellite judicial review claims and an appeal lasting five days in the High Court with witnesses giving evidence by video-link from overseas. By contrast, on our side there was only me, my leader (who changed when the original QC instructed was elevated to the High Court bench) and a lawyer at the CPS.

As that case was drawing to a close the end of the Brexit transition period has really brought into focus the uncertainty facing many areas of legal practice, none more so than extradition. So what better time could there be to draft a practitioners’ guide to the law of extradition after Brexit? Together with the talented team of extradition practitioners at Temple Garden Chambers we are writing ‘A practical guide to Extradition Law post-Brexit’ which will be published by Law Brief Publishing in February 2021. Some of the drafting has been complicated by the uncertainty of negotiations together with new primary legislation coming into force while we’ve been drafting and editing chapters. Those developments have made the process of writing a new book on this subject enjoyable if more challenging.

Which person within the legal profession inspires you most?

The late John RWD Jones QC is a great personal inspiration. He was a formidably intelligent barrister without the slightest hint of arrogance. At the same time, he was an excellent advocate who would quickly and calmly turn a hostile bench of High Court judges into a receptive panel with his ability to explain even the most complicated legal concepts in a simple way. One thing he never lost sight of was that many cases have a real human element, a court’s decision will have a dramatic effect, especially in extradition cases where someone may be removed from the country. He was also a barrister with a real hinterland, learning Russian to enjoy classic literature rather than to snare oligarch clients. On a personal level he was kind and supportive towards me when I was going through a difficult time professionally. His death shocked the extradition community. I strive to be more like him as an advocate in trying to stay calm under pressure, seeking to explain complicated ideas in a straightforward way and never forgetting the human element to every case.

If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you choose as an alternate career?

For a time in my life I seriously considered a career as a jazz bass player. However, I’m not sure I would have been good enough or knew the right people to pursue it seriously. So for now I would settle for being a cricket writer: getting paid to watch cricket and to write about it seems like a good deal to me.

Who is your favourite fictional lawyer?

A highbrow choice is Thomas Cromwell as depicted by Hilary Mantel in Wolf Hall, although we don’t get to see him doing much lawyering. Otherwise, it is Dianne Lockhart in The Good Fight.

What change would you make to the profession?

I’ve just finished a seven-year term on the Bar Council so I’m acutely aware of all the efforts  that are being made to increase and retain diversity in the profession. The Bar needs to do more to recruit and retain aspiring practitioners from a non-traditional background. Otherwise we will never shake off the pale, male, stale stereotype of the bar (though I do meet two of those criteria).

How do you relax?

I was making and baking Sourdough bread before it became cool again in March 2020. I enjoy activity that involves physical and mental effort and focusing on something that isn’t work like baking, playing the piano or running. Having two young children fills up any other free time I might otherwise have.

Daniel is a specialist extradition, immigration and public law practitioner at Temple Garden Chambers. He appears regularly in the High Court, Magistrates’ Court and Tribunals, representing domestic and foreign government departments, requesting authorities and applicants. He advises pre-arrest and in import extradition cases, involving the full range of offences. He is experienced in Judicial Review challenges to decisions of public authorities, and Habeas Corpus and unlawful detention cases.