A conversation with Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, KC

Karim Khan KC is an international criminal lawyer and former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. His career has spanned prosecution, defence, victim representation and international investigations. He started off as a prosecutor in England and Wales before working with the UN International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, later appearing in major international criminal cases and serving as Special Adviser and first Head of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/ISIL. In this episode, Karim reflects on his early years in Yorkshire, his path to the English Bar, and his later work in international criminal law. He speaks about the foundations of advocacy, the discipline of preparation and command of the brief, the importance of fairness as a prosecutor, and why serious cases must be tested against reliable evidence, not shaped by headlines or public narratives. The conversation also explores what it means to defend unpopular clients, how representing survivors and affected communities shaped his understanding of accountability, the realities of investigating mass crimes of the most serious kind, and the importance of delivering justice at the “speed of relevance”, so international courts remain rigorous in their process while still meaningful to those waiting for accountability, while reflecting on his time at the ICC, the challenge of applying the law equally, and the pressures that come with institutional independence.

📌 This episode was recorded on 2 July 2026, before the ICC’s decision on 24 July 2026 concerning allegations of serious professional misconduct against Karim Khan KC. In this conversation, Karim reflects on his journey in the law and addresses recent events involving the ICC. As always, the views expressed by the interviewee are their own and do not reflect the views of Advocates The Podcast.

This episode also welcomed Chacko Vadaketh as guest interviewer.