Kate Lil

Kate is a barrister, having been called to the Bar in 2009. She practised at the independent criminal bar before leaving to join the charitable sector with a focus on prisoner rights. Kate has extensive experience working with people in prison, advising them on their legal and human rights.  She currently works for the Prisoners’ Advice Service, a legal charity offering free legal advice and representation to adult prisoners in England and Wales, where she specialises in representing women in prison who have often suffered great trauma in their lives. Whilst her work is now centred on the criminal justice system in the UK, she previously worked internationally, first as the Human Rights Adviser here at Prisoners Abroad and then at the Death Penalty Project, where she assisted British nationals suffering human rights abuses overseas.

Kate’s passion for prisoner rights began during a study abroad year in Philadelphia, USA, where she participated in an ‘Inside/Out’ project, assisting prisoners both in the county jail and those on death row in the state prison. Since then she has always held positions that help those who find it difficult to advocate for themselves. Kate believes challenging the status quo and fighting injustice is even more important now, following sustained attacks on the rights of individuals which has left those within the criminal justice system in an increasingly perilous position. Kate joined Prisoners Abroad as a trustee in April 2024 to widen her support for those isolated in prison.