Christopher Greenwood, QC, is a professor of international law at the London School of Economics and a barrister at Essex Court Chambers, one of the "magic circle" top commercial sets. He has been put forward to replace Dame Rosalyn Higgins as the British judge on the International Court of Justice when the United Nations votes in November. Greenwood, 52, studied law at Magdalene College, Cambridge, and was called to the Bar in 1978. He has appeared in many prominent cases in Europe’s highest courts — the Lockerbie bombing, Pinochet, Kosovo, Rwanda — but he is arguably best known for providing in November 2002 the legal opinion for the invasion of Iraq; Lord Goldsmith, QC, then Attorney-General, consulted him before giving his own opinion on the legality of the conflict. The opinion concluded that the invasion by allied powers was sanctioned by the UN Security Council. Greenwood was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2002 for services to international law.

Back to the full Law 100 2008

Did we get it right? Tell us your picks

Law 100: women | Law 100: corporate and business | Law 100: public, criminal and human rights | Law 100: judges

Explore Law

• Corporate Law

• Public Law

• Columnists

• Law Panel

• Student Law

• Law Reports

Times Recommends

• HM Revenue sued over pension scheme tax
• Farepak liquidators to sue former directors
• McCartney and Mills: it's finally over