Eleanor Hourigan
Biography
Eleanor Hourigan has been Deputy Permanent Representative and Legal Adviser at the UK Delegation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg since 2016. In particular she represents the UK in Council of Europe negotiations concerning justice matters and human rights matters – including the “DH” (Droits de l’Homme) meetings on the execution of ECtHR judgments.
She is also the liaison point between the UK Government and the Council of Europe’s Department for the Execution of Judgments on the implementation of cases against the UK. Ellie is also Deputy Head of Mission, with responsibility for ensure the running of the UK Delegation to the Council of Europe.
Ellie, a barrister, has worked for the legal directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 2008, advising on a variety of different legal matters, including sanctions, EU law, human rights, consular work, public international law, and international humanitarian law. In relation to the topic of human rights this work has included litigation work as agent on litigation cases before the European Court of Human Rights, representing the UK in United Nations Human Rights Council negotiations in Geneva and advising on a wide variety of international human rights issues, including human rights issues arising in consular cases.
From 2011 to 2015 Ellie represented the UK in the EU negotiations in Brussels - first as legal adviser in UKRep (2011-2013) and later as justice counsellor in UKRep focusing on negotiations in the field of justice and fundamental rights (2013-2015). Prior to joining the FCO, Ellie worked as a legal adviser in the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, where she was also the Departmental Coordinator for human rights matters.
Previous roles in government
-
Deputy UK Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe