Kim Hollis KC was called to the Bar in 1979 by Gray’s Inn. Kim was the first female Asian QC (now KC) appointed in the UK in 2002 and has extensive experience in the criminal courts of England and Wales, as well as internationally.
In 2008, Kim was elected a Master of the Bench by Gray’s Inn. She is accredited to practice in jurisdictions throughout the Caribbean and was called to the Bar in Bermuda, Belize and the British Virgin Islands, where she was Director of Public Prosecutions from 2016-2019.
Kim has invested her time to support various aspects of the Inn’s Education programme including delivering advocacy training and has been a representative for Gray’s Inn on the Bar Council since 2021.
“The unique inclusivity, fellowship, and support of Gray’s Inn throughout my career has been invaluable at each step along the way. From the moment I decided in July 1979 to proudly be called to the Bar in the hall of Gray’s Inn wearing a sari, to the support I received as a new young mother to help establish my own set of chambers within the Inn as head in 1988, as well as my time in the Caribbean. Gray’s Inn has always remained my anchor. In particular, being a Bencher of the Inn enabled me to reconnect with members of the Inn in the Caribbean who justly valued their membership including their time at the Inn as students, with fondness and pride and it was my privilege to bring Gray’s Inn back into their legal lives and reconnect them to the Inn for their legal journeys.”
- Extended Bio
Kim trained as a barrister in London chambers and took silk in 2002. She has defended high profile cases at the Old Bailey and Crown Courts throughout the country internationally, including human trafficking, serious sexual offences and murders.
Kim was Called to The Bar in Bermuda (2012) Belize (2021) and British Virgin Islands and accredited to practice in those jurisdictions. From 2009 to 2011 she was Chair of the Association of Women Barristers, and she was chair of the Equality and Diversity Committee Bar Council 2010- 2014.
Kim has been a Trustee of the Kalisher Trust since 2012, supporting talented students who might otherwise be unable to aspire to a career at the Bar due to financial constraints.
From 2016 to 2019 she was Director of Public Prosecutions to the Overseas Territory of British Virgin Islands, a constitutionally created position with the sole decision-making responsibility for the instituting of all criminal proceedings on the Virgin Islands, as well as being answerable to the House of Assembly and Standing Finance in relation to the administration of the Department. She played a pivotal role in re-establishing the Criminal Justice System of BVI following the devastation of the 2017 Hurricanes.
Kim has advised at the highest Government / Cabinet / National Security Council level on Security and Human Rights in addition to regularly liaising with the United States Virgin Islands in relation to mutual cooperation and extradition.
She has advised the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 2013 as a member of their Diplomatic Excellence Panel, is a member of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Diversity Excellence Panel and a member of the Judicial Diversity Forum.