Sophie Dawson

Sophie Dawson is a public policy professional and lawyer with nine years of experience in counter-terrorism, human rights, and criminal justice across Southeast Asia, Australia-New Zealand, and the Middle East. At the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by ISIL (Da’esh), she ensured that evidence was managed and preserved in accordance with UN standards and best practices while advising authorities on the integration of complementary modern legal technologies.

Sophie holds a permanent position within the NSW Government, Australia, where she advises senior and elected officials across Australia-New Zealand on counter-terrorism laws and arrangements, developing whole-of-government approaches and leveraging intergovernmental mechanisms to promote national consistency and interoperability. She has also delivered rule of law initiatives in post-conflict settings and represented individuals convicted of terrorism offences before the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.