As part of our ongoing Lawyer Abroad series, we spoke with Pat de Brún, an Irish human rights lawyer currently based in London. Pat serves as Head of Big Tech Accountability and Deputy Director of Amnesty Tech, Amnesty International’s global programme on technology and human rights. His path has taken him from Carlow to Cambodia, Berlin and beyond, working on everything from international criminal justice to grassroots activism and tech accountability. Pat reflects on his career, his motivations and the urgent challenges facing the human rights field today.
Pat de Brún, Irish human rights lawyer and Head of Big Tech Accountability and Deputy Director of Amnesty Tech.
Please give your full name and title?
Pat de Brún (he/him) – Head of Big Tech Accountability, Amnesty International, and Deputy Director of Amnesty Tech.
Tell us about who you are and what you do?
I’m an international human rights lawyer and researcher. Over the past decade, I’ve worked in various legal and advocacy roles across Southeast Asia and Europe, including Cambodia, Thailand, Berlin and London. I’m also a PhD candidate at SOAS University of London, where I’m exploring the limitations and possibilities of international human rights law in advancing queer justice, particularly in postcolonial contexts like Cambodia.
I’m originally from County Carlow, where I was educated as Gaeilge at Gaelscoil and Gaelcholáiste Cheatharlach.
Can you describe your training background?
I studied Law with Politics at UCD from 2008–2014, including a sabbatical as Students’ Union President and a year abroad at Humboldt University in Berlin. I later sat the New York Bar and qualified there. After several years working in Cambodia, I completed an LLM in Human Rights, Conflict and Justice at SOAS. In 2023, I began a part-time PhD at SOAS while continuing my work at Amnesty.
Why did you become interested in legal work?
I’ve been drawn to politics and social justice for as long as I can remember. Law with Politics at UCD felt like a natural fit, although my initial engagement with some areas of law – like contract and company law – didn’t excite me very much. It wasn’t until I encountered public law, especially subjects like Constitutional and ECHR law, that I began to see how the law could be used to defend people’s rights.
A turning point came during my Erasmus in Berlin, where I experienced a political awakening of sorts. I started reading critical scholars like Fanon and Chomsky and became involved in activism, particularly around climate and anti-war movements. That sparked a deeper understanding of global injustice and a belief that human rights law could serve as a powerful tool for change.
From censorship to algorithmic discrimination to the facilitation of mass atrocities (as we saw in Myanmar), the tech sector’s abuses are among the most urgent human rights issues of our time.
What professional experiences have left the greatest impact on you?
My early experience as UCD Students’ Union President was formative in terms of leadership and working under pressure. But the most impactful experiences occurred in Cambodia, beginning with a six-month internship at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Phnom Penh. What was meant to be a short-term stint became a seven-year journey in Southeast Asia.
Working on investigations into genocide and crimes against humanity at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal was deeply meaningful. But I also witnessed the limitations of international justice - the bureaucratic inertia, politicisation, and delays. It made me question whether international criminal legal practice was for me. I felt increasingly drawn to more grassroots human rights work, where I might be able to work more directly with activists doing frontline work.
This led me to join the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) in 2015. That period was incredibly formative and rewarding, but also quite intense and at times stressful, especially during a 2017 crackdown when the government targeted our organisation with a politically-motivated investigation and threatened to shut us down. Soldiers surrounded our office, and staff were surveilled and intimidated. We launched a strategic campaign to defend the organisation, both domestically and internationally. Against the odds, the case was dropped. It was a defining experience in solidarity, resilience and impact-driven work.
Where are you working now, and why?
I now lead Big Tech Accountability at Amnesty International. I started with Amnesty in 2019, focusing on Cambodia and Vietnam. My early research into Cambodia’s brutal anti-drug campaign, involving the torture, arbitrary detention and abuse of marginalised people was eye-opening and left a lasting impact on me.
Later, I worked on digital repression in Vietnam and examined the complicity of big tech companies like Meta and Google in censorship and human rights violations. This catalysed my current focus: exposing and challenging the harm caused by unregulated tech platforms.
From censorship to algorithmic discrimination to the facilitation of mass atrocities (as we saw in Myanmar), the tech sector’s abuses are among the most urgent human rights issues of our time. I now lead a fantastic team at Amnesty Tech, working to hold these corporations accountable and push for meaningful reform.
I think it’s vital for us to be reflective in relation to our own privileges, to recognise and centre local expertise, and to continually ask hard questions about power, privilege, and the complex histories of colonisation and imperialism which are so intertwined with the historical development of international law.
Why did you decide to work abroad?
I’ve always loved traveling and learning from other cultures, so moving abroad felt natural. My first international role at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal was encouraged by my dear friend, the late James Douglas (former Executive Director of IRLI), who was already working there.
That said, I believe it’s vital to approach international work critically. The fields of international law and development are steeped in postcolonial dynamics and white saviourism. Irish people, despite our history of colonisation, are not exempt from perpetuating these harmful dynamics. I think it’s vital for us to be reflective in relation to our own privileges, to recognise and centre local expertise, and to continually ask hard questions about power, privilege, and the complex histories of colonisation and imperialism which are so intertwined with the historical development of international law.
Public attitudes toward tech giants are shifting rapidly, thanks to the long-term work of affected communities, activists, and the bravery of whistleblowers.
What drives you to do what you do?
The world is in crisis - climate collapse, rising authoritarianism, the breakdown of international norms, resurgent misogyny and transphobia, and a live-streamed genocide in Gaza, and that’s not to mention many other raging conflicts and human rights emergencies in the world. Truth is under siege, and big tech is deeply complicit in many of these failures.
And although that is quite a grim overview of the state of the world, ultimately I also believe in people’s capacity for empathy and solidarity. History has shown us again and again that collective action can change the world. And even in the darkest times, there is still dignity in the struggle, and resistance becomes more important than ever. And I do see hopeful signs; for example, public attitudes toward tech giants are shifting rapidly, thanks to the long-term work of affected communities, activists, and the bravery of whistleblowers.
Gramsci’s line about maintaining “pessimism of the intellect and optimism of the will” really resonates with me these days.
What kind of impact do you hope to make?
I’ve let go of any naive ambitions to “save the world” which I may have had when I started out. These days, I aim to contribute meaningfully to collective struggles for justice and liberation. Whether it’s providing research and legal advice to support activists in their frontline struggles, investigating tech harms, or just showing up for a protest in the rain, impact doesn’t have to be glamorous. It can also be about consistent, values-driven action, and showing up for people and causes when they need it most.
There's a huge need for lawyers working in the public interest, whether that be working internationally or supporting underserved communities at home.
What advice would you give to young people entering the legal profession?
Remember that there are many paths beyond corporate law. The prestige and financial security are tempting, and I don’t judge anyone for going that route. But I encourage people to think seriously about how they want to spend their time and energy for the rest of their lives.
There's a huge need for lawyers working in the public interest, whether that be working internationally or supporting underserved communities at home. If you’re interested in that path, reach out to people doing the work. Message someone on LinkedIn. Ask a lecturer. Seek out mentors. Alternative careers are possible and often also deeply fulfilling.
You can listen to Pat de Brún's in-depth reflections on the life and work of the late James Douglas.