jul 11, 2020 - DAILY MAIL Meet the high-profile Australian lawyer joining Amber Heard in court every day

Description:

Meet the high-profile Australian lawyer joining Amber Heard in court every day - who counts the Clooneys as friends and even rubs shoulders with Prince Charles

- Australian human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson is Amber Heard's barrister
- She made headlines this week over her appearance at Johnny Depp's libel case
- But the 39-year-old, from Berry, NSW, already mingled in high profile circles
- Ms Robinson is best friends with Amal Clooney and represents Julian Assange
- Depp is suing the newspaper over an article suggesting he was a 'wife beater'

By TITA SMITH FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA and VIVEK CHAUDHARY and JESSICA GREEN FOR MAILONLINE

Australian human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson mingles in high profile circles.

She calls Amal Clooney her best friend and was spotted rubbing shoulders with Prince Charles at an exclusive charity event in London before the COVID-19 outbreak took hold.

But it was the 39-year-old's turn in the spotlight this week, making international headlines standing as Amber Heard's barrister during the Johnny Depp's libel case against The Sun newspaper in London.

Ms Robinson was pictured accompanying Depp's ex-wife into court, where the Pirates of the Carribean star is suing the newspaper over a 2018 article that suggested he was a 'wife beater'.

Explicit details of the couple's turbulent marriage has dominated headlines, including claims Depp bashed Heard's head into a fridge and sent texts threatening to cut off Elon Musk's penis after suspecting they were having an affair.

In another, the model, 34, claimed her ex-husband, 57, used his severed finger to paint 'I love you' in blood on a mirror while they were temporarily based in the Gold Coast while he was filming.

Ms Robinson is part of the powerful group of women who are supporting Ms heard through the blockbuster libel trial.

Ms Robinson came from humble beginnings in the small village Berry, south of Sydney, where her father works as a horse trainer.

She is now a leading human rights lawyer from Doughty Street chambers who also represents Julian Assange.

She has become one of the UK's highest profile human rights and media lawyers, working in the practice established by prominent Australian lawyer Geoffrey Robertson.

'I am proud that women from my chambers, like Jennifer and Amal Clooney, are proving that young women can rise high in the law and overcome the bars and sexism in what used to be a male-dominated profession,' Mr Robertson told News Corp this week.

'She is quite brilliant and has assisted me on those important cases and has done very well and is having a successful career working at my Chambers.

'She has represented the West Papua independent movement and other human rights causes.'

Ms Robinson has appeared at the International Court of Justice and given expert evidence at the UN and in Parliament.

Her areas of expertise are free speech and civil liberties, and she regularly advises newspapers on media law.

Ms Robinson attended Amal Clooney's wedding to George in 2014, where she was asked to carry out bridesmaid duties. She arrived via Venice in a boat with fellow guest Bill Murray.

In 2017, she was seen canoodling with Jeremy Corbyn's former spin doctor Seumas Milne - with her father later telling MailOnline that his daughter was just enjoying a night out and a 'few drinks' with a friend.

Her father, Terry, insisted his daughter is a 'good girl' who has been in a 'few relationships' but dismissed suggestions that she was having an affair with the married father-of-two.

In 2011 she gave an interview about her private life and described herself as 'passionate' and 'infinitely curious', and said: 'My friends would probably add, ''the eternal optimist'' or ''a bit bonkers''.'

She admitted that while being serious as a proud Australian she enjoys 'taking the p**s' and said she swears too much.

Ms Robinson also confessed that she 'partied' a lot when she was younger. She said: 'London has too much fun on offer to be stuck at your desk all day and night'.

And responding to a question about the contents of her London fridge she said: 'Nothing but a few bottles of champagne (and maybe a mouldy piece of cheese)' because she so rarely eats at home.

She was also asked: 'What comes into your mind when you shut your eyes and think of the word 'law'?' and replied: 'Jude' - a reference to the British actor.

Ms Robinson was mainly an observer in Heard's case, which saw Depp hit with 14 allegations of domestic violence, claims he defending during the three days of testimony.

The newspaper, which failed to have the case thrown out of court, is relying on Heard's claims to defend their article as true.

The actor has denied hit his former wife on several occasions, but admitted he 'accidentally' headbutted her during a fight in Los Angeles in 2015.

The court also heard Depp allegedly threw a phone at Amber Heard and called her 'Amber Turd' after she allegedly defecated in their marital bed after a blazing row on her 30th birthday party in which he threw a champagne bottle at her.

Heard denied the claims, and suggested it may have been one of their small dogs, Pistol or Boo.

The court was also shown photos Heard provided of her injuries, including bruises on her arms and black eyes.

The model also alleged Depp tried to set fire to a painting Heard's former partner Taysa van Ree gave to her, that was hanging in her bedroom.

While denying the claims, Depp has accused Heard of violence towards him, saying his finger was severed actually severed after she threw a bottle of champagne.

He said he would be frequently 'punished' if he 'broke her rules', such as whether she took his boots off or whether he put his arm around her while watching TV on the sofa.

Depp's case against The Sun is expected to continue for another two weeks.

Added to timeline:

Date:

Images: