Human rights campaigner Jonathan Cooper dies

Jonathan Cooper declared Totnes a "city state" in a bid to prevent Brexit in the town

Human rights barrister and anti-Brexit campaigner Jonathan Cooper OBE has died aged 58.

Doughty Street Chambers in London said the "dear and brilliant colleague" had "died suddenly on Saturday whilst walking in Scotland".

Mr Cooper, of Kingswear, Devon, drew attention from national media for his campaign for a Totnes passport in an anti-Brexit campaign in 2018.

His husband Kevin said his heart was "broken in two".

The pair, who met 30 years ago, had been walking together in Scotland.

'Real and lasting change'

"Jonathan was a half of me and I can't imagine how I will ever be whole again," he said.

"Many will tell you what a great and very human human rights defender he was, how determined, how fearless, how brilliant and how deeply, deeply caring about people he was.

"And this is true, he was all those things and more, but he also had a capacity for love which seemed endless and it was that, his capacity for love, which made him the great defender of people's rights, whether Biafra, which he cared hugely about, or Belarus or LGBTQ people around the world."

Doughty Street said in a statement that the barrister was an "inspiration and life force throughout the bar and globally".

As well as work in human rights around the world, his "ground-breaking work in challenging discrimination against same-sex couples was immense", said the chambers.

Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, who worked with Mr Cooper, said: "Jonny was a glorious life-enhancer whose ingenuity and compassion led to real and lasting change, especially for the gay community. What a loss to the world."

Jonathan Cooper handed out passports for the new city state of Totnes

Totnes councillor Georgina Allen said he was a "delightful" character who also used his skills in local campaigns.

Mr Cooper shaped a campaign for a so-called Totnes passport and declared a "city state" to demonstrate their opposition to leaving the EU.

"He was the nicest man and also very humble," said Ms Allen.

"He was a massive campaigner for social justice and he always gave advice in the most charming way."