A leading human rights lawyer in the UK has been criticised on Twitter after calling for the age of consent to be lowered to 13.

Barbara Hewson says there's been a 'witch hunt' to pin blame on ageing celebrities following the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Her chambers, Hardwicke in London, say they're shocked by the views expressed in her piece for the website 'Spiked,' and completely dissociate themselves from its content.

On their website, Ms. Hewson's profile describes her as a Leading Junion in the fields of Public & Administrative Law, Human Rights & Civil Liberties, and Professional Discipline and Regulatory Law.

According to Hardwicke, "she is also a member of the Bars of Ireland (1991) and of Northern Ireland (2000). Her experience covers a wide range of courts and tribunals, both in the United Kingdom and abroad, and she has won cases in the ECJ, European Court of Human Rights, and the Supreme Court and High Court of the Republic of Ireland. She acts for local authorities, corporations, service-providers, non-profit organizations and individuals. 

"She has a particular interest in reproductive rights, and was the first member of the Bar to receive the Lawyer’s ‘Barrister of the Year’ Award, for her pioneering work opposing court-ordered treatment of pregnant women."