The plight of lawyers abroad shows that human rights work is essential - and deserves equal importance at home



The last six years as chairwoman of the Law Society's international human rights committee has offered me an incredible insight into the challenges of our colleagues abroad. At my last meeting as chairwoman, we were joined by two Zimbabwe lawyers, one recently having received a credible warning that the Zimbabwe Military Intelligence Corps had been ordered to kill him.



Some weeks earlier, I had been one of a dozen judges awarding the Ludovic Travieux Prize, which is given to a lawyer who has played a particularly important role in defending human rights. The candidates had been imprisoned, tortured, or members of their families had been killed - all for acting for clients who had challenged governments, or for being associated with clients who espoused unpopular causes.



All of this may seem distant from the day-to-day challenges facing UK lawyers, such as the demands of client work and of running our practices.



The draft Legal Services Bill will undoubtedly change the structure of the profession and how we run our firms. The Law Society, following the Clementi report, undertook a consultation to determine what kind of representational body the profession would like Chancery Lane to become.



Like thousands of other solicitors, I completed the 'Have Your Say' survey, but was disappointed that no specific question or direction was given in respect to the importance of the Law Society's international human rights work. The results of the survey have been interpreted in such a way that certain positions within the Society have been made redundant, including that of the post of international human rights policy adviser - such work is to be consolidated with the work of the domestic rights team. Talented as the domestic team is, this is a bitter blow to those of us who have worked closely with the international rights group - a pocket of excellence, and globally acclaimed.



Therefore, we are left to consider how we can best take forward future work in this field, to preserve international rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. A review of all the rights work undertaken by the Law Society - domestic, European and international - will be carried out by lawyers and academics who are experienced in these areas. It will look at the role organisations such as the Law Society should play.



Details of the review will be available on the Society's Web site. I urge all lawyers who see our participation in domestic and international rights issues as central to our role as legal professionals to take an active part in the review.



I have been proud to be part of a national law society that, to date, has valued the importance of the rule of law at home and abroad and has encouraged us, as a profession, once in a while, to lift our heads above the daily challenges of legal work and consider the bigger picture. Similarly, I have been proud that the Law Society has shown moral leadership. The campaign in respect of the Guantánamo Bay detainees held at the US base in Cuba had particular resonance, both in the profession and among the public.



The Law Society is one of the few professional law associations in the world outside the US with an excellent human rights programme and a high degree of commitment and participation by its members. I would be dismayed if this work could not be continued. I urge the profession to engage with this consultation to ensure that this invaluable work can carry on in the future with maximum effect and commitment.



Lucy Winskell is a parter at Newcastle-based law firm Sintons