Ethnic minority lawyers have a vital role to play in stemming what is becoming a growing contempt for the rule of law and the activities of lawyers, the director of human rights organisation Liberty told delegates at the conference.

Shami Chakrabarti said that, unlike lawyers from a more traditional background, it was harder for politicians to dismiss ethnic minority lawyers as 'out of touch'.


She said greater admissibility of previous convictions in court and talk of league tables for judges were indicative of a contempt for liberal values that is developing into contempt for the rule of law itself.


Ms Chakrabarti said: 'Friends at the criminal bar say they will find a way of fighting greater admissibility of convictions in the courts, because all lawyers understand its importance. But soon there will be a new generation of lawyers who will have studied law in a whole new climate, where people actually believe this nonsense about rebalancing the criminal justice system - which means tipping the scales away from the presumption of innocence.'


She added: 'We must all be not just advocates for our clients but advocates for the civilising role of the rule of law. Ethnic minority lawyers have a contribution to make because they do not come across so much as the usual suspects as some [public school-educated] lawyers, who can be dismissed as out of touch. Many ethnic minority lawyers may be able to say, "I didn't go to Harrow, I work in a law centre down the road, and I think this stinks as well".'