A delegation of UK lawyers has urged the British government to reconsider its policy of providing military aid to the government of Colombia, after returning from a solidarity mission to the country.


The group of ten solicitors and barristers spent eight days in Bogota investigating how the rule of law was applied in Colombia and how its legal system complied with international human rights standards.



They concluded that while formally there was a satisfactory justice system, it was often flouted in practice with the knowledge and connivance of the state, notwithstanding the efforts made by some working within state agencies to uphold the rule of law.



Morgane Landel, a criminal defence solicitor at central London firm Dalton Holmes Gray, who was part of the delegation, said: 'Being a lawyer in Colombia is not something that we can even begin to imagine - I can do my job without fear of being shot, but one of the lawyers I spent time with was forced to leave the country because his life was in danger.'



She added: 'We wanted to raise awareness of the plight of these lawyers, who risk their lives to do their job and often don't get paid. We urge the British government to reconsider its policy of providing military aid to Colombia but no bilateral humanitarian assistance to civil society.'



The country has suffered internal conflict for over 40 years, and defence lawyers, journalists and members of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are often harassed, threatened or detained.



The trip was funded by British-based human rights NGO Justice for Colombia and UK law firms in conjunction with the Solicitors International Human Rights Group.



Catherine Baksi