Lawyers’ organisations from around the world are coming together in London today (Tuesday 30 September) to discuss threats facing the legal profession and the ‘urgent’ need to improve coordination and safeguards.
The event, chaired by bar chair Barbara Mills KC, will hear from guest speakers Istanbul Bar Association president, Dr Ibrahim Kaboğlu, American Bar Association president Michelle A. Behnke, Law Society of Zimbabwe president Lison Ncube and Law Association for Asia and the Pacific president Shyam Divan, with closing remarks from Law Society president Richard Atkinson,
Hosted jointly by the Bar Council and Law Society, the event will also discuss how to use the new Council of Europe convention for the protection of the profession of lawyer.
Atkinson said: ‘Lawyers must be able to carry out their duties and uphold the rule of law safely and independently, free from undue interference. When the rule of law is under threat, it affects not only lawyers but also the everyday lives, rights and freedoms of all people and their communities.
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‘We stand at a moment where the stability of our legal systems is being tested by political, economic and social pressures that threaten to weaken public trust in the rule of the law and erode the very foundations of justice that underpin fairness and democracy.’
Mills added: ‘Barristers have told us they have faced death threats and rape threats, threats to their family members, threats made by politicians, physical surveillance and lawyers have been traduced in some parts of the media both at home and abroad.
‘There must be no impunity for governments or non-state actors who target the profession. There are patterns of intimidation that show we are facing an increasing hostile environment for lawyers globally. It is vitally important for us to support the profession at this critical time, emphasise the value of independent legal practitioners and promote adherence to the rule of law.’
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