Every Zimbabwean citizen arrested over the last year has had access to a lawyer thanks to the profession's continued independence and courage, the president of the Zimbabwe Law Society said last week.

Speaking to the Gazette in San Francisco, Sternford Moyo said his members have maintained their role as advocates for the rule of law, as well as an independent legal profession and judiciary, despite intimidation, both physical and in the media.

'We may not see the progress we are making, but in time we will see that we have kept...

the core values of our profession,' he said.

The Mugabe government's activities are leading to the 'progressive reversal of some of the gains of our liberation struggle', Mr Moyo said, with new laws curbing the right to assembly, the right to processions, and the freedom of expression.

However, he said lawyers would keep on fighting.

'We become more vulnerable if we don't do our work as a profession, especially at a time when the demand for our work is so high,' he maintained.

Mr Moyo said the Zimbabwe Law Society has stayed independent in large part as a result of support from law societies and bars all over the world, adding that he considered the International Bar Association (IBA) 'our partner in Zimbabwe'.

The IBA sends specialists on three-month trips to help the society and also feed back information on the situation in the country.

Mr Moyo said he is keen to strengthen what he described as the 'natural' links with the English and Welsh legal profession.

He is scheduled to speak at the opening of the legal year in London shortly.

Neil Rose