Representatives from the Istanbul Bar Association, American Bar Association, and others spoke
A legal event held in London this week tackled threats to the legal profession across the globe and discussed the urgency of bolstering coordination and protection, reported the Law Society Gazette.
Speakers invited to the event included 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. UK bar chair Barbara Mills presided over the event.
Mills highlighted the issues faced by barristers to themselves and their families.
“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,” she said in a statement published by the Gazette.
The event also addressed the use of the new Council of Europe convention to protect the lawyer profession.
“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,” said Richard Atkinson, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, in a statement published by the Gazette.
He highlighted the wide-reaching impact of not upholding the rule of law.
“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,” Atkinson said in a statement published by the Gazette.
Mills emphasized that there ought to be “no impunity” for governments and non-state actors attacking the legal 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,” she said in a statement published by the Gazette.
