Influencing law

Andrew Holroyd, Law Society president:

'Events in Pakistan must be of concern to everyone who supports the rule of law, and they underline once again that the rule of law is nothing without lawyers. I can think of no starker demonstration of this commitment to the law than the extraordinary courage, fortitude and bravery of the lawyers we see in Pakistan.'

Latest news

Law Society steps in to help protect international lawyers

24 January 2008
The Law Society, the Association of Muslim Lawyers and the Bar Council will call on the Pakistani authorities for the release and reinstatement of lawyers and judges imprisoned in Pakistan following the recent constitutional crisis. All three groups are due to meet the High Commissioner of Pakistan next week.
Read the full press release
Read a letter from the Law Society president to president Musharraf (PDF, 33kb)

Protest against the crisis in Pakistan

To coincide with President Musharaff's visit, the Solicitors' International Human Rights Group (SIHRG), the Society of Asian Lawyers and Amnesty International are holding a demonstration outside Downing Street on Saturday 26 January, between 12:00 and 14:00.
Read more – Law Society Gazette

Our online petition

The Law Society launched an online petition to represent the views of solicitors in England and Wales, and lawyers around the world, and the strength of feeling about the rule of law.

Law Society chief executive Des Hudson and Roger Smith, Director of Justice, presented the petition on 10 December to Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street to condemn suspension of the rule of law in Pakistan.

The petition gathered 4793 signatures from bar associations, practitioner groups and individual lawyers in all jurisdictions around the globe. It asked legal professionals everywhere to show their support for the rule of law and to re-emphasise that the rule of law is nothing without lawyers. The petition was endorsed by the Association of Muslim Lawyers and supported by the German Bar Association, the Israeli Bar, the Polish Bar, the Bahrain Bar, the Guyana Bar, the Law Society of Singapore and the Law Society of Northern Ireland.

View our petition

Our campaign so far

Society writes to Commonwealth Secretary General

On 12 November, Andrew Holroyd wrote to The Rt Hon Donald C McKinnon, urging the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group to take strong action.
Download the letter (PDF, 63kb)

Demonstration

On 10 November, Mr Holroyd join others, including many solicitors, at a demonstration opposite 10 Downing St. Over a 1000 people attended, and the demonstration was an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of this issue. The Law Society would like to thank all those solicitors who took part.

Emergency meeting of International Human Rights Committee

On 7 November, Mr Holroyd organised a meeting with Hina Jilani, special representative of the UN secretary general on human rights defenders. Other attendees included the Bar Council, the International Bar Association Institute of Human Rights, and members of the Law Society's International Human Rights Committee.

Ms Jilani informed us that 300 lawyers have been arrested and imprisoned in Lahore, after being charged with anti-terrorism offences. It is reported that at least one in four of all lawyers in Pakistan are now under arrest, including the chief justice and the president of the Supreme Bar Association of Pakistan. All members of the Pakistan judiciary have been asked to sign allegiance to the new constitution and they are arrested if they refuse. We understand that 80% of the judiciary have refused to sign.

Ms Jilani said that these issues transcend national borders. She emphasised that a public show of support provides crucial encouragement to the beleaguered judges, lawyers and human rights activists in Pakistan.

Joint statement

On 7 November 2007, the Law Society, Bar Council, and Association of Muslim Lawyers issued a joint statement, raising strong concerns about the treatment of lawyers in Pakistan following their demonstrations in support of the rule of law.
Read a press release

Lobbying work

The Law Society has written to officials in Pakistan, and to UK foreign secretary David Miliband, expressing its concerns.

Letter to David Miliband, UK foreign secretary (PDF, 148kb)
Letter to Pakistan's president (PDF, 300kb)
Letter to Pakistan's minister for the interior (PDF, 300kb)
Letter to Pakistan's federal minister for law, justice and human rights (PDF, 300kb)

Other human rights issues

Find out about our Zimbabwe appeal
Read a brochure on our work to protect human rights and the rule of law (PDF, 953kb)

Further news

UN in Pakistan plea – Gazette
LawSoc takes lead in Pakistani crisis plea – Legal Week