The City of London Law Society has defended the rule of law, and firms acting for Russian clients, saying “the fact that Putin ignores the rule of law does not mean that we should follow his example”.

While many firms have announced reviews of their links to Russian clients, City of London Law Society’s chairman Edward Sparrow said that the rule of law means a right to legal representation.

That “requires that everyone, however unpopular they or their cause might be, has access to a lawyer and to our independent courts,” he said.

Sanctions must ‘comply with the law’

The City of London Law Society is one of the largest local Law Societies in England, with 30,000 solicitors practising in the Square Mile.

“The UK government will take great care to ensure not only that any sanctions achieve their intended purpose, but that they comply with the law and are enforceable in the courts,” he added.

“The rule of law demands that those facing those sanctions should have access to legal advice and the courts to test their legality.”

Law Society of England and Wales President, I Stephanie Boyce, said last week (1 March) that: “It’s the job of solicitors to represent their clients, whoever they may be, so that the courts act fairly.  

‘Tyrannical regime’

“This is how the public can be confident they live in a country that respects the rule of law – unlike Putin’s tyrannical regime.

“Solicitors are highly regulated and are not allowed to bring spurious objections to processes – if they challenge the government’s actions, it’s because they think the government is at risk of breaking its own rules,” she added.

Some British politicians have used parliamentary privilege to criticise ‘amoral lawyers’, the Law Society Gazette of England and Wales has reported.

Meanwhile, wealthy Russians have had their yachts seized in both France and Italy.