The European Parliament’s human rights sub-committee yesterday heard that attacks on lawyers are intensifying around the world.

The Brussels hearing was specifically dedicated to attacks against the legal profession and highlighted the different types of persecution perpetrated against lawyers.

Harassed

Every day lawyers are harassed, threatened, prosecuted, imprisoned or even murdered, simply for carrying out their professional activities, the hearing was told.

In response, the Council of Europe has, since January 2018, been working on a proposal for a European Convention on the profession of lawyer.

The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) insists that further initiatives are needed, both at European level and multilaterally.

Fundamental rights

“Through each attack targeting a lawyer, it is the fundamental rights of all people that are impacted,” the CCBE said.

MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri who is chair of the human rights subcommittee said “Any attack on lawyers or on the legal profession is an attack on justice and on the basic principles of the rule of law.”
The CCBE has published a brochure on threats to the legal profession, available here: http://ccbe.link/endangeredlawyers