NYC Bar expresses concern at “climate of intimidation” for lawyers in Northern Ireland (The Irish News)
The Irish News, July 13, 2017
NYC Bar expresses concern at “climate of intimidation” for lawyers in Northern Ireland
“ONE of the largest legal associations in the world has expressed concern about the ‘climate of intimidation’ lawyers in Northern Ireland are working in. The NYC Bar represents 24,000 attorneys, judges, law professors and government officials in the New York City area. Its president, John Kiernan, has written to prime minister Theresa May and Secretary of State James Brokenshire asking that the government ‘refrain from the use of inflammatory rhetoric’ when discussing ongoing legal cases. Decisions to prosecute some former British soldiers for Troubles-related offences, sometimes after lengthy campaigns for justice by victims’ families and their solicitors, has resulted in a backlash in Britain. This has included references to firms of solicitors and the outgoing Director of Public Prosecutions Barra McGrory, prompting him to take the unprecedented step of defending his impartiality. In a strongly-worded letter to the prime minister, Mr Kiernan said; ‘We urge you and other government officials to refrain from the use of inflammatory rhetoric against lawyers involved in the reconciliation process and to identify and implement steps to support lawyers working on reconciliation and legacy issues, and to publicly commit to safeguarding lawyers who have been harassed or threatened as a result of performing their professional duties’.”
