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  4. Patel again attacks lawyers in pledging asylum overhaul

Patel again attacks lawyers in pledging asylum overhaul

5th October 2020 | immigration

Home Secretary Priti Patel has again turned her fire on the legal profession as she promised an overhaul of the UK's asylum system.

In a speech to the Conservative Party conference, Ms Patel said she would take "every necessary step to fix this broken system", bringing "the biggest overhaul of our asylum system in decades". 

She claimed that those defending the present system – bracketing "do-gooders" and "lefty lawyers" along with traffickers – were "defending the indefensible", but would "lecture us on their grand theories about human rights".

Her system would welcome people through safe and legal routes, while stopping those arriving illegally making "endless legal claims to remain".

Among responses to the speech, Andy Hewett, head of advocacy at the Refugee Council, said he agreed that the current system was broken, but it was wrong to say it was illegal for people to arrive in the UK via small boats for the purpose of seeking asylum. 

He called on Ms Patel to dismantle the "inhumane family reunion rules" that prevent parents from being reunited with their children in the UK, and introduce humanitarian visas so that refugees can travel safely.

Barrister Mark George QC tweeted that Ms Patel’s choices and actions show her to be filled with "hate and cruelty"; and blogger the Secret Barrister changed their Twitter handle to the "Secret Do-Gooder".

Amanda Pinto QC, chair of the Bar Council, said: "Attempting to paint lawyers with the ‘leftie’ brush seeks to demonise the very people helping constituents every day, without agenda, simply because they provide a vital public service. 

"Lawyers carry out their duty and apply the law, irrespective of political persuasion, in accordance with our professional standards. Given our duty to the court and our commitment to justice more generally, barristers, as well as solicitors, must do just that. It is not the job of lawyers to limit Parliament’s own laws in a way that the Government of the day finds most favourable to its political agenda. The law, not politics, is what matters to a profession that upholds the rule of law.

"As the Lord Chancellor, a member of the Cabinet, said publicly a few days ago, ‘it is wholly wrong for any professional to be threatened, harassed or worse, attacked simply for doing their job – we must call it out and deal with it. And make the point that those who attack people providing a professional service will be subject to that very same rule of law’."

Roddy Dunlop QC, Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, has tweeted his full support for this statement.

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