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Bar associations and others have marked the Day of the Endangered Lawyer by shining a spotlight on Belarus, where lawyers have been targeted following the 2020 presidential election and subsequent mass protests.
The Day of the Endangered Lawyer is organised by a Dutch foundation created by lawyers Symone Gaasbeek-Wielinga and Hans Gaasbeek to raise awareness of the threats to human rights lawyers. The day is held every 24 January, with a special focus on a designated country – this year on Belarus.
The Belarusian government has punished lawyers perceived as threats to state interests, preventing them from practising freely, according to a report published by the Law Society of England and Wales
The society’s president Richard Atkinson said: “The Day of the Endangered Lawyer is a reminder that there are lawyers who put their lives at risk to defend the rule of law and ensure the vulnerable and oppressed have access to justice.”
He expressed grave concern over the hostile environment for lawyers in Belarus, who face criminal sanctions, arbitrary detention and systematic harassment.
The Bar Council of England and Wales also condemned the targeting of lawyers, both domestically and internationally. Chair Barbara Mills KC highlighted the threats practitioners face, including cyber harassment, physical surveillance and threats from politicians.
Mills said: “In 2025 we want to see a renewed emphasis on promoting the important role of independent legal practitioners and adherence to the rule of law. The Bar Council condemns all acts of intimidation and the targeting of lawyers who are simply carrying out their work and upholding our professional ethics.”
Hugh Mercer KC, chair of the Bar Council’s international committee, called for accountability for those who harass and intimidate lawyers while flagging the importance of global support for their safety.
Mercer, a member of Essex Court Chambers – which China has sanctioned for a legal opinion another member wrote on Uyghur human rights – added: “We also look forward to the adoption by the Council of Europe in May 2025 of a new European Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer to provide enhanced protection for legal professionals carrying out their daily work.”
To mark this year’s Day of the Endangered Lawyer, several organisations, including the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute and the American Bar Association’s Center for Human Rights, also hosted an online discussion on the repression of lawyers in Belarus.
Separately, the IBA also promoted the rule of law worldwide through a series of short films to mark the UN International Day of Education, held concurrently on 24 January.
Eight videos, each lasting about a minute, introduced the concept and showed how everyday lives are affected when the rule of law is flouted in varying ways. The central message was: “Look after the rule of law, and it will look after you.”
New IBA president Jaime Carey commented: “Upholding the rule of law is a core principle of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and vital for creating a just and peaceful world.”
Noting international “backsliding” on the rule of law, he highlighted that, despite a lack of a universally agreed definition, its key principles should be understood: nobody is above the law, everyone has the right to a fair trial and judges must remain independent.
Carey added: “To help people better understand what the rule of law is, the IBA videos show situations when it is absent or violated” to educate the public on the crucial role law plays in protecting liberties.
The campaign follows earlier initiatives by Carey’s predecessor, Almudena Arpón de Mendívil Aldama, to show the economic and social value of lawyers, launched at the IBA conference in Mexico City.
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