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Britain’s top lawyers have written to Priti Patel to express concern after a man with a knife threatened to kill an immigration lawyer last month in an attack that colleagues say was directly motivated by comments made by the Secretary of the Interior.
On September 7, a man with a large knife entered a London law firm and launched a “violent and racist attack” that injured a staff member before the assailant was overwhelmed.
A Confederate flag and far-right literature were reportedly found in a bag he was carrying. According to documents about the incident, police described the knife as a “weapon designed to cause serious harm.”
Days earlier, on September 3, Patel shocked the legal profession by stating that “activist lawyers” were foiling the expulsion of migrants.
It was Patel’s comments that the law firm, unnamed for security reasons, believes inspired the incident. “Responsibility and accountability for this attack, in the eyes of this firm, rests squarely on the feet of Priti Patel,” say the documents containing witness statements and details of the attack.
The day after the incident, the firm wrote to the Law Society asking it to raise the issue with Patel, the government attorneys, the Chancellor and the Ministry of Justice to “ensure that public attacks on the legal profession are prevented from now on. “. .
The letter read: “You must ensure that no more lives are put in danger as a result of your false and deliberately inflammatory rhetoric. In short, this must end now, before innocent lives are claimed and other irreparable harm done to those working in this field. “
He added: “This should imply that all previous statements made by Priti Patel are publicly retracted, and an apology or acknowledgment that such action to date has been inappropriate. The government needs to urgently ensure that this will not be repeated. The position as it is is untenable, dangerous and cannot be allowed to persist. “
On Saturday, the Law Society confirmed that it sent correspondence last month about the attack to the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice.
Patel appears to have not only ignored their concerns, but has redoubled his attacks on immigration attorneys.
Last Sunday, almost a month after the knife attack, Patel used his speech at the Conservative Party conference to target “benefactors” and “left-handed lawyers,” claiming that those representing the asylum seekers were “defending the indefensible. “.
Two days later, in his opening speech, Boris Johnson went even further, stating that the entire criminal justice system was “being paralyzed by leftist human rights lawyers.” It is unclear to what extent, if any, the prime minister was aware of the knife attack.
Last night, the body that represents the legal profession reminded the government that inflammatory rhetoric has consequences. The Lawyers Society revealed that it had heard from other law firms that they had received increased “levels of abuse, threats and hostility” in response to intervention by the home secretary and the prime minister.
It also emerged that some immigration law firms have been forced to hire security guards and introduce protective measures for staff. One, whose anonymity was granted for security reasons, said: “We are not intimidated, but we are taking precautions and we have increased security because we have received threats.
“We had to be more vigilant and bring security to our offices and we had to report certain publications on social networks and inform the police that they have given us great support.”
Documents on last month’s attack reveal that a company receptionist was “assaulted and wounded” and “several of our staff are lucky to be alive.” [and] not having suffered serious injuries. “The documents add:” The attack was intended to take the life of a member of the Society of Lawyers. “
A 28-year-old man has been charged with possession and threats with a sharp article in a public place; racially aggravated public disorder; assault; and death threats in connection with the incident.
Yesterday, the Lawyers Society of England and Wales warned that it was already witnessing the consequences of comments made by the Prime Minister and Home Secretary.
President Simon Davis said, “We are extremely concerned for the safety of attorneys and attorneys in the current climate, firms dealing with emotional issues like immigration are under attack.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and urge both the government and the media to be aware of the rhetoric they employ. The role of lawyers is to apply and respect the laws established by parliament and they have the right to do so on behalf of their clients without intimidation. “
The pressure on Johnson intensified on Saturday when the president of the Council of Lawyers, Amanda Pinto QC, wrote to the prime minister urging him to withdraw his comments. She said: “I deplore your comments at the Conservative Party conference that mistakenly seek to politicize and attack lawyers for simply doing their job in the public interest.”
The letter, seen by the Observer and also sent to Patel, Attorney General Suella Braverman and Attorney General Robert Buckland add: “I urge you to withdraw your comments and assure thousands of key workers, including attorneys employed by your own government, that you are not being targeted by his prime minister for his important contribution to the justice system ”.
On Friday, even the official Interior Ministry Twitter account continued to target immigration lawyers, mistaking foreign nationals for asylum seekers and complaining that attempts to deport the latter were “thwarted by legal claims.”
