British lawyers are being scapegoated for horrors in Ukraine, Law Society says
The Law Society has claimed “British lawyers” are being turned into “scapegoats” for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a letter to The Times, Law Society president I. Stephanie Boyce said lawyers have been “singled out” for their involvements with Russia, as she argued they have become scapegoats for the “horrors in Ukraine.”
In response to an article slamming the Law Society and calling on London law firms to sever their links to “Putin’s regime,” Boyce said “it is dangerous to seek scapegoats and single out British lawyers.”
Instead, the Law Society president said law firms had acted in-line with “thirty years of national policy,” as she claimed all of Britain’s major law firms have now cut their Russian ties.
“The reason UK law firms engaged with Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union was because that was the direction of successive British governments as well as of business,” Boyce said.
The comments come after Conservative MP Bob Seely used parliamentary privilege to accuse four British lawyers of working “Putin’s henchman” to silence the British press.
The Law Society had previously stated its support for lawyers working on behalf of oligarchs, as Boyce said “it’s the job of solicitors to represent clients, whoever they may be.”
“Our profession is highly regulated and there is a clear framework of accountability overseen by the Solicitors Regulation Authority,” Boyce added.