Sent on : 08th November 2023
To:
Ian Jeffery – CEO, The Law Society
Malcolm Cree CBE - CEO, The Bar Council
Linda Ford – CEO, Chartered Institute of Legal Executives
Dear Mr Jeffery, Mr Cree and Ms Ford,
Nothing can justify the actions of Hamas on 7th October 2023. It is however extremely troubling that over the past few weeks, Israel has been carrying out a Goliathan war against the people of Gaza with impunity.
Whilst Israel’s stated aim is securing the safety of the people of Israel from Hamas, it is abundantly clear that the victims of Israel’s actions are overwhelmingly innocent men women and children. The numbers being quoted are alarming; over 10,000 civilians killed since 7th October 2023, including over 4000 children and over 20,000 injured.
A recent letter (https://lawyersletter.uk/) to the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary signed by over 400 esteemed lawyers and academics set out in great detail the legal position in relation to both the Hamas attack and the Israeli response.
Despite allegations of Israel having committed war crimes and strong condemnation from the UN of the years of occupation, Israel continues to target civilian areas as well as internationally recognised safe zones treating any notion of civilisation and law with outright contempt. Schools, hospitals and UN refuges have not been spared. The scene is of total destruction in Gaza.
Senior Israeli Politicians have brazenly called for the annihilation of Palestinians as a people. Such genocidal rhetoric is abhorrent and must be called out. Israel has tarred those calling for a ceasefire as terrorists or sympathisers, despite the growing list of organisations calling for a ceasefire including renowned international humanitarian groups.
It must be recognised that Israel claims to be a civilised and democratic state. It is must be held to higher account. Whilst we are being constantly reminded of the terrorist origins of Hamas, Israel continues to reign terror on Gaza and massacre innocent Palestinian civilians with vengeance.
Many prominent human rights organisations and individuals, including Human Rights Watch, UNRWA and the now former Director of the United Nations New York office have described the Israeli actions as, amongst other things collective punishment and genocide. There can be no doubt that International Humanitarian Law and the laws of war are not being observed.
This government is plainly not prepared to impose any consequences against Israel for the massacre of innocent human beings. Such deliberate inaction amounts to aiding in or assisting with the violation of International Humanitarian Law and the laws of war. We have seen in the recent past that this has not been the reaction of the UK government to similar events in other parts of the world.
The UK has a longstanding history of promoting the principles of justice and the rule of law. In contrast, the government recently chose to abstain in a vote of the UN to call for a ceasefire and senior politicians have made much of their support of the Israeli right to defend itself. The absence of a balancing voice raising any concern for the innocent Palestinian civilians is conspicuous. In fact, those brave individuals who have raised their voice fear reprisal and potential professional consequences.
As legal professionals, believing in justice and the rule of law, we cannot remain spectators at this important time. We are concerned that the failure of our government to engage honestly with Israel to force it to cease operations and comply with International Humanitarian Law and the laws of war undermines the integrity of the UK and its renowned legal system.
Western nations failed to hold apartheid South Africa to account for many years before bowing to public pressure. As set out by the New York chief of the United Nations, history is undoubtedly repeating itself with the events in Gaza today. Thousands of UK Citizens have marched and protested for the last 4 weeks, yet the political class remains out of touch and resolute in its defence of an illegal occupier that has set out on a clear genocidal path.
Respect for the justice, rule of law and its principles is vital in safeguarding the independence of the judiciary and the legal profession, and in establishing a reliable and credible judicial system.
Lawyers have rightly stood with the people of Ukraine on the illegal invasion by Russia, including making joint statements with international lawyers on the Russian Federations breaches of international law (www.lawsociety.org.uk/contact-or-visit-us/press-office/press-releases/law-society-statement-on-ukraine), (https://www.barcouncil.org.uk/resource/bar-leaders-condemn-russia-s-invasion-of-ukraine-as-gross-violation-of-international-law.html).
The situation in Palestine and Gaza demands that as lawyers of conscience we must insist that the values of justice and the rule of law apply to all.
The IBA and Law Society of Scotland have already made statements in relation to these issues (https://www.lawscot.org.uk/news-and-events/law-society-news/law-society-supports-iba-statement-on-israel-and-gaza-conflict/).
We call on The Law Society of England and Wales, The Bar Council and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives as the representatives of our professions to speak out against the crimes committed in this recent escalation.
It is therefore imperative that you coordinate with your international counterparts to release urgent statements:
In our view silence at this time is not an option, and will only be regarded as complicit by future generations. We look forward to hearing positively from each of our representative bodies.
Signatories:
1. Mukhtar Hussain - Kings Counsel
2. Abdul Shaffaq Iqbal - Kings Counsel
3. Mohammed Nawaz - Kings Counsel
4. Ansar Hussain - Solicitor
5. Abid Khan - Barrister
6. Zahir Akram - Barrister
7. Mohammed Rafiq - Barrister
8. Aisha Badat - Barrister
9. Monwara Shah - Barrister
10. Praveen Sethi - Barrister
11. Fatima Laher - Barrister
12. Ibrahim Ahmed member - Barrister
13. Zara Kayani - Barrister
14. Naeem Karbhari - Barrister
15. Abdul Latif Shakoor - Barrister
16. Nasir Qasim - Barrister
17. Abu Tayueb Tushar - Barrister
18. Abdul Mukid - Barrister
19. Anhar Miah - Barrister
20. Saiqa Aslam - Barrister
21. Kalsoom Hamid - Barrister
22. Ishtiaq Ahmed - Barrister
23. Ghazan Mahmood - Barrister
24. Syeda Ahmed - Barrister
25. Dr Satvinder Juss - Barrister
26. Haroon Rashid - Barrister
27. Farzana Tai - Barrister
28. Amirah Ali - Barrister
29. Aamir Arif - Solicitor
30. Aasima Riaz-Foster - Solicitor
31. Abdul Aziz Hafezi - Solicitor
32. Abdul Hafeez Darr - Solicitor
33. Abdul Mutee - Solicitor
34. Abdul Rauf Patel - Solicitor
35. Abdul Samie - Solicitor
36. Abdurahman Suleman - Solicitor
37. Abid Hussain Sarwar - Solicitor
38. Adeel Qamar - Paralegal
39. Adnan Adrees - Legal Executive
40. Ahlesa Zeb - Solicitor
41. Ahsanul Chowdhury - Paralegal
42. Aideen Rehouse - Solicitor
43. Aisha Asghari - Solicitor
44. Aisha Ashraf - Solicitor
45. Aisha Khadija Mohammed - Solicitor
46. Akeela Bharuchi - Solicitor
47. Akhter Patel - Solicitor
48. Akim Kamara - Paralegal
49. Alfie Solomons - Paralegal
50. Ali Hayat - Solicitor
51. Ali Sarwar - Solicitor
52. Aliyah Ramzan - Solicitor
53. Allia Majeed - Paralegal
54. Amin Bhaloda - Paralegal
55. Amit Horn - Paralegal
56. Ammar Hussain - Solicitor
57. Andrew John Bell - Solicitor
58. Aneesa Niaz - Solicitor
59. Aneil Naeem - Solicitor
60. Angeline khan - Paralegal
61. Annie Leach - Solicitor
62. Antonia Walters - Solicitor
63. Anwar Khan - Solicitor
64. Aqsa Khan - Solicitor
65. Arfan Ahmed - Solicitor
66. Arif Chapti - Solicitor
67. Arooj Zia - Solicitor
68. Asad Khan - Solicitor
69. Ashiq patel - Solicitor
70. Asif Norat - Paralegal
71. Atif Iqbal - Solicitor
72. Aubid hussain - Solicitor
73. Aurangzeb Akbar - Paralegal
74. Ayesha Akhtar - Solicitor
75. Aysha Patel - Paralegal
76. Ayub
77. Azair alam - Paralegal
78. Azmeena Qureshi - Solicitor
79. Azmeena Soni - Legal Executive
80. Bakhtawar Rashid - Solicitor
81. Banu Sheikh - Paralegal
82. Barkaat khan - Solicitor
83. Ben Petterson - Solicitor
84. Bhena khaliq - Paralegal
85. Bilaal khan - Solicitor
86. Bilal Khan - Paralegal
87. Bilal Saeed - Solicitor
88. Bushra Bostan - Paralegal
89. Bushra Khalid - Solicitor
90. Cathal Mc nally - Solicitor
91. Chirag G M Ahmed - Solicitor
92. Christian jones - Solicitor
93. Daniel Caan - Paralegal
94. Danny Crudge - Solicitor
95. Dilaver valli - Solicitor
96. Ebrahim Ismail Foolat - Solicitor
97. Eeman Shagofta - Paralegal
98. Ehsan Chaudhry - Paralegal
99. Ejaz Aslam - Solicitor
100. Ella Khawaja Tucker - Paralegal
101. Erim Ahmed - Solicitor
102. Faizah Patel - Paralegal
103. Fakhra butt - Solicitor
104. Fara Mohammad - Paralegal
105. Farah Khan - Solicitor
106. Fareeha iqbal - Paralegal
107. Farhana Butti - Solicitor
108. Farhana Deriwala - Solicitor
109. Farheen Baria - Paralegal
110. Fariquain Shah - Paralegal
111. Farooq Raza Ali - Solicitor
112. Farrah Ahmed - Solicitor
113. Farrah Khan - Solicitor
114. Faruk Mulla - Solicitor
115. Fatema Manjra - Solicitor
116. Fatima Bibi - Solicitor
117. Faysal Yaqoob - Paralegal
118. Fida Hussain - Solicitor
119. Firdaus Mogra - Solicitor
120. Fozia Naz - Solicitor
121. Fozia Zaman - Solicitor
122. Ghulam Ali - Solicitor
123. Haani Deen Shafi - Solicitor
124. Habib Hashmi - Solicitor
125. Hafsa Mujahid - Solicitor
126. Haider Ali - Paralegal
127. Haleema Mujahid - Paralegal
128. Halima begum - Solicitor
129. Hamida Karmadia - Solicitor
130. Hammadur Fahim - Solicitor
131. Hamza Sultan - Solicitor
132. Hannah Akhtar - Solicitor
133. Hasan Ahmed Khan - Solicitor
134. Haseena zaitoon - Solicitor
135. Hashmat Ali - Paralegal
136. Hasrat Ali - Paralegal
137. Hassan Hussain - Paralegal
138. Hazra Akuji - Solicitor
139. Heena Kapadi - Solicitor
140. Henna Ahmed - Solicitor
141. Hina Siddiqui - Paralegal
142. Humaira Anjum - Solicitor
143. Hunzah Arfan - Solicitor
144. Hussain Sadiq - Paralegal
145. Ibrahim Mogradia - Solicitor
146. Ibrar Ali - Solicitor
147. Idris Natha - Paralegal
148. Ifath Nawaz - Solicitor
149. Ilyas Bulbulia - Solicitor
150. Iman Ahmed - Solicitor
151. Imraan Patel - Solicitor
152. Imran hussain - Solicitor
153. Imran Patel - Solicitor
154. Imran Rashid - Paralegal
155. Ipek Bekir - Solicitor
156. Iqbal Essa - Solicitor
157. Iqra Javed - Paralegal
158. Iqraa shahid - Solicitor
159. Ishtiaq Ahmed - Solicitor
160. Ismail Daji Retired JP
161. Ismail Limbada - Paralegal
162. Ismail Seedat - Paralegal
163. Isra Rahman - Solicitor
164. Israr Ahmad - Legal Executive
165. James Bryan - Solicitor
166. James Knight - Solicitor
167. Jamil Ahmed - Paralegal
168. Javad Nadeem Sheikh - Paralegal
169. Javid arshad - Solicitor
170. Kashif Khan - Solicitor
171. Kashmera Shah - Solicitor
172. Kassem Noureddine - Paralegal
173. Katharine Welham - Solicitor
174. Katherine Stubbs - Solicitor
175. Kaysar Ahmed - Solicitor
176. Kehkshan Ahmed - Solicitor
177. Khadeeja Bibi - Solicitor
178. Khadeejha Alom - Solicitor
179. Khadija shahid - Solicitor
180. Khalil Akhtar - Solicitor
181. Khuram Iqbal - Paralegal
182. Kinza Malik - Paralegal
183. Kiran Shazadi Iqbal - Paralegal
184. Kulsum Kapadia - Solicitor
185. Laura-Jayne Hodgkinson - Solicitor
186. Lisa cooney - Paralegal
187. Loshima Begum - Solicitor
188. Lubna Rahman - Solicitor
189. Lubna Rehman - Legal Executive
190. M Arshad - Legal Executive
191. M Taj Khan - Solicitor
192. Maeve Lucey - Solicitor
193. Mahmood Hussain - Solicitor
194. Majid Mahmood - Paralegal
195. Majid Malik - Solicitor
196. Mamuna Farooq - Solicitor
197. Manisha Rajshakha - Solicitor
198. Manzoor Ahmed Patel - Solicitor
199. Mariam Deen - Solicitor
200. Marianna Michaelides - Solicitor
201. Maryam Abdullah - Solicitor
202. Masoom Adam - Paralegal
203. Mehfooz khankhara - Solicitor
204. Meriem Anou - Solicitor
205. Mian Muhammad Ilyas - Solicitor
206. Michael Fong - Solicitor
207. Mohamed Amir Patel - Solicitor
208. Mohammad Arshad - Solicitor
209. Mohammad I Malik - Solicitor
210. Mohammed Abid - Solicitor
211. Mohammed Adam - Solicitor
212. Mohammed Afzal - Solicitor
213. Mohammed Ali - Solicitor
214. Mohammed Daood Rashid - Solicitor
215. Mohammed Husnain Ali - Solicitor
216. Mohammed Hussain - Solicitor
217. Mohammed Kaseem - Solicitor
218. Mohammed Nasir - Solicitor
219. Mohammed Omar Saleem - Solicitor
220. Mohammed Reyaz - Solicitor
221. Mohammed Saqub - Solicitor
222. Mohammed Ubaid - Solicitor
223. Mohammed Usman - Solicitor
224. Mohammed Y Patel - Solicitor
225. Mohsin Jiwa - Solicitor
226. Mohsin Patel - Solicitor
227. Moin Azmi - Solicitor
228. Momil Malik - Solicitor
229. Moonis Aziz - Solicitor
230. Moosa Atcha - Solicitor
231. Mr Jawad Ahmed - Solicitor
232. Mubasher Ahmed - Solicitor
233. Mubina Dhal - Solicitor
234. Mudasar Ahmed - Solicitor
235. Mudassar Iqbal - Solicitor
236. Muhammad Mubarik - Solicitor
237. Muhammad Mustaqeem Shah - Solicitor
238. Muhammad Tayyib - Solicitor
239. Mumtaz Kynaston-Pearson - Paralegal
240. Munibah Javeed - Solicitor
241. Mustak Hafiji - Paralegal
242. Nadeem Malik - Paralegal
243. Nadeem Vaza - Paralegal
244. Nadeem Younis - Solicitor
245. Nadia Parveen - Solicitor
246. Nadiya Valli - Solicitor
247. Naeem LalMohamed - Solicitor
248. Naeem Pervez Akram - Solicitor
249. Nafisa ayub - Solicitor
250. Nafisa Ismail - Solicitor
251. Naheem Anwar - Solicitor
252. Naila Zafar - Solicitor
253. Nasra Omar - Paralegal
254. Nassreen Ali - Solicitor
255. Natasha Bacaf - Solicitor
256. Nayla Yusuf - Solicitor
257. Nazia Patel - Solicitor
258. Nazish Zaman - Solicitor
259. Niamh Cunningham - Paralegal
260. Nicole Kerr - Solicitor
261. Nilofer Hafeji - Solicitor
262. Noor Kadhim - Solicitor
263. Noorie Azad - Solicitor
264. Noreen Khan-Ghalib - Solicitor
265. Nuzzat Khan - Solicitor
266. Omar Rashid - Solicitor
267. Oonagh Murphy - Solicitor
268. Parvez Anwar - Solicitor
269. Patricia McNally - Solicitor
270. Paula Scullion - Legal Executive
271. Piotr Popowski - Solicitor
272. Qaiser Iqbal - Solicitor
273. Rabby Fozlay - Solicitor
274. Rabina Ditta - Solicitor
275. Raheela Sadiq - Solicitor
276. Rahima Asmail - Solicitor
277. Rajni Kadir - Paralegal
278. Rebekah Ankers - Solicitor
279. Rehan Waqar - Paralegal
280. Rehmet Mohamed - Solicitor
281. Rifat Iqbal - Paralegal
282. Rizwan Khalil Ahmef - Solicitor
283. Rohina akhtar - Solicitor
284. Roshni Valibhai - Paralegal
285. Rufia Adalat - Solicitor
286. Ruhama Begum - Solicitor
287. Rukia Khatun - Solicitor
288. Ruqiya Ali - Solicitor
289. Saadia Saleem - Solicitor
290. Saba Siddiqui - Solicitor
291. Saba Taj - Solicitor
292. Sabeena Din - Solicitor
293. Sabina Ibrahim Valli patel - Solicitor
294. Sabina patel - Paralegal
295. Sabir Hussain - Solicitor
296. Sadia Bhad - Solicitor
297. Safeena khan - Solicitor
298. Safina Ahmed - Solicitor
299. Sahida Ahmed - Solicitor
300. Sajeed Jamal - Solicitor
301. Sajid Malik - Solicitor
302. Sajid Munshi - Paralegal
303. Sajid Sadiq - Paralegal
304. Sajida Chaudry - Paralegal
305. Salik Irfan - Legal Executive
306. Salman Rehman - Solicitor
307. Sameeha Ali - Solicitor
308. Sameena Chaudhry - Solicitor
309. Sameenah Bhatia - Solicitor
310. Samera Parvez - Solicitor
311. Samira Akbar - Solicitor
312. Samira Hasan Patel - Solicitor
313. Samira Simjee - Paralegal
314. Sammiya Ulhaq - Solicitor
315. Samuel Broker - Solicitor
316. Sana iqbal - Solicitor
317. Sania Raja - Solicitor
318. Sannah Butt - Solicitor
319. Sara Hafejee - Solicitor
320. Sarah Goodwin - Solicitor
321. Sarena Rajput - Solicitor
322. Sarfraz Amanji - Solicitor
323. Selica Khan - Solicitor
324. Seraj Khan - Paralegal
325. Serish Anser - Paralegal
326. Shabana Anwar - Solicitor
327. Shabana Patel - Solicitor
328. Shabaz Ahmed - Solicitor
329. shabaz Hussain - Solicitor
330. Shabeilla Saddiq - Solicitor
331. Shabina Ali - Solicitor
332. Shadab Khan - Solicitor
333. Shahid Mahmood - Solicitor
334. Shahzad Pathan - Solicitor
335. Shaida rafiq - Solicitor
336. Shakeel Desai - Solicitor
337. Shakeel Khan - Solicitor
338. Shama Sultana Sadiq - Solicitor
339. Shan Yaqub - Solicitor
340. Sharmeen Atcha - Paralegal
341. Sharon Long - Solicitor
342. Shazana Hussain - Solicitor
343. Sheik Amin - Solicitor
344. Shema Ali - Solicitor
345. Shiama Khatun - Solicitor
346. Shohaib Younis - Solicitor
347. Shujaat Husain - Solicitor
348. Sobia Hajra Hussain - Solicitor
349. Sohban Mahmood - Solicitor
350. somaya ouazzani - Solicitor
351. Somia Munir - Solicitor
352. Sonia Riaz - Paralegal
353. Sophia Azam - Solicitor
354. Sophina Rafique - Solicitor
355. Sufar Shaheen Khan - Solicitor
356. Suhail Patel - Solicitor
357. Sumara Dar - Solicitor
358. Sumaya Raja - Solicitor
359. Sumayyah Malna - Solicitor
360. sumitro kandpal - Solicitor
361. Susan Elizabeth Shorrock - Solicitor
362. Syed Saad Shah - Solicitor
363. Syed Sartaj - Solicitor
364. Tabussum Rafiq - Solicitor
365. Taher Shad - Solicitor
366. Tahera Khan - Solicitor
367. Tania Akhtar - Solicitor
368. Tara Zaman - Solicitor
369. Tasleem Riaz - Legal Executive
370. Tasneem Ahmed - Paralegal
371. Tasneem Mansoor - Solicitor
372. Tasnima Ali - Solicitor
373. Taymour Akhtar - Solicitor
374. Tayyab Majeed - Paralegal
375. Thomas Shelby - Solicitor
376. Umar Farooq Riyasat - Solicitor
377. Umar Shafat - Solicitor
378. Usman aslam - Paralegal
379. Usmangani Patel - Paralegal
380. Uzma Kausar - Solicitor
381. Vaqas Latif - Solicitor
382. Waqaas Azam - Paralegal
383. Waqas Hussain - Solicitor
384. Waseem Ahmed - Solicitor
385. Yahya Laher - Solicitor
386. Yasmin Sadiq - Paralegal
387. Yusuf Musa - Solicitor
388. Zachariah Arabeh - Solicitor
389. Zafar Ali - Solicitor
390. Zahid Rasool Khan - Solicitor
391. Zahra Ali - Solicitor
392. Zaina Liaqat - Solicitor
393. Zainab Mohamed - Solicitor
394. Zara Ehsan - Solicitor
395. Zarah Morwood - Solicitor
396. Zaynab Gangat - Solicitor
397. Zeenat Malek - Solicitor
398. Zeeshan Anwar - Solicitor
399. Zegum Hussain - Paralegal
400. Zenab Khatun - Solicitor
401. Zeshan Barki - Paralegal
402. Zoheb Nadeem - Paralegal
403. Aisha Mir - Solicitor
404. Anisa Badat – Solicitor
405. George Sa’id – Solicitor
406. Rocio Landa – Solicitor
407. Aseel Rashid – Solicitor
408. Fiona Campbell - Solicitor
409. Serena Cousin - Solicitor