President

Spring is here. It’s a time of renewal and regeneration – we in Scotland look forward to what are quite literally brighter days ahead – but the changing weather has very different connotations on the other side of Europe. In war the main word associated with spring is offensive.

Last month we marked one year since Russia first launched its illegal invasion of Ukraine. The death and destruction that have resulted have been nothing short of horrific, and the economic and geopolitical impact has also been felt here and around the world. Those horrors continue to unfold daily, as we have seen with the fighting around Bakhmut that has levelled a city that used to be home to 75,000 people.

The war is an attack on the people of Ukraine but also on the international rule of law. As solicitors we have a special duty to stand up for the rule of law here and around the world. That’s why at our last Council meeting a resolution was passed reaffirming our condemnation of the invasion, while expressing sympathy for the people of Ukraine and, importantly, pledging our ongoing commitment to helping Ukrainian lawyers who have sought refuge in Scotland.

The Law Society of Scotland, along with the Faculty of Advocates and the legal sector as a whole, have done an amazing job providing support and a sense of community for more than 80 Ukrainian lawyers in Scotland. Rob Marrs from the Society deserves special mention for his tireless efforts helping this inspiring group of individuals. Ukrainian lawyers are making a contribution to Scotland’s legal sector, but also harnessing the expertise they have found here to ensure that justice, human rights and democracy continue to be protected in Ukraine.

Threats at home

The rule of law here at home also needs close attention at times, and we must never take for granted the value of living in a society with a robust and independent justice system and legal sector. We must stand together on this important issue, supporting each other and standing up for what matters. We won’t shy away from calling out anyone who uses derogatory and inflammatory language when talking about lawyers standing up for the rule of law.

One of the most important acts of our Council during my time as President was the motion we passed last year condemning violence, threats of violence and abuse of solicitors. The motion was in response to the sickening and cowardly racist death threats directed at our colleague Aamer Anwar. We made it clear that we stood with Aamer, and that no solicitor should ever have to put up with threats for doing their job.

Standing together against threats to members of our profession was among the key themes when I spoke recently at our annual dinner in Edinburgh. The event was a great success and we were honoured by the presence of many champions for the rule of law, including Scotland’s Minister for Community Safety Elena Whitham. The minister thanked the entire Scottish legal profession for our work serving the community, and said she is committed to a constructive relationship with the sector.

Working constructively to ensure the legal sector continues to grow and thrive is of course always important, but perhaps even more so this year as we prepare for reform of Scotland’s legal services regulation and for what continues to be a desperately needed long-term solution to the crisis in legal aid. We are working hard to ensure that by December we won’t be talking about a winter of our discontent.