The rumours were true
Leading lawyer Shami Chakrabarti has been named as the new shadow attorney general, just months after going back into commercial law practice following her departure from Liberty.
Since exiting her director post at the human rights organisation, the barrister has been heavily involved in the Labour Party and was recently made a peer this summer.
Despite announcing her return to former set 39 Essex Street, Chakrabarti has been hotly tipped to secure a spot in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet. And today the rumours have been proven true: Chakrabarti is Labour’s new attorney general.
Describing her appointment as an “enormous privilege”, she commented in a statement:
I hope to follow in a great tradition of law officers on both sides of the aisle who have defended rights, freedoms and the rule of law.
LSE law graduate Chakrabarti takes over from Hull-based barrister Karl Turner MP, who quit in June. This evening he congratulated her on Twitter:
Massive congratulations to Baroness Shami Chakrabarti on her appointment as Shadow Attorney General in @jeremycorbyn new top team.
— Karl Turner MP (@KarlTurnerMP) October 6, 2016
Other lawyers turned politicians include Matthew Ryder QC, a Matrix Chambers big shot who was recently appointed deputy London mayor by friend and fellow lawyer Sadiq Khan, and Steven Woolfe, formerly of Taylor Wessing and DLA Piper. After a long legal career he became an MEP for right-wing political party UKIP. Woolfe was reportedly attacked by a fellow MEP in Strasbourg this afternoon. Though his injuries were at first described as “life-threatening”, it is understood he has been recovering well.
UPDATE: 9:10pm Friday 7 October
Keir Starmer QC has been appointed to the shadow cabinet as shadow Brexit secretary.