Immigration law specialists
Law firms across the UK are on high alert after a number of outfits, predominantly practicing in immigration law, have been listed as supposed targets for potential protestors and rioters.
The list, seen by Legal Cheek, appears on WhatsApp and encrypted chats on the social messaging platform Telegram. It provides the names and addresses of 39 law firms and other organisations across the country.
Details have been shared widely on social media platform X, with one post including a link to the list stating: “Wednesday night lads. They won’t stop coming until YOU tell them. No more immigration 8PM. Mask up.” The message also features a number of flame Emojis.
At least one organisation named the list has been forced to temporarily close amid “threats of far-right violence” towards staff.
Commenting on this development, Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: “We deplore the violent scenes and rioting that we have witnessed across the past week.”
“We have serious concerns about the safety and wellbeing of our members following names and addresses of a number of solicitors’ firms and advice agencies being shared on a list of targets for further protest and violence this week,” Emmerson said.
He continued: “I have written to the prime minister, lord chancellor and home secretary today asking that the threats against the legal profession are treated with the utmost seriousness. A direct assault on our legal profession is a direct assault on our democratic values and we are supporting our members who are being targeted.”
“It is paramount that justice is done for all those who have been involved in, or are victims of, the riots. We commend the government for its swift response and want to see that the necessary support and resources are provided for both prosecution and defence lawyers, courts staff and judiciary in dealing with this emergency.”
News of the list comes amid rioting across several major cities including Liverpool, Southport, Middlesbrough, Nottingham, Rotherham and Belfast.
Despite discussions about courts operating 24 hours to address the violence fallout, the Criminal Law Solicitors Association has written to Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood, expressing “disappointment” at not being consulted on the proposal.
With more than a third of criminal legal aid solicitors having left the profession and a third of firms having closed since the last series of 24-hour courts following the 2011 riots, CLSA chair Daniel Bonich noted that “firms have neither the capacity nor the resources… even in the short term”.
(
(
