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UK Bar Council condemns PM Sunak after he suggests lawyers profit from ‘getting people to the UK illegally’ – JURIST

The Bar Council Tuesday accused UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of undermining public trust in the legal profession by claiming that a “subset of lawyers” is exploiting illegal migrants for profit. This comes in response to a series of tweets from Sunak, forthcoming after a national newspaper exposé included a video from alleged immigration lawyers in the North of England being shown giving fraudulent advice on how to claim UK asylum.In one tweet Sunak said: “The Labour Party, a subset of lawyers, criminal gangs – they’re all on the same side, propping up a system of exploitation that profits from getting people to the UK illegally.” In response, Sam Townend KC, Vice Chair of the Bar Council, said:Lawyers are not beyond reproach, and all professions have individuals who commit misconduct and are dishonest. Regulators are there to discipline them. The comments by the Prime Minister, however, are clearly an attempt to play politics with the legal profession. This damaging rhetoric undermines the rule of law, trust in lawyers and confidence in the UK legal system and is to be deplored.The fracas follows the Government’s controversial Illegal Immigration Bill receiving Royal Assent last Thursday, July 20th. The Bar Council represents the practising Bar of England and Wales and seeks to play “a crucial role in upholding the principles of government accountability under law and vindication of legal rights through the courts.