The Law Society and the Bar Council have renewed calls on the UK government to ratify a convention to protect lawyers from harassment
The Law Society of England and Wales and the Bar Council have called for the ratification of the Luxembourg Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, one year after the UK signed the treaty.
The Council of Europe-endorsed convention, also known as the Luxembourg Treaty, is the first internationally binding agreement aimed at protecting lawyers from harassment, threats, discrimination, interference and reprisals. It seeks to safeguard the independence of the legal profession and, by extension, public access to legal advice and representation.
Ratification of the treaty would set the seal on a long-running campaign by UK law societies, bar associations and European bar associations generally that has stretched back more than a decade. The treaty received vocal support from partner organisations at the Opening of the Legal Year ceremony in London in October.
The convention will enter into force once eight states have ratified it. The UK was one of 17 countries to sign the treaty last year, while 29 states have now endorsed the instrument. Once ratified, it will also be open to countries beyond the Council of Europe, extending its potential reach.
Law Society president Mark Evans said lawyers were “on the front line of resolving everyday legal issues so that we, and our communities, can thrive”.
“Like many frontline workers, the role of a lawyer is not without risk,” he said, noting that, following riots in 2024: “UK lawyers are increasingly exposed to targeted threats and abuse. This convention would provide vital protections enabling lawyers to support the public safely and independently.”
Evans said early ratification would boost the UK’s reputation internationally. “The UK government has the opportunity to lead by being among the first to ratify it,” he said.
UK urged to ratify lawyer-protection treaty one year after signing
