Around a year ago, I became involved with a group of lawyers who were determined to do something about the climate and ecological crises. I helped to draft a “declaration of conscience” for the group, which has been signed by some 200 lawyers, law students and legal academics. The Lawyers Are Responsible (“LAR”) declaration, which was made public in March last year, ends with a pledge to withhold our legal services in respect of: (i) supporting new fossil fuel projects and (ii) action against climate protesters exercising their democratic right of peaceful protest.[1]
It was this last aspect of the declaration that attracted a significant amount of attention from the media and the profession. Equally important, but less controversial and therefore less newsworthy, is the signatories’ commitment to donate their time or money to the cause of advocating mitigation of and adaption to the effects of global warming. LAR members have been very active in this respect, appearing on TV and radio, writing articles published in the media, participating in peaceful climate protests, corresponding with Magic Circle firms, the Government and Opposition, and universities, speaking with staff and meeting senior partners at the Magic Circle firms, attending university law fairs and other events with law students and contributing to academic seminars, as well as engaging with and providing support for the wider climate movement. There are important differences between legal and political advocacy; for me at least the past year has been a steep learning curve.
I am a KC practising in the fields of public law, property and commercial litigation. My lay clients comprise mainly, although not exclusively, government, commercial organisations and high net worth individuals. I had never become publicly involved in any activist cause before last year. Why did I do it?
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Matt Hutchings KC on a year of moonlighting as a climate activist while practising as a lawyer
