Faculty joins international condemnation of Trump attacks on rule of law

A joint statement issued this week says US sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) personnel and their families “constitute a violation of international human rights law and guarantees against interference with the legal profession”.

The 18 signatories, which include the Law Society of England and Wales, the Law Society and Bar Council of Northern Ireland, the German Federal Bar, the Law Council of Australia and the Paris Bar, also say they are “gravely concerned about actions that interfere with the independence of the legal profession at the domestic level”.

The statement warns that attacks on US law firms and the American Bar Association (ABA) are “evidence of a concerted effort to undermine the independence of the legal profession and those that stand to protect it”.

The Trump administration’s actions “demonstrate a contempt for the independence of the legal profession and violate long-standing international standards to ensure legal professionals can conduct their vital work without interference”, it says.

It continues: “Lawyers must be able to represent their clients without fear of retaliation and must not be punished because of who their clients are.

“The independence of the legal profession is fundamental to ensure respect for human rights and is a crucial element of the rule of law.”

The signatories have jointly urged the US government to rescind the sanctions on ICC personnel and their families, end “all acts of intimidation, hindrance or harassment of legal professionals and any improper interference with their work”, and uphold the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.