Colin Mitchell

Solicitors who have faced direct threats or abuse in the course of their work have joined a new group on solicitor safety which has been established within the Law Society and held its first meetings earlier this month.

The society has written to both the justice minister, Naomi Long, and the head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Jon Boutcher, to raise the issue of the growing hostility that members of the legal profession face.

Recognising solicitors as “frontline workers” in the upcoming Sentencing Bill, making attacks and harassment against solicitors in the course of their professional duties a statutory aggravating factor, has been identified as an urgent priority.

Law Society president Colin Mitchell said: “No solicitor should feel unsafe doing their job. Harassment and intimidation have no place in our justice system, and the Law Society has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to any such behaviour directed at our members.

“This is not only a matter of professional safety, but also an access to justice issue. When solicitors are threatened, the justice system itself is undermined.”

He added: “This is not just about isolated cases. It is about a wider need to recognise the risks facing solicitors, particularly those handling contentious or high conflict matters, and to ensure they are not left to deal with such threats alone.

“When legal professionals are intimidated or threatened, it creates a chilling effect that can deter lawyers from taking on challenging cases, potentially denying justice to vulnerable clients.”