Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Aamer Anwar 2

Further to my post here and this article in The Times human rights solicitor Aamer Anwar was cleared yesterday of contempt of court. At the High Court in Edinburgh, Lord Osborne said Mr Anwar’s words had been "angry and petulant", and failed to meet the standards expected from lawyers in Scotland. The court left open the matter for the Law Society of Scotland whether Mr Anwar had met the standards set by it for solicitors. The report is here in the Herald along with a video of Aamer Anwar's statement outside the Court.

Mr Anwar said after yesterday's judgment: "As a defence lawyer I never set out to win a popularity contest, but I was taught it is a lawyer's duty to fearlessly represent his client no matter what crime he is accused of or how demonised he is by society."

He added in a written statement: "As our government criminalises communities and creates thought crime', lawyers still have a responsibility to be the guardians of our liberties and to campaign against injustice."


There is now every chance the Law Society of Scotland will review the guidelines on commenting to the media in light of the court's final decision. I hope the current restrictions aimed at protecting children in family law cases will remain intact.

7 comments:

Mr Pineapples 03 July, 2008 00:05  

You still hanging on in there?

Oh! You are?

That's good

Fiona 03 July, 2008 13:15  

Yes, thanks. Hope everything is well with your children.

Fiona 03 July, 2008 15:10  

Mr P, your blog brightens the day so I've added it to blog to my roll.

Mr Pineapples 05 July, 2008 13:40  

Well - that's a very nice comment.

So Fee - tell me - have you got a wild Glaswegian accent or a nice lyrically lilting accent from the highlands?

Fiona 05 July, 2008 20:34  

Well, I hate to disappoint you but actually I was born in England and arrived in Scotland via Florida and Luxembourg some 23 years later so my accent is rather nondescript.

Mr Pineapples 06 July, 2008 07:09  

Damn

But do you say:

"Wee Jimmy me lad" "hoots mon" or "Hock-eye-tha-noo"?

Surely one of these at least

Fiona 06 July, 2008 13:28  

I use "Cherrio the noo" as an email signature and I might say "Ach..richt the noo?" or "Ach the noo" (literally meaning "it shall be done immediately or very shortly " although in practice it means "never!")

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