‘The state is seen at its most vengeful if the police get it wrong & judges look the other way. On these occasions only sheer persistence of human rights lawyers secures anything resembling justice’ by @kmckenna63 #ShekuBayoh #KatieAllan #Megrahi thread https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18783102.opinion-kevin-mckenna-johnson-wants-us-hate-lefty-human-rights-lawyers-dont-fall/

So many of my profession are tired, when @BorisJohnson claims “criminal justice system is left hamstrung by lefty-lawyers & other do-gooders" In essence the party of Law & Order is hellbent on undermining the legitimacy of defence lawyers, judges & the rule of law 2/12

When I think of my own career over the last 20 years as a lawyer I was inspired by the families & individuals I have met- it meant taking on the state, police, prison service, hospitals, Crown Office, Security Services, UK & Scottish Government & foreign Govt’s 3/12

Being abused, vilified & accused- death threats from both the far-right as well as ‘Islamic extremists’, & subjected to bile on social media, smeared by anonymous sources 4/12

Sacrificing your personal life, financial security, personal security, mental & physical health & well being all in the pursuit of justice & truth, dealing with heartbreak at a betrayal of justice, shattering of hope, of families who have lost loved ones 5/12

or the loss of liberty, wiping away tears & having to keep going in battles that can take multiple years if not decades, 2 achieve truth if not justice, often for little or no money- the dead cannot cry out for justice, but it is the duty of the living to do so for them 6/12

Just some cases I can remember in 20 years- Surjit Singh Chhokar racist murder 18yrs to get justice, G8 demonstrators 2005, SIMON SAN murder EMMA CALDWELL MURDER still fighting for justice
CHRISTOPHER CRAWLEY MURDER, AY FAMILY DUNGAVAL DETENTION 7/12

MUMTAZ SATTAR murdered by her husband in Pakistan - successful prosecution of her killer Mohammed Asghar Death Row Blasphemy Case
DUNGAVAL DETENTION CENTRE
ICE CREAM WARS successful murder appeal , ASAD SHAH killed by ‘Islamic’ Extremist 8/12

Mohammed Atif Siddique- successful terror appeal,
#LOCKERBIE appeal pending- 6 years we have fought pro bono,
#SHEKUBAYOH death in police custody still fighting for justice 5 years later, support of women sexually harassed in Scottish Parliament 9/12

#KATIEALLANPRISON SUICIDE, 16 YR OLD #WILLIAMLINDSAYPRISON SUICIDE
DARREN BROWNLIE death in prison custody 10/12

Professor Clara Ponsati extradition attempt to Spain, defence of Catalan Human Rights, Refugee Rights, Anti-Racist, Anti- Fascist struggles, support for students rights & a lot more- #LeftyLawyers #DoGooders 11/12

“When authoritarian states move to attack those defending human rights, it undermines the legitimacy of the legal system & the role of lawyers. Wherever law ends, tyranny begins” our profession will keep fighting #LeftyLawyer #DoGooder 12/12