Call for solicitors in Northern Ireland to be termed frontline workers with rise in threats and abuse while carrying out duties

The Law Society of Northern Ireland has established a new Group on Solicitor Safety in response to a growing number of reports from members experiencing harassment, threats and intimidation while carrying out their professional duties.

The group, which held its first meetings earlier this month, includes solicitors who have experienced direct threats or abuse in the course of their work.

The group will guide the Law Society’s response to the growing pattern of hostility facing members of the solicitor profession.

The Law Society has written to Justice Minister Naomi Long requesting urgent legislative reform to better protect legal professionals. It is calling for solicitors to be formally recognised 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.

"Recognising solicitors as frontline workers is not just symbolic - it is a necessary step to ensure they can undertake their professional duties without fear for their personal safety," said Chief Executive David Lavery CB.

"It would also affirm the principle that no solicitor should be forced to choose between representing a client and safeguarding their family."

The Law Society has also written to Chief Constable Jon Boutcher of the PSNI to request a meeting regarding the policing response to threats and harassment experienced by solicitors, particularly female practitioners. The letter highlights a pattern of inadequate or delayed responses from police, and calls for greater awareness within PSNI of the risks legal professionals face.

The Law Society is seeking constructive engagement with the police to improve initial responses and ensure officers are better equipped to recognise and act on patterns of intimidation against solicitors.

The Law Society said it is increasingly concerned about the growing pattern of hostility facing members of the solicitor profession. Recent cases have included incidents where solicitors have been followed from their offices, harassed in their homes, or subjected to sustained abuse.

"No solicitor should feel unsafe doing their job," said Colin Mitchell, president of the Law Society. "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."

The Law Society also said recent cases highlight serious gaps in current legal protections.

"In a recent, well documented case, the judge recognised that the solicitor subjected to harassment was targeted specifically for ‘undertaking her duties’ as a solicitor, yet the perpetrator received only a suspended sentence. The Law Society is also proposing that unduly lenient sentences in lower courts should be open to review on application of the Director of Public Prosecutions,” it said.

The body’s response is focused on three key areas: policy engagement, practical member support and public awareness.

"This is not just about isolated cases," Mr Mitchell continued. "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."

The Law Society said the cases share a common theme: professionals being targeted because they stood up for their clients and upheld the rule of law amd warns that the current pattern of attacks threatens the integrity of the justice system and leaves solicitors, their staff, and their families at risk.

Any solicitor who has been affected by such incidents is encouraged to contact the Law Society confidentially at [email protected]. It says reports will be treated with complete confidentiality and used to inform the development of enhanced support measures.

"The courage shown by colleagues in sharing their experiences has been both sobering and inspiring," added Mr Lavery. "The Law Society is committed to ensuring that legal professionals can carry out their vital work in safety and with appropriate institutional support."