LAST UPDATE | 2 Aug

THE LAW SOCIETY of Ireland has strongly condemned reports of threats and intimidation made against a solicitor in Ireland in recent weeks as “utterly unacceptable”.

This morning, The Irish Times reported that Dublin-based immigration lawyer Imran Khurshid, a partner with Daly Khurshid Solicitors LLP, had filed a complaint with gardaí and said he no longer felt safe walking alone in the city centre following online threats of violence and arson.

Khurshid had received threats online after an account posted a photograph of him, saying that his firm “specialises in getting foreigners into Ireland and helping foreigners remain here”, the newspaper reported. 

President of the Law Society, Barry MacCarthy, said that the reports of threats and intimidation against the solicitor are “disturbing”, adding that Khurshid “is merely fulfilling their professional legal duties”.

MacCarthy said that legal professionals should be able to perform their duties with out fear or harm, and that such threats “undermine the very foundation of our legal system and the rule of law”.

He said that every person, regardless of their background or the nature of their legal case, is entitled to competent and fair representation. When a solicitor is threatened, whether that is because of the colour of their skin, religion, ethnic background or area of legal practice, MacCarthy added, “the entire legal process is threatened”. 

He commended the “prompt action” of the gardaí when the matter was brought to their attention, speaking on behalf of the Law Society.

The Law Society urged any solicitors subject to threats or intimidation to report the acts to the gardaí, and said that the society stands behind all solicitors who are targeted by “cowardly threats”. 

“We will not tolerate any attempt to undermine the legal system or the rights of individuals to access legal representation,” MacCarthy said.

“Those who engage in threatening or intimidatory behaviour towards legal professionals must be held to account for their actions.”

Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson Pa Daly TD condemned the online threats made to Khurshid and offered him his full support.

“This type of cowardly threat cannot be tolerated. We in Ireland know all too well about attacks on lawyers such as Pat Finucane and Rosemary Nelson,” he said.

“For the anonymous person to describe themselves as a nationalist is pathetic. Respect for the rule of law is fundamental in any democracy and these type of threats reveal the real thinking or lack of it by these online trolls.”