Top lawyers use The Times to lambast government over “deeply inadequate” Syrian refugee policy
More than 340 former judges and lawyers have purchased a full-page advertisement in a national newspaper to blast the UK government over its poor response to the current Syrian refugee crisis.
The advertisement (pictured below) takes over the entire page 37 of today’s copy of The Times. This won’t have come cheap: according to information online, a full-page black and white ad in the Rupert Murdoch-owned broadsheet costs £16,645.
Yet divide that sum between the total 341 signatories and it comes out at a reasonable £48.80 to publicly brand the government’s response to the current refugee crisis as “deeply inadequate”.
The signatories include 12 retired judges, 102 Queen’s Counsel, 29 law firm partners and directors, and 24 notable legal academics.
Former president of the Supreme Court Lord Philips, former law lord Lord Steyn and former president of the European Court of Human Rights Sir Nicholas Bratza have all lent their backing to the ad.
Last month, 11KBW‘s Sean Jones QC set up a fundraising campaign that saw lawyers donate one billable hour to refugees. The appeal — which has raised a whopping £200,573 — has seen more than 1,500 members of the legal profession, and many from outside it, donate to assist those fleeing Syria and other countries.
A full list of the The Times ad lawyer signatories can be found here.