Law Society calls on ministers to ratify treaty designed to protect legal professionals
The Law Society of England and Wales has urged the UK government to ratify a landmark international treaty designed to protect legal professionals, warning that lawyers in the UK remain exposed to threats, harassment and abuse.
In a press release published on 18 June 2026, the representative body said the government should formally ratify the Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, an internationally binding agreement aimed at safeguarding legal professionals from intimidation, discrimination and other risks linked to their work.
The call coincides with International Fair Trial Day, which takes place on 19 June. To mark the occasion, the Law Society is set to co-host an event with the Budapest Bar Association, the International Association of Lawyers and the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe. The event will examine how Hungary’s new government can help restore the rule of law.
Although the UK signed the convention in May 2025, it has not yet completed the ratification process required for the treaty to take effect domestically.
The Law Society said the convention was created to provide protections for lawyers who face harassment, threats and discrimination while carrying out their professional duties. The organisation also highlighted findings from a survey of solicitors in England and Wales which found that nearly half of respondents had experienced threats or abuse.
Law Society president Mark Evans said the risks facing legal professionals had become increasingly apparent.
He pointed to the 2024 summer riots as evidence that lawyers in the UK are not immune from threats associated with upholding the rule of law. According to Evans, those events demonstrated that legal professionals are becoming increasingly exposed to targeted abuse and intimidation.
Evans also said International Fair Trial Day serves as a reminder that lawyers in many parts of the world continue to face challenges including restrictions on media freedom, weakening fair trial guarantees and threats to judicial independence.
He argued that ratifying the convention would provide important protections that enable lawyers to support the public safely and independently.
The Law Society further stated that early ratification would strengthen the UK’s position as a jurisdiction committed to stability and the rule of law. It said becoming one of the first countries to ratify the convention could encourage other nations to follow suit and support efforts to protect legal professionals internationally.
The convention will enter into force once eight states have completed ratification.