Justice for Lynne Stewart

It is always disturbing when a lawyer is prosecuted and convicted for activities arising from the conduct of their defence of unpopular defendants.

Critics often unfairly - and cynically - hint that lawyers who perform, professionally, the essential task of representing clients with extreme and obnoxious political views are in fact their active sympathisers and supporters. Simply making such an accusation discourages lawyers from taking controversial cases, and potentially denies defendants - innocent until proven guilty - of access to a proper choice of counsel. It certainly used to be said that it was difficult to find able counsel to take on terrorism cases in Britain in the 1970s, because of the perception that such a defence would damage the advocate's career prospects.