The Law Society's Solicitor Safety Group was established in June 2025 to bring together members who have experienced harassment, threats and violence in the course of their work to drive real change.

Since its formation in response to a concerning pattern of incidents, the Group is delivering on a zero-tolerance stance against harassment, threats and violence targeting our profession. Progress has been made across three pillars: raising public awareness, engaging policy-makers and justice partners, and equipping members with practical safety resources.

 

Legislative Reform Advancing

Significant developments are underway with the Department of Justice. Following a recent meeting with Justice Minister Naomi Long, the Department is actively considering the Law Society's proposals for inclusion in the Sentencing Bill, due to be introduced in autumn 2025.

Our submission calls for:

  • Solicitors to be recognised as frontline workers for the purposes of sentencing
  • Attacks and harassment against solicitors in the course of their duties to be treated as a statutory aggravating factor
  • A statutory presumption against suspended sentences for such attacks—making custodial sentences the default unless exceptional circumstances apply

The Minister has requested additional detail on these proposals, which we are now preparing.

 

Strengthened Cross-Agency Coordination

The Law Society has engaged extensively with senior leadership across key justice agencies including the PSNI, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), and the Northern Ireland Courts & Tribunals Service (NICTS) to ensure consistent and effective responses when solicitors face threats or attacks.

Following our representations, the PSNI has established an internal Solicitor Safety Group to coordinate responses across divisions when safety issues are reported by members.

We are also establishing an inter-agency Liaison Group to facilitate ongoing collaboration between the Law Society, PSNI, PPS and NICTS on solicitor safety matters.

 

Practical Support Taking Shape

The Law Society has worked closely with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, who are experts in workplace protection, to deliver practical tools and guidance for members. Work is well advanced on a comprehensive Solicitor Safety Toolkit, targeted for release by year-end 2025. 

In parallel, we are developing a CPD programme on professional resilience in collaboration. This training will help members handle challenging and threatening situations with greater confidence.

 

Ongoing Commitment

Recent incidents continue to underscore the importance of this work. The Solicitor Safety Group meets regularly, with its work informing both immediate support measures and longer-term strategic change.

*Any solicitor who has been affected by harassment, threats or violence is encouraged to contact the Law Society confidentially at memberservices@lawsoc-ni.org. All reports will be treated with complete confidentiality and used to inform the work of the Group on Solicitor Safety.