The President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), Steven Thiru, has called on local lawyers to defend access to justice and the rule of law.
Mr Thiru made his comments during a visit to Belfast at the invitation of the Law Society of Northern Ireland, during which he discussed the threats facing access to justice in Commonwealth countries.
Mr Thiru is an advocate for human rights and judicial independence in his home country of Malaysia.
During discussions with local lawyers and students in Belfast, Mr Thiru called on them to remain vigilant, defend accountability and the rule of law, and to speak up in solidarity with colleagues facing pressure or threats at home and abroad.
During his one-day visit in Belfast he also took the opportunity to meet with the Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, Dame Siobhan Keegan, and the Attorney General for Northern Ireland, Dame Brenda King.
Brian Speers, a member of the Council of the Law Society of Northern Ireland, and a past President of the CLA, said: "We are deeply grateful to Steven Thiru for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit Belfast and address the next generation of lawyers on the need to defend access to justice and the rule of law.”
