NINE organisations have lodged a complaint with a legal watchdog claiming the UK Home Secretary has breached its code of conduct with “racist sentiments and discriminatory narratives”.
Groups including the Society of Asian Lawyers, the Association of Muslim Lawyers and the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants believe Suella Braverman - a qualified barrister – may have broken Bar Standards Board rules.
Even though she has not practised as a barrister since becoming an MP in 2015, she still has to abide by some professional rules set by the regulator.
The organisations have sent a letter to the board urging it to investigate and take action against Braverman for comments she made in April, claiming grooming gang members were predominantly British-Pakistani men and “hold cultural values totally at odds with British values”.
The letter also cites Braverman’s warning 100 million asylum seekers would come to the UK if she didn’t crackdown on immigration and that people crossing the Channel have values at odds with the UK and “heightened levels of criminality”.
The body has a remit to examine the conduct of barristers who are not currently practising but who remain members of the profession and are subject to conduct rules and are expected to “conduct themselves in an appropriate manner”.
Braverman has previously described the arrival of small boats on UK shores as an “invasion”.
Last month, Tory peer Sayeeda Warsi hit out at a number of remarks made by Braverman after it emerged the Home Secretary had criticised police for confiscating a series of golly dolls displayed in a pub. Another former senior minister in Boris Johnson’s government said she was a “real racist bigot”.
“These comments are not only highly inaccurate and offensive, but they also perpetuate harmful stereotypes and contribute to a climate of hate and prejudice,” the complaint letter states.
“As a member of the legal profession, Ms Braverman should be held to a high standard of professionalism and ethical conduct. Her statements not only undermine the integrity of the legal profession, but they also have the potential to damage the reputation of the UK as a tolerant and inclusive society.”
The organisations believe three rules have been broken by Braverman, including behaving in a way which is likely to diminish trust and confidence, conduct which the public may reasonably perceive as undermining honesty, integrity or independence, and a breach of the instruction not to discriminate against any other person on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origin or other grounds.
The letter concludes: “It is crucial that members of the legal profession uphold the highest standards of integrity, impartiality, and professionalism. Ms Braverman’s comments are a clear violation of these standards and should not go unchallenged.”
The letter points to a Home Office-commissioned report from 2020 that found the majority of child sex offenders were white.
The letter adds: “It is our view that Ms Braverman’s comments incite violence against the British Pakistani and Muslim community as well as refugee communities, fuelling racist sentiments and discriminatory narratives.”
