Thread by @docrussjackson

#THREAD

Lawyers and faith organisations have lodged a complaint with the Bar Standards Board claiming Suella Braverman, a qualified barrister, has breached the body’s code of conduct with “racist sentiments and discriminatory narratives”.

theguardian.com/politics/2023/…

Nine organisations have written to the Bar Standards Board urging it to investigate and take action against what they claim is racist and inflammatory language used by the home secretary about British men of Pakistani heritage and asylum seekers.

The letter cites Braverman’s comment in April that grooming gang members were predominantly British-Pakistani men and “hold cultural values totally at odds with British values”.

The letter also raises Braverman’s “invasion” rhetoric, her claim that 100 MILLION asylum seekers would come to the UK were it not for her planned immigration crackdown, & her claim people crossing the Channel have values at odds with the UK & “heightened levels of criminality”.

“These comments are not only highly inaccurate & offensive, but they also perpetuate harmful stereotypes & contribute to a climate of hate & prejudice. As a member of the legal profession, Ms Braverman should be held to a high standard of professionalism & 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 letter cites three specific Bar Council code of conduct rules it claims have been breached, including behaving in a way which is likely to diminish trust & confidence, & conduct which the public may reasonably perceive as undermining honesty, integrity or independence.

The other alleged breach of the Bar Council code of conduct rules is the instruction not to discriminate against any other person on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origin or other grounds.

“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 concludes.

The signatories of the letter point out that in 2020 a Home Office-commissioned report found that the majority of child sexual offenders were white and that there was not enough evidence to suggest members of grooming gangs were more likely to be Asian.

The Migration Observatory isn't aware of any recent academic/official statistics examining criminality among refugees who had recently arrived in the UK: “there's little evidence that migrants are any more or less likely to commit crimes than any other members of the population”.

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.”

I totally agree.

#SackBraverman

https://twitter.com/docrussjackson/status/1648254803376578560?s=20

On 1st March, 170 organisations deeply concerned about the fairness of the UK Government's Asylum Questionnaire process, wrote to the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, via a joint letter coordinated by the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association.

naccom.org.uk/joint-letter/