Recent attacks by MPs on the Attorney General, Lord Hermer on the basis of clients he once represented are ‘uninformed’ and concerning, John Gould, senior partner at Russell-Cooke, writes in this week’s NLJ.
The AG was even accused by his own party’s Lord Glasman of being ‘an arrogant, progressive fool’. Gould writes: ‘The narrow answer to the idea of conflicts with the interest of past clients is that once they cease to act, the lawyer no longer has a duty to advance the interests of their former client.’
As he points out, ‘beating up lawyers as political sport should be avoided by anyone committed to the rule of law’. He discusses the criticism received and the wider context, including comparing Lord Hermer’s client list to that of one of his predecessor’s.RELATED ARTICLES
