LONDON: A group of pro-Israel lawyers is under investigation in the UK over claims that it has threatened Palestine supporters with “vexatious” legal action.
The Public Interest Law Centre and the European Legal Support Center complained to the Solicitors Regulation Authority that UK Lawyers for Israel committed “serious breaches” of the SRA’s code of conduct, and had demonstrated “a seeming pattern of vexatious and legally baseless correspondence aimed at silencing and intimidating Palestine solidarity efforts.”
They added that UKLFI used “strategic lawsuits against public participation (Slapps), which are lawsuits intended to limit freedom of expression on matters of public interest.”
Slapps are described by the SRA on its website as “abusive litigation” that “undermine freedom of expression, the rule of law and amount to a misuse of the legal system.”
PILC and ELSC acted after a number of complainants said they were contacted by UKLFI.
Among them are the Scottish Storytelling Centre, which said it was contacted by Caroline Turner, a UKLFI director, who claimed that plans by the center to hold a Palestinian film festival in May in Edinburgh, in association Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, included events that were “inherently antisemitic and anti-Zionist in nature.”
Turner, who requested that the film festival be canceled and warned that failure to do so could see the center referred to the Scottish charity regulator, also wrote on behalf of UKLFI to the Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust after it arranged a concert, “The World Stands With Palestine,” in London in November 2024.
Her letter alleged that flyers advertising the event, which featured the words “Stand with Palestine” and “Stand with the Resistance,” were a possible breach of the Terrorism Act as they were “siding with the viewpoint” of Hamas.
The letter added that the concert’s flyers were “designed to stir up racial hatred against Jews and Israelis, and to sympathise with the aims of the Hamas terrorist organisation.” The concert was canceled.
UKLFI states on its website that it employs “advocacy, legal research and campaigning to support Israel, Israeli organisations, Israelis, and/or supporters of Israel against BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) and other attempts to undermine, attack or delegitimise them.”
But Paul Heron, founder of PILC, said: “UKLFI are acting in a manner that chills public participation and intimidates those who stand in solidarity with Palestine … We will not allow legal threats to shut down the public’s right to speak out on Palestine.
“The SRA has a duty to step in, to uphold professional standards, and to protect civil society from intimidation dressed up as law.”
A spokesperson for the SRA said: “We have had a complaint and are investigating before deciding on next steps.”
