Latest news with #RiverwayLaw
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
British lawyers for Hamas investigated by watchdog
The law firm trying to remove Hamas from the UK's list of proscribed terrorist groups is being investigated by a solicitors' watchdog, The Telegraph understands. Riverway Law made headlines in April when it launched an appeal to have Hamas taken off Britain's list of proscribed groups. The firm made a submission to Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, arguing that Hamas posed 'no threat to the UK people' and should be allowed to operate here on free speech grounds. Just days after submitting its appeal to the Home Office, the firm was reported to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) by Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary. Mr Jenrick argued that Riverway's appeal potentially breached UK sanctions rules on terror groups. He also drew attention to apparent social media posts about the war in Gaza by Fahad Ansari, the leading lawyer in the case and the director of Riverway. The posts included claims that Hamas is a 'legitimate resistance movement' protecting Palestinians from 'UK-sponsored Israeli genocide'. A good reminder that in the majority of the world, Hamas is not a banned group but is viewed as a legitimate resistance movement fighting for liberation against a genocidal apartheid state occupying Palestinian land. — Fahad Ansari 🇵🇸 (Stop the Gaza genocide) (@fahadansari) December 6, 2023 The SRA is understood to be at an early phase of its investigation and no conclusions have yet been reached. In a letter to the watchdog sent in April, Mr Jenrick said there was 'a clear need to uphold public confidence in the legal profession and to ensure rigorous enforcement of the UK sanctions regime'. He said that there were 'significant questions as to whether Riverway have complied with their obligations under the UK sanctions regime, the SRA's own published guidance and broader professional standards expected of solicitors'. Mr Ansari has defended his firm's actions. In response to Mr Jenrick's complaint he said: 'We were in contact with OFSI [the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation], external counsel and others who had represented sanctioned organisation[s], to ensure that we did not breach our duties under the sanctions regime.' Riverway submitted a 106-page application to the Home Office in April, accompanied by a video which was posted to its social media channels. Today, our legal team submitted the application to the Home office to remove Hamas from the banned list of organisations under UK Counter terrorism powers You can read the full legal application here: — Riverway Law (@riverwaylaw) April 9, 2025 The application argued the proscription of Hamas in the UK should be lifted in line with European Convention of Human Rights protections in the interest of freedom of speech. It also claimed the ban is disproportionate and that Hamas poses 'no threat to the UK people'. The ongoing appeal, believed to be the first of its kind, is being fronted by Mousa Abu Marzouk, Hamas's head of international relations and its legal office. Mr Jenrick welcomed the SRA's investigation on Saturday, telling The Telegraph: 'Our sanctions regime is pointless if it isn't enforced. 'Ansari is a shameless apologist who argues Hamas poses no threat to the British people. What nonsense. This evil death cult threatens free people everywhere.' Mr Ansari has previously appeared to make a series of controversial social media posts related to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. In posts dating from last year he appeared to praise fighters of the 'courageous Palestinian mujahideen', wrote 'you should view Hamas as an army of angels' and dismissed international courts as 'hopeless', saying that 'only armed resistance' would help Palestinians. In April last year, a post on his X account said: 'Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating especially the courageous Palestinian mujahideen who continue to resist the Western-backed Israeli genocide entirely on their own. You are the pride of this Ummah. May you celebrate Eid one day in a fully liberated Palestine.'
Arab News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
18 British student groups support legal action to remove Hamas from UK terror list
LONDON: Eighteen student groups at British universities have supported legal moves to remove Hamas from the UK's list of proscribed terrorist organizations. Some of the groups are affiliated with student unions at leading UK academic institutions, including the London School of Economics, the University of Edinburgh, and University College London. The groups said the legal petition 'defends the right of students, academics and communities to think freely, speak openly and organize without fear of being criminalized,' The Times newspaper reported on Monday. In April, senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk instructed British firm Riverway Law to take legal action with the aim of removing his organization from a Home Office list of terrorist groups. The military wing of Hamas was banned by UK authorities in 2001. The ban was extended in 2021 to include its political bureau. Lawyers from the firm said in April that by banning Hamas, 'Britain is effectively denying the Palestinians the right to defend themselves.' The organization 'does not pose any threat' to Britain's national security, they added, and the ban was therefore 'disproportionate.' The prohibition of Hamas means it is a criminal offense for anyone in the UK to have any links with the organization or show support for it. The student groups said the ban on Hamas 'creates an atmosphere where advocacy for Palestine becomes a legal risk,' and students who participated in pro-Palestinian activism faced intimidation and threats. 'We therefore stand in support of Riverway Law's application to deproscribe Hamas, not as an endorsement of any group, but to protect the civic space essential for academic freedom and open inquiry,' they said. The student organizations backing the legal challenge include Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine Society, LSE Divest Encampment for Liberation, University of Birmingham Friends of Palestine, Newcastle Apartheid Off Campus, and the Students Against Apartheid Coalition at the University of Leeds.
Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Student groups back Hamas legal bid to come off UK's terror list
Eighteen student groups have supported an application by Hamas against the UK government's decision to designate it as a terror group, The Times can reveal. The groups, which include both societies registered with their relevant student unions and unaffiliated bodies, issued a statement last month claiming that students are facing intimidation and threats for participating in pro-Palestinian activism. They claim that the proscription of Hamas, which makes it a criminal offence to have any association or show support for the group in the UK, 'lies at the heart of this chilling effect' and that it 'creates an atmosphere where Palestine advocacy becomes a legal risk'. Last month, the Islamist group instructed Riverway Law, a British firm, to launch legal action in a bid to
Middle East Eye
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Lawyers accuse Robert Jenrick of endangering staff over Hamas case remarks
Lawyers representing Hamas have accused former minister Robert Jenrick of endangering their staff after claiming they show "sympathy for terrorists" by representing the Palestinian group. Riverway Law, the firm handling a legal application to deproscribe Hamas in the UK, has written to Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood urging her to condemn Jenrick's remarks. In the letter, solicitor Fahad Ansari argued that the former immigration minister's comments were not only inflammatory but could also put him and other lawyers representing Hamas in danger. "Mr Jenrick has had recent form for attacking not just lawyers, but independent judges as well," Ansari wrote. "His comments are not only reckless and libellous but amount to incitement against our staff members." New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "We do not need to go back to the murders of Pat Finucane and Rosemary Nelson to understand the potential consequences of Mr Jenrick's words," he added, referring to lawyers who were killed by loyalist paramilitaries in Northern Ireland for representing alleged members of the Irish Republican Army, a proscribed militant group. 'His comments are not only reckless and libellous but amount to incitement against our staff members' - Fahad Ansari, solicitor at Riverway Law The letter noted that Mahmood had pledged to be "a champion for the rule of law" when she had been sworn in as justice minister. "I call upon you to live up to those words and to condemn Mr Jenrick's comments and call upon him and other politicians to apologise and to refrain from such attacks on members of the legal profession." Jenrick had described those seeking to overturn the UK's ban on Hamas as "acting as mouthpieces for a terrorist organisation" and called on the Solicitors Regulation Authority to investigate and potentially strike them off. In a statement to reporters, Jenrick said: "It is outrageous that legal professionals in this country are seeking to legitimise a genocidal terror group. The British public will not tolerate this." The Ministry of Justice and Jenrick did not respond to a request for comment at the time of writing. Deproscribing Hamas Last week, Riverway Law submitted an application to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, calling on her to remove Hamas from the list of proscribed terrorist organisations under Section 4 of the Terrorism Act 2000. The application was submitted with Daniel Grutters, a barrister at One Pump Court Chambers and Franck Magennis, a barrister at Garden Court Chambers. The 106-page application includes expert testimony from legal experts and academics who argue the 2021 decision to designate Hamas a terrorist organisation "pursued explicity political objectives by a politically compromised Secretary of State". The lawyers involved in the case stressed that Hamas did not pay them or the experts and lawyers who provided evidence for its submission, as it is illegal to receive funds from a group designated as a terrorist organisation. Cooper now has 90 days to consider the application and issue a decision. If the application is rejected, Hamas has the option to seek a judicial review. Hamas launches legal challenge against UK terror designation Read More » In 2021, Hamas was fully proscribed by then-Home Secretary Priti Patel, expanding an earlier ban on its armed wing. The legal process for deproscription requires the home secretary to assess whether an organisation still meets the statutory criteria for being designated as a terrorist group. Ansari argued that Jenrick's intervention undermines the legal process and the principle of independent legal representation. The dispute has reignited concerns over political attacks on legal professionals. In recent years, several Conservative politicians have criticised lawyers involved in politically sensitive cases. In 2020, Jenrick expressed frustration with "activist lawyers" challenging deportations of migrants, echoing Home Office rhetoric at the time. Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman also accused immigration lawyers of being part of a "migration racket", drawing widespread criticism from legal bodies. In 2022, then-Justice Secretary Dominic Raab proposed changes to human rights laws, accusing some lawyers of "abusing the system" to block government policies. Legal groups and human rights organisations warned these comments could have a chilling effect on the independence of the profession.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hamas lawyers must be struck off, says Robert Jenrick
The lawyers trying to remove Hamas from the UK's list of proscribed terrorist groups should be investigated and potentially struck off, Robert Jenrick has demanded. The Conservative shadow justice secretary has called for 'a thorough and transparent investigation' of Riverway Law by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). In a letter to the watchdog, Mr Jenrick said there is 'a clear need to uphold public confidence in the legal profession and to ensure rigorous enforcement of the UK sanctions regime'. On Thursday, the firm made a legal application to Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, challenging the proscription of Hamas in the UK as a terrorist organisation. In their 106-page application, Riverway argued the proscription should be lifted in line with European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) protections for freedom of speech. It claims the ban is disproportionate and that Hamas poses 'no threat to the UK people'. The appeal, believed to be the first of its kind, is being fronted by Mousa Abu Marzouk, Hamas's head of international relations and its legal office. Mr Jenrick wrote that there are 'significant questions as to whether Riverway have complied with their obligations under the UK sanctions regime, the SRA's own published guidance, and broader professional standards expected of solicitors'. In anticipation of Mr Jenrick's letter, Fahad Ansari, the director of Riverway, told The Telegraph 'we were in contact with OFSI [the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation], external counsel and others who had represented sanctioned organisation, to ensure that we did not breach our duties under the sanctions regime'. He also accused the shadow justice secretary of being a 'low grade politician, lack[ing] any insight on responsible public service'. Mr Ansari has made a series of controversial social media posts related to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. The posts include claims that Hamas is a 'legitimate resistance movement' protecting Palestinians from 'UK-sanctioned genocide' and that the terror group is 'more popular than ever before' in the wake of its terrorist attacks on Israel on Oct 7 2023. Meanwhile, further social media comments by Mr Ansari have since come to light. In posts dating from last year he appeared to praise fighters of the 'courageous Palestinian mujahideen', wrote 'you should view Hamas as an army of angels' and dismissed international courts as 'hopeless', saying that 'only armed resistance' would help Palestinians. In April last year, he posted on X: 'Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating especially the courageous Palestinian mujahideen who continue to resist the Western-backed Israeli genocide entirely on their own. You are the pride of this Ummah. May you celebrate Eid one day in a fully liberated Palestine.' He posted in June: 'If you believe genocidal Israel is the most moral army in the world, then you should view Hamas as an army of angels.' In August he wrote: 'Dear ICC and ICJ. You are hopeless. Only armed resistance can protect the Palestinians from this genocide.' The International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ) have, respectively, issued arrest warrants against Israeli ministers and heard a case of genocide against the state of Israel. Earlier this week, Riverway posted a video to social media in which it announced its legal case. The video showed Mr Ansari and two colleagues handing their case to the Home Office. In his letter to the SRA, Mr Jenrick called the move 'an obvious publicity stunt' that had 'equally obvious reputational risks' for the firm. Making reference to the SRA's principles of upholding the administration of justice and public trust in the solicitors' profession, Mr Jenrick wrote: 'The way in which Riverway have publicised their legal work for Marzouk is in my opinion a repulsive breach of all of these principles.' SRA guidance sets out a number of safeguards, which practising firms must follow to make sure that they do not violate the UK's sanctions regime on proscribed groups such as Hamas. Mr Jenrick said: 'There is legitimate public interest to ascertain whether Riverway have complied with, or are in breach of, these elements of the SRA guidance.' Mr Ansari told The Telegraph: 'In an era where low grade politicians like Jenrick and Trump lack any insight on responsible public service and have no other strategy except to incite majoritarian prejudices, it is even more important for members of the legal profession and senior policymakers to uphold the rule of law. 'At all stages before we took instructions, we were in contact with OFSI, external counsel and others who had represented sanctioned organisations, to ensure that we did not breach our duties under the sanctions regime. 'Any empathy that I have demonstrated towards the victims of the ongoing holocaust in Gaza do not in any way detract from the robust merits of this legal application. The right to resistance against apartheid and settler colonial states such as Israel is enshrined in international law. 'The views that I have expressed are consistent with that and are an exercise of the right to free speech which sits at the heart of the application – it's a fundamental right that should be valued and not used to attack the integrity of those with whom we disagree.' Riverway Law said: 'There is an established convention that lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients' causes as a result of discharging their functions, precisely because it endangers lawyers for carrying out their duties. Any media outlet that continues to promote this narrative in relation to us is effectively placing a target on our backs, and knows it.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
