Lawyers campaign on both sides of the EU referendum debate
updated on 09 March 2016
Lawyers have come out on both sides of the referendum debate on whether Britain should leave the European Union, although the majority of those to speak out so far have backed the ‘in’ side.
There are of course reasoned and legitimate arguments on both sides of the debate, but the lawyers voting to remain in the European Union have only been joined by colleagues campaigning on the ‘leave’ side in the last few weeks. The recently formed Lawyers for Britain looks set to be the main lawyers’ campaign group in favour of Brexit; led by 8 New Square barrister and EU law specialist Martin Howe QC, it will campaign to leave the European Union from the position that EU membership and the remote processes by which EU law is made are harmful to UK democracy.
Meanwhile, many lawyers have been expressing their support for the ‘remain’ campaign through campaign groups including Stronger In, which argue that UK citizens and the country’s economy are better protected by remaining in the European Union, both in the sense of employment and other rights, as well as in terms of national security.
Hopefully the next few months will see both sides of the argument set out more clearly for voters than the current maelstrom of scaremongering and soundbites from all sides.
