Politicians and civil liberties groups in Ireland and the US are being asked
to support one of the North's leading human rights' solicitors, Padraigin
Drinan, who has been instructed by the Law Society to close her Belfast
office following a disciplinary tribunal.
Drinan has taken a range of controversial cases over the years and has
received death threats from loyalist paramilitaries. She is now instructing
lawyers to appeal the tribunal's decision.
Her practice's closure could create a legal crisis, leaving hundreds of
clients without representation. They include asylum seekers; nationalist
residents' groups; rape, child abuse and domestic violence victims; and
those suffering racial discrimination.
The tribunal found Drinan's office was "not functioning at an acceptable
level" and it took its decision "in the interest of the public and the
respondent herself". The Law Society said there was "a substantial history
of complaints" against her over the years.
There is no suggestion of financial misconduct and Drinan will be free to
work for other law firms. It is understood the complaints centre on her
administration of the office. It operated on a shoestring budget as Drinan
represented most clients for free.
"Padraigin never turned anyone away if they couldn't pay and weren't
entitled to legal aid," says a source close to her. "She is devastated by
the decision. She is more concerned for her clients than for herself."
When the Sunday Tribune visited her office on Friday, dozens of clients from
across the community, including a Shankill Road woman, arrived with gifts
and messages of support.
Drinan was friends with murdered Lurgan solicitor Rosemary Nelson and
inherited many of her clients, including the Garvaghy Road Residents'
Coalition.
Eileen Calder of Belfast Rape Crisis Centre said the decision against Drinan
hurt "the most marginalized and vulnerable". The fact she wasn't
"business-minded" had been against her, she claimed.
No other solicitor in the North was "professionally capable of personally
willing" to represent many of the victims referred to Drinan. "There will
be many people in the nationalist community who will assume the reason Ms
Drinan has been closed down is the same one as Rosemary Nelson was murdered
for.
"There are powerful people within both public and secret state institutions
who have a vested interest in silencing her and the people she represents".
The Law Society spokesman strongly rejected this suggestion: "It would be
more reasonable to accept the tribunal decision at face-value than wander
around conspiracy theories."
Drinan's legal career began representing internees in 1971 and Bloody Sunday
families. Her home has been attacked by loyalist paramilitaries and a
booby-trap device placed under her car. Last year, police warned her that
her life remained at risk.
