Limerick solicitors come to aid of colleagues in Afghanistan
MEMBERS of Limerick's legal community have made a donation to support their colleagues in Afghanistan facing persecution from the Taliban.
With the country under the control of Islamist groups since the autumn, a coalition of legal bodies across Ireland has been formed to support members of the Afghan judiciary and their families who have been targetted by the Taliban and are being offered protection in Ireland.
To support this, the Limerick Solicitors Bar Association has made a donation of €2,500 to the appeal.
Its president Derek Walsh said: “The legal community is very conscious of the plight of the Afghan people and the position of female legal professionals is precarious under the Taliban regime. There has been a reversal of rights and female judges have had to go into hiding for fear of reprisals. It behoves us as a profession to show solidarity with our colleagues in Afghanistan and respond with generosity to this appeal.”
The national initiative is being overseen by a small group comprised of representatives of the judiciary, led by the Irish Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges, Association of Judges in Ireland, The Bar of Ireland and the Law Society of Ireland, alongside the wider Justice sector across the country.
They are being supported by the Irish refugee programme of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the Department of Justice.