NI First Minister condemns MP's remarks calling solicitors "IRA lawyers"

In a House of Commons debate on the Legacy Bill, Sir David Davis used the phrase “IRA lawyers,” suggesting they prioritize drama over justice and preferring the Legacy Commission’s work. Michelle O’Neill, Northern Ireland’s First Minister, condemned the comment in Belfast, calling it absolutely shameful and linking it to the killings of solicitors Pat Finucane and Rosemary Nelson. The Law Society of Northern Ireland issued a statement of deep concern about the portrayal of lawyers in Parliament.

John Finucane, MP for North Belfast and son of the murdered solicitor, wrote an open letter demanding an apology from Davis. O’Neill highlighted the historic pattern of hostile rhetoric leading to violence against human-rights lawyers. The controversy has sparked a broader outcry from the legal community.