Canadian Lawyer

16 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m Would that it were like this throughout the world, but it's not. In many countries, lawyers are on the front line. In many countries, to be a lawyer is to put your comfort, your freedom, even your life, in jeopardy. Start by taking a look at Turkey, once thought to be a reasonably progressive, democratic and secular state with a good future. Now, its legal system is close to col- lapse. I've been talking to a lawyer friend of mine in Istanbul about what's going on. Recently, she wrote to me whimsi- cally, "What claims to be 'law' in Turkey would be unrecognizable to the average bear." Turkish lawyers are harassed and oppressed by the government. It's been going on, and getting worse, for years. There are many recent examples of what the Turkish legal profession has endured. Fifteen Turkish human rights law- yers were arrested in January 2013. Even the Law Society of Upper Canada took notice and issued a solemn statement. "The Law Society is deeply concerned about situations where lawyers who work for the protection and respect of human rights are themselves targeted for exer- cising their freedoms and rights under international law." In May, 2013, there were huge street protests against government plans to raze Istanbul's Taksim Gezi Park to make way for a shopping mall. The demonstrations quickly became more about police brutal- ity and the growing authoritarian rule of the Turkish government — than about the destruction of a park. Many Gezi Park demonstrators were arrested and then arbitrarily denied official legal aid. Outraged, a number of Turkish lawyers volunteered their services to the arrested demonstrators. Forty lawyers were arrested on June 11, 2013. Many of them were beaten and kicked by police. On June 12, a crowd of 3,000 lawyers convened outside the main Istanbul courthouse to protest the deten- tion of their colleagues the day before. They chanted, "Everywhere Taksim, everywhere resistance." They were dis- persed by police using tear gas and water cannons. (Once again, the LSUC issued a statement condemning the actions of the Turkish authorities.) In 2016, the International Commission of Jurists reported on the Turkish situation. It noted that a number of lawyers were Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of columns by Philip Slayton about how the legal profession is faring around the world. t's a troubled world, but why should we worry? Here in Canada, we're sitting pretty. If you're a lawyer in Canada, you have a comfortable pew. You have status and prestige (I know, sometimes it doesn't feel like it). You get respect (most of the time). You make a living (probably not as good as you had expected). You're part of a func- tioning and important system of justice largely free from corruption, and that feels fine (OK, the Canadian justice system is far from perfect, but it's not a joke either). Most of all, being a lawyer in Canada is not dangerous. You don't have to fear the state and its emanations. If you criticize or sue the Queen or her representatives, you won't be beaten up, jailed or shot. O P I N I O N @philipslayton I SCOTT PAGE TURKISH LAWYERS ARE HARASSED AND OPPRESSED BY THE GOVERNMENT. IT'S BEEN GOING ON, AND GETTING WORSE, FOR YEARS. Turkey's troubles The legal profession in Turkey is under assault and needs our support By Philip Slayton T R O U B L E D W O R L D

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