THE body that represents Scotland's top lawyers has penned an open letter to Boris Johnson accusing him of using facile, offensive and "potentially harmful" rhetoric against the legal profession. 

Roddy Dunlop QC, dean of the Faculty of Advocates, said he could not fathom why the Prime Minister and Home Secretary Priti Patel had attempted to publicly vilify those who were simply doing their job. 

Sharing the letter on social media, Mr Dunlop said it was approved by all the Faculty's office bearers, adding: "Please stop the denigration of the legal profession."

It follows Mr Johnson's Conservative conference speech, in which he said: “We’re also backing those police up, protecting the public by changing the law to stop the early release of serious sexual and violent offenders and stopping the whole criminal justice system from being hamstrung by what the Home Secretary would doubtless – and rightly – call the lefty human rights lawyers, and other do-gooders.”

In his letter, Mr Dunlop criticised recent comments from the Home Office, Home Secretary and Prime Minister "to the effect that there is a problem with 'lefty lawyers' or 'activist lawyers' who are 'hamstringing' the justice system". 

He added: "Whether the topic is immigration, or crime, or the constitution, lawyers that act against the state are not being 'lefty', nor 'activist': they are doing their professional duty."

He said it was "simply unconscionable for Her Majesty's Government to decry in this way the actions of professionals". 

Mr Dunlop added: "In this country (and the same cannot be said of all countries), instances of violence against lawyers are, fortunately, rare.

"However, in a climate of increasing populism, this sort of rhetoric is not only facile and offensive: it is potentially harmful.

"With great power comes great responsibility, and I have to say - with great respect - that I simply cannot fathom why it is thought in any way appropriate to attempt to vilify, in public, those that are simply doing their job, in accordance with the rule of law.

"I would accordingly, and again with great respect, ask each of you to eschew such unhelpful language, and to recognise that challenges to the executive are a necessary part of our democracy. 

"Anything less would be a confession that we no longer live in a democracy."

The Faculty of Advocates is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates in Scotland's courts.

Legal professional bodies in England and Wales have also condemned Mr Johnson's comments. 

Simon Davis, president of the Law Society, said: “Repeated government attacks on the integrity of the legal profession are deeply concerning.

"This divisive language serves nobody and puts lawyers and their clients at risk.

“All solicitors advise their clients on their rights under the laws created by parliament. Legal rights cannot be rewritten through rhetoric.

"The justice system determines the validity of claims independently from government, media and public opinion.

“In countries where lawyers are unable to do their job for fear of intimidation the rule of law is weakened.

"The consequences are a society that becomes less safe, less stable and less fair.”