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Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer went head-to-head on UK TV last night in the first ever live TV debate between two leaders.
In a heated exchange, the prime minister challenged the Labour leader about his work as a lawyer for extremist cleric Abu Qatada.
Mr Sunak also accused Mr Starmer of giving legal advice to the now-banned international fundamentalist group Hezbollah Tahrir.
But Labour defended Starmer, pointing out that lawyers must abide by the “cab-lank rule”, meaning they must take the first case that comes their way and cannot pick and choose clients.
Who is Abu Qatada?
Islamic preacher Abu Qatada was deported to his native Jordan in 2013 on terrorism charges after a lengthy legal battle to have him expelled from Britain.
He was subsequently acquitted of terrorism offences by a court in Amman and released from prison, but the Home Office said he “will not return to the UK” because the court found he was a threat to security.
What was Starmer’s involvement?
Alongside his work as a human rights lawyer, Starmer represented Abu Qatada in his battle to avoid deportation from the UK. During his 2008 trial, Starmer, then a leading barrister, represented Qatada before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC).
He also provided legal advice to the Islamist group Hezbollah-Tahrir when it sought to overturn a ban on its activities in Germany and filed a petition with the European Court of Human Rights in June 2008.
The Islamist political group Hezbollah-Tahrir was banned in the UK as a terrorist organisation earlier this year.
What are the Cab Rank Rules?
The Cablanc rule states that lawyers must accept any client who comes to them, regardless of their opinion of the defendant or the case.
The name comes from the principle that a taxi must pick up its next passenger, regardless of who that passenger is or where they want to go.
According to the Bar Association, this rule Lawyers cannot discriminate against clientsAnd lawyers should take on every case that is within their capabilities, that they can handle, and that they can be fairly compensated.
This rule is considered essential to ensure legal representation for everyone.
The council, which represents 17,000 practicing lawyers, said the rules are meant to ensure that clients are not deprived of the lawyers they want because they or their arguments may be perceived as inappropriate or unpopular.
“People with unpopular cases or accused of serious crimes should not have to face the added challenge of first persuading a lawyer to take on their case,” the bar association said.
What did Rishi Sunak say?
Answering a question about security during an ITV debate, Starmer cited his experience as director of public prosecutions as credible evidence on keeping the UK safe.
But he also sought to draw a contrast between himself and Mr Sunak, saying the chancellor made millions “betting against the UK during the financial crisis”.
Mr Sunak responded by saying he would “rather keep my job than work for Abu Qatada”, referring to Starmer’s role as a human rights lawyer and his representation in the fight against the controversial preacher’s deportation.
The Labour leader urged people watching the debate on ITV to “Google it”.
What did Starmer say?
In an interview Sun Earlier this year Starmer defended giving legal advice to Hezbollah Tahrir: “I was chief prosecutor for five years,” he said. “My team and I prosecuted nearly a million cases a year against terrorists, murderers and drug traffickers.”
“I was a lawyer before that, and when you’re in the legal profession, especially criminal law, you’re defending people who don’t agree with you. You know how the legal system works, it’s really important that everyone is represented.”
What was the Labour Party’s response?
A spokesman for Mr Starmer condemned Mr Sunak’s comments in the debate as a “desperate attack from a Conservative party that has given up on running the country”.
A spokesman for Starmer said: “Keir Starmer served as the country’s most senior prosecutor under both Labour and Conservative governments.”
“During this time he oversaw the first-ever prosecution of an al-Qaida terrorist and the imprisonment of the airline liquid bomb plotter and racist murderer of Stephen Lawrence.”
“Under his leadership, prosecution and conviction rates for sexual offences have increased, support for victims has been strengthened and the Crown Prosecutor’s Office has been actively reformed.”
“Obviously, as a lawyer, he had to represent people who didn’t agree with him. That’s a lawyer’s job.”
2024 Election
Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer will return to the campaign trail, taking part in the first ever head-to-head leaders’ debate on ITV on Tuesday night. I‘s general election live blog is your go-to place for 2024 general election coverage.
The Conservatives have announced their proposals to reform gender law, but attention has been drawn to Nigel Farage’s shock move to run for Parliament and become leader of Reform UK. Shortly after the announcement, the Conservatives revealed their proposals for a new immigration cap.
On immigration, Labour has said it is ready to accept asylum seekers from overseas. In London, former party leader Jeremy Corbyn, now standing as an independent, is fighting to keep supporters behind Starmer.
Have a question for our politics experts? Email us at polsquestions@inews.co.uk or tweet us. translation: Jane Merrick or Hugo Gay may respond during the first live readers’ debate.