The London legal firm attempting to lift the Hamas terror listing has written to the Lord High Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, demanding her urgent intervention against Tory Shadow Minister Robert Jenrick over claims he is endangering staff members.
Riverway Law grabbed worldwide attention last week after announcing they were representing Hamas in a legal bid to get the Palestinian group de-proscribed from the UK’s terror organisation list.
The news sparked a wave of criticism from Zionists and pro-Israel MPs, including Robert Jenrick the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice.
On April 13, Jenrick published a thread on X, where he condemned the legal application and launch an attack on the firm itself and its director, demanding that he be “struck off.”
In the thread, Mr Jenrick said Fahad Ansari “praises terrorist leaders” and “has publicly eulogised dead jihadists.”
“This isn’t about free speech,” Mr Jenrick posted. “It’s about a man who repeatedly crosses the line into open support for terrorism – all while the authorities look away. And the longer we ignore that, the worse it gets.”
But in the letter send to Shabana Mahmood, Ansari said: “I am deeply concerned by these remarks, which undermine the rule of law, the principle of free speech, and the fundamental role of lawyers in a democratic society.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
“Mr Jenrick has had recent form for attacking not just lawyers, but independent judges as well. His comments are not only reckless and libellous but amount to incitement against our staff members. We do not need to go back to the murders of Pat Finucane and Rosemary Nelson to understand the potential consequences of Mr Jenrick’s words.
“I call upon you to live up to those words and to condemn Mr Jenrick’s comments and call upon him and other politicians to apologise and to refrain from such attacks on members of the legal profession.”
Mahmood has yet to respond to the letter by Riverway Law.
Reported to watchdog
The Shadow Justice Secretary has called for “a thorough and transparent investigation” of Riverway Law by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
In a letter to the watchdog, Mr Jenrick said there is “a clear need to uphold public confidence in the legal profession and to ensure rigorous enforcement of the UK sanctions regime.”
Mr Jenrick wrote that there are “significant questions as to whether Riverway Law have complied with their obligations under the UK sanctions regime, the SRA’s own published guidance, and broader professional standards expected of solicitors.”
The SRA has not said whether a formal investigation has been launched, but under its principles for professional conduct, solicitors must act with integrity, uphold the rule of law, and maintain public trust in the profession.
Riverway Law has defended its actions, stating it took advice from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation and external counsel before proceeding.
Although UK law does not prevent legal representation for controversial or proscribed clients, solicitors must take care to comply with the sanctions regime and ensure their conduct does not undermine their regulatory duties.
Hard-core Zionist
Robert Jenrick has expressed strong pro-Israel views throughout his career. He is a prominent member of the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) and has consistently advocated for policies supporting Israel.
Jenrick has described Israel as “the only democracy in the Middle East” and a key ally of the UK. He has emphasised the importance of standing with Israel, particularly in its conflicts with groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, which he labels as terrorist organisations. He has argued that supporting Israel aligns with British interests, especially in combating Islamic extremism.
Jenrick has been critical of calls for ceasefires in the Israel-Hamas conflict, particularly after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. He has argued that a ceasefire would allow Hamas to continue existing and potentially carry out further attacks. In December 2023, he stated that Israel should be allowed to “finish the job” of eradicating Hamas to protect both Israeli and British security.
Jenrick has repeatedly pledged to move the UK’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s “legitimate capital.” He has said he would personally ensure the embassy’s construction if bureaucratic resistance arises, a stance he reiterated during the 2024 Conservative Party leadership contest.
At a 2024 Conservative Friends of Israel event, Jenrick proposed displaying the Star of David at UK entry points, such as airports, to symbolise solidarity with Israel.
Jenrick has taken a hardline stance against pro-Palestinian activism. In 2023, he intervened to revoke the visa of a Palestinian student, Dana Abu Qamar, after she expressed support for the October 7 attack, citing national security concerns. He has also called for banning groups like Friends of Al-Aqsa and the Palestinian Forum in Britain, arguing they foster extremism.
Jenrick has positioned himself as a staunch defender of the UK’s Jewish community, emphasising the fight against antisemitism. He has pushed for local councils to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and supported legislation to counter the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Jenrick has denounced the use of terms like “apartheid” or “genocide” to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza, aligning with other Conservative figures who argue such language distorts the reality of the conflict.
Jenrick’s wife, Michal Berkner, is an Israeli-born Jewish lawyer, and their three daughters are raised Jewish. Critics, including former Tory minister Alan Duncan, have suggested his pro-Israel stance may be influenced by personal or financial connections, pointing to donations from pro-Israel lobby groups like the CFI and Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer. Jenrick has denied these claims, calling them antisemitic, and clarified that Ofer is a “family friend.”
Hamas and the terror designation
Hamas was added to the UK’s list of proscribed organisations in its entirety in
November 2021 by then Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Prior to 2021, only Hamas’s military wing – the al-Qassam Brigades – had been proscribed since 2001.
At the tine of the blacklisting, Home Secretary Patel argued that it was not possible to distinguish between Hamas’s political and military wings, calling Hamas “fundamentally and rabidly antisemitic,” adding the proscription was required to protect the Jewish community.
The current application is being made under Section 4 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which allows banned groups or affected individuals to request that an organisation be removed from the proscribed list.
The application attempts to argue that proscription of Hamas “unlawfully infringes fundamental rights, such as a disproportionate impact on freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, as protected by Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights” including open debate and political expression.
The application also seeks to assert that proscription undermines the possibility of a peaceful settlement and draws historical analogies in that regard with South Africa and Ireland.
