November 13, 2007
RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO
PAKISTAN’S ACTIONS AGAINST ITS
JUDICIARY, LEGAL SYSTEM AND THE RULE OF LAW
We of the Beverly Hills Bar Association have had a long tradition of upholding
the rule of law and defending an impartial, independent judiciary.
The events in Pakistan over the last eleven days have been appalling. The
attempted destruction of the independent judiciary and the systematic arrests of
thousands of Pakistani attorneys by General Pervez Musharraf must be opposed.
This direct and cowardly attack on the rule of law and those that uphold it must
be defeated. We of the Beverly Hills Bar Association resolve to use all peaceful
and lawful means to assist in the reestablishment of the rule of law and the
independent judiciary and the release of all attorneys, judges and those who are
unjustly imprisoned in Pakistan.
We of the Beverly Hills Bar Association shall not remain silent on this issue.
The Board of Governors of the Beverly Hills Bar Association
By Marc L. Sallus, President
November 6, 2007
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Re: Pakistan and the Suspension of National Constitution and the Arrest of
Pakistani Lawyers
Dear Mr. President:
The Beverly Hills Bar Association, with approximately 4,000 members, has long
been in the forefront of protecting human rights and advocating for an impartial
and fair judiciary.
Recent events in Pakistan, where President Pervez Musharraf suspended the
national constitution, detained eight members of the Supreme Court, and arrested
more than 1,500 Pakistani lawyers, deeply alarm us.
This is a clear breach of the rule of law and an attack on those who are the
very guardians of basic human rights - judges and lawyers. The freedom and
liberty, not only of the Pakistani people, but of all people, has been
threatened by these acts.
We join in the statement of William H. Neukom, President of the American Bar
Association, which is as follows:
“Since Saturday, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan has suspended the
national constitution, detained eight members of the Supreme Court and arrested
more than 1,500 Pakistani lawyers.
This is a profound breach of the rule of law. The American Bar Association urges
President Musharraf to rescind these actions immediately.
Courts are society’s referees. A judiciary that can impartially apply fair
rules, without outside interference, is a cornerstone of lawful government.
President Musharraf sought to justify his actions by citing the threat of
terrorism. But shutting down a nation’s lawful institutions of justice will
hurt, not help, the fight against terrorism.
The ABA, which represents more than 413,000 members worldwide, has a
longstanding commitment to advancing the rule of law. When a nation’s
Constitution is suspended, and its Supreme Court is shut down, that is a blow to
the rule of law everywhere.
The ABA therefore calls on all governments, bar associations and other civil
society organizations to support the rule of law, by using every peaceful, legal
means to persuade President Musharraf to restore justice to the people of
Pakistan.”
We must remember what Benjamin Franklin said: “Any society that would give up a
little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”
We stand in solidarity with our fellow attorneys, who are being attacked,
physically and otherwise, for protecting the judiciary, the people and the
democratic institutions of government, against this improper seizure of power.
We request that the United States do everything possible to restore the rule of
law in Pakistan.
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Very truly yours,
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Marc L. Sallus
President Beverly Hills Bar Association |
cc: William H. Neukom, Esq.
Hon. Diane Feinstein, U.S. Senate
Hon. Barbara Boxer, U.S. Senate
November 27, 2007
Dear Fellow BHBA Members:
We have all been shocked and dismayed as to the events that have occurred in
Pakistan the past few weeks. General Pervez Musharraf's actions in declaring
emergency rule with direct attacks on lawyers, judges and the rule of law is
unacceptable by all of us.
Within days after this occurred on behalf of the Beverly Hills Bar Association I
wrote to President Bush demanding that he use our country's influence to reverse
General Musharraf's actions and have lawyers and judges released from prison and
house arrest. Since then, I have coordinated our efforts with the American Bar
Association, the International Bar Association, the State Bar of California and
the local bars in Los Angeles County.
On November 13, our Board passed a Resolution condemning the actions in Pakistan
and demanding the release of those jailed or under house arrest. Many other bars
have followed our lead including the Los Angeles County Bar Association, San
Fernando Bar Association, and the Century City Bar Association.
On November 20, I led a delegation which met with the Consul General of Pakistan
for Los Angeles, Syed Ibne Abbas, to present our demands. It was a cordial
meeting but we left no doubt that his government's treatment of Pakistan's legal
system was deplorable and must be promptly rectified.
Copies of all of these communications are available on our web site at
www.bhba.org
I am proud that the urgent actions of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, along
with our fellow attorneys, contributed to the release of thousands of lawyers
from custody. However, many still remain in jail or under house arrest and all
are prevented from reestablishing their country's independent and impartial
judiciary system. We must still raise our voices until this can be accomplished.
I recently received an invitation from William Neukom, the President of the
American Bar Association, to join in a Petition to protest the actions in
Pakistan and to allow the Pakistani people to reestablish the rule of law and
their justice system. I request that you take a few moments of your time to
review the petition and sign it. It is located at the ABA Home Page at
www.abavideonews.org/ABA495/sign.php
Very truly yours,
Marc L. Sallus
President Beverly Hills Bar Association
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