UCC School of Law pledges support for campaign to assist Afghan judges

19 Oct 2021

The legal sector in Ireland has established a community sponsorship model to support members of the Afghan judiciary and their families who have been targeted by the Taliban.

The community sponsorship model encourages colleagues in Ireland to support arriving families who share their profession. The model offers grassroots support in the area of housing and accommodation, funding and collegiate support.

UCC School of Law is proud to pledge its support as part of the Irish legal community in aid of our colleagues who are fleeing Afghanistan as the Taliban seek to enforce their regime. Female judges and lawyers have been particularly targeted since the Taliban took control in August 2021.

A coalition of The Association of Judges, Bar of Ireland, Law Society of Ireland, International Association of Women Judges, Irish Rule of Law, supported by Government and agencies such as Red Cross and the Irish Refugee Protection Programme, is leading this campaign and seeking grassroots support including accommodation for up to 11 Afghan families.

Dr Dug Cubie, Lecturer at the UCC School of Law and Chair of the UCC University of Sanctuary Working Group, reflects on why the support of academic colleagues and the legal profession for this campaign is so vital:

Female judges face incredibly high risks in Afghanistan. Many of these female judges oversaw trials of members of the Taliban, including sentencing men to prison. The risk of retaliation is real. This is why the legal community has come together in solidarity with our colleagues in Afghanistan, and to offer support for when they arrive safely in Ireland.

Pledging UCC School of Law support for the campaign, Dean Professor Mark Poustie said:

The School’s mission is ‘Shaping a Just Society’ not just locally but globally.  We cannot stand by as female judges in Afghanistan are at such high risk.  Their gender has made them particular targets for the Taliban regime.  However, the risks to them are much greater as many of the female judges presided over cases of violence against women, including rape, murder and domestic abuse.  Those they sentenced to prison have now been released by the Taliban and are seeking revenge.  It is vital that the School stands in solidarity with the wider legal community to play its part by offering support for the 11 female judges and their families once they arrive in Ireland.

Further information on how you can support the campaign and get involved with its community sponsorship model is available here: https://www.lawlibrary.ie/2021/10/07/judiciciary-lawyers-launch-community-response-afghan-crisis/