When animal rights activists in Great Britain were arrested for disrupting hunts or other events, they often called on lawyer Desmond Murphy who represented many defendants in such cases and apparently was himself very close to the animal rights movement.

Unfortunately, Murphy apparently started emulating his clients\’ habit of crossing the line into illegal activities and, as a result, was recently banned from practicing law in Great Britain.

Murphy admitted at a disciplinary hearing that he had allowed a client to use a false name in court, and failed to produce financial details about his practice. The event which finally brought about Murphy\’s downfall was a 1998 case that took place in Liverpool Crown Court. Murphy represented a man who had been charged with disrupting the Waterloo Cup — a hare coursing tournament.

That man used a false identity in court, and Murphy admitted that he knew several hours beforehand that the man was going to lie about his identity in court. Knowingly allowing false testimony in court is a serious breech of ethics.

Lawyer Geoff Hide, who often represented rural clients in cases against animal right activists, told The Daily Telegraph that he suspect Murphy became too caught up in his client\’s cause. Murphy said, \”He became far too caught up with the people he was representing, and at the end of the day he really couldn\’t see the wood for the trees.\”

Source:

Hunt saboteurs\’ favorite lawyer is struck off. Guy Adams, The Daily Telegraph (London), January 29, 2002.