Campaigners say thugs will never intimidate them A signature campaign condemning last month's attack on legislator and lawyer Albert Ho Chun-yan was launched yesterday by about 20 legal professionals, who also sought to tell the public they would not yield to work-related violence. The group, including barristers, solicitors and law scholars, said they were initiating the campaign as individuals, rather than as members of the Law Society or Bar Association, which have both issued statements condemning the attack. Police suspect the August 20 attack on Mr Ho, in which he was beaten by three baton-wielding thugs inside a McDonald's restaurant in Queen's Road Central while a fourth man acted as a lookout, was related to his legal work. No one has been arrested in connection with the attack, in which Mr Ho suffered head, arm and facial injuries, including a broken nose. Organisers of the signature campaign want other legal professionals to sign the condemnation by September 25. The statement and signatures will be published in one English- and one Chinese-language newspaper later this month, once the organisers have raised enough funds to pay for the space. The group's spokesman, barrister Hectar Pun Hei, said the campaign was intended to send a clear message to the public that lawyers would not withdraw from any case because of the attack. 'We will continue to take whichever cases to serve the public,' he said. 'If one falls, the other will come up. We always say lawyers are like cab drivers: we open our doors for any passenger who tries to get in.' Mr Pun said the attack on Mr Ho was rare and he had never heard of similar threats or attacks on legal professionals because of their work. He said most of his counterparts and clients said they would not be frightened by the attack. Mr Pun denied the campaign implied the statements by the Law Society and Bar Association were not strong enough, or that it was intended to push police to speed up the investigation. 'We believe the authorities will - and should - take appropriate steps in the investigation and protect legal professionals from work-related threats and violence,' he said, adding that the group might consider sending the signatures to the government and police. Signatures should be faxed to barrister Cheung Yiu-leung at 2524 5912, or by e-mail to legalpledge@gmail.com . Donations can be deposited into HSBC account number 503-230757-001.
