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‘Wide-scale affronts to rule of law’ in US

The American Bar Association (ABA) has said that the Trump administration in the US “cannot choose which law it will follow or ignore”.

A statement by the ABA’s president William Bay said that the organisation could not afford to remain silent in the face of what he described as “wide-scale affronts to the rule of law itself”.

He referred to attacks on constitutionally protected birthright citizenship, the dismantling of USAID, and the “attempts to criminalise those who support lawful programmes to eliminate bias and enhance diversity”.

“We have seen attempts at wholesale dismantling of departments and entities created by Congress without seeking the required congressional approval to change the law.

Social-media announcements

“There are efforts to dismiss employees with little regard for the law and protections they merit, and social-media announcements that disparage and appear to be motivated by a desire to inflame without any stated factual basis,” the ABA president said.

Describing the current situation as “chaotic”, Bay said that it was also wrong, and contrary to the rule of law.

The ABA said that more than a dozen lawsuits had been filed alleging that the administration’s actions were contrary to the US constitution or laws, adding that “the list grows longer every day”.

‘Orderly change’

Stressing that the ABA did not oppose any US administration, the statement said that it supported the rule of law.

“We call upon our elected representatives to stand with us and to insist upon adherence to the rule of law and the legal processes and procedures that ensure orderly change,” Bay stated.

He concluded by urging every US lawyer to insist that its government followed the law.