Hermer, who is Keir Starmer’s chief legal adviser and a former legal colleague of the Prime Minister, met with Martyn Day – the founder and senior partner at Leigh Day – on the evening of 17th December.
The law firm is acting for more than 3,000 troops currently suing the MoD for over disputed allegations it overcharged them rent on their military accommodation. Leigh Day has a track record of acting for clients taking legal action against the government.
Martyn Day, senior partner of law firm Leigh Day, had dinner with Lord Hermer on 17th December (Photo: Daniel LEAL / AFP)One of those present at the dinner said it was a “long postponed social meeting of friends”.
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith called for the government to provide full details of the meeting to ensure there was no conflict of interest or a breach of the ministerial code.
“The question should also be, was there a civil servant present and if not, why not?”
The disclosure of the meeting will add to growing pressure on Hermer who is facing criticism for his previous work representing a range of contentious clients such as former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams.
Lord Hermer represented former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams. (Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire)Evidence of the meeting emerged from a departmental hospitality register seen by The i Paper which stated that Lord Hermer had received a £50 dinner in the days running up to Christmas.
Before becoming Attorney General, Hermer had represented Leigh Day in a successful civil claim case against the MoD in 2017, which awarded thousands of pounds in damages to a number of Iraqi civilians who claimed they were abused by British soldiers.
Labour MP Graham Stringer, who was a former junior minister under Tony Blair, said: “It seems to me completely inappropriate for any Attorney General to have dinner with someone suing the government.”
British troops and service personal in Afghanistan in 2014 (Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty)
Leigh Day is currently bringing a class action against the MoD alleging that thousands of younger and unmarried military personnel were discriminated against after being charged higher rents for military housing than those aged over 37 or married as the latter groups can claim an accommodation allowance. Leigh Day estimates the claim could cost taxpayers £50m.
The i Paper has also learned that also present at the December dinner with Lord Hermer and Day was Professor Sir Simon Wessely, a leading psychiatrist at King’s College who established the King’s Centre for Military Health Research.
Wessely said the dinner was “a long postponed social meeting of friends.” On his previous work as an expert witness, he said he was there to “help the Court, not the MoD or Leigh Day” but said in the 2017 case he was instructed by the MoD.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General said: “Law officers such as the Attorney General will have an extensive legal background and may have previously been involved in a wide number of past cases.
“It is a feature and cornerstone of our legal system that legal professionals operate the cab-rank rule when it comes to clients and barristers do not associate themselves with their clients’ opinions.”
Profile: Lord Hermer
The Attorney General has been described as a “close friend” of the PrimeMinister, with the pair having worked together at Doughty Streetchambers prior to their time in politics.
As a human rights lawyer Hermer represented a range of contentiouscharacters including convicted Islamic terrorist Rangzieb Ahmed.Former Labour Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer described him as “a topintellect and top lawyer”, while Blair’s former Attorney General LordGoldsmith described Hermer as a “proper lawyer”.
Before entering politics, Hermer had been an outspoken critic of Israeliconduct in Gaza, and supported the UK rejoining the EU – positions hehas now had to distance himself from as the UK’s most high-profilelawyer.
Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory ( Photo: Gallo Images/Getty)Lord Hermer has also faced criticism for supporting disgraced lawyerPhil Shiner after his claims of war crimes by British soldiers wererejected by the High Court and he was put under investigation by theSolicitors Regulation Authority.
Hermer’s December dinner companion, Martyn Day stood alongsideShiner at a press conference in 2008 which they detailed accusationsthat British troops had tortured and executed Iraqi civilians. A publicinquiry dismissed all the most serious allegations which were found to be based on deliberate lies. Shiner was struck off in 2017. Day was clearedof any wrongdoing.
Sources close to Hermer said he had the utmost respect for the armedforces and that once the case was proven against Shiner he hadcondemned his reprehensible behaviour.
In 2020 Hermer acted for human rights group Liberty, in support of‘jihadi bride’ Shamima Begum’s attempt to block the removal of hercitizenship. The now Attorney General had argued it was “draconian” todeprive the former ISIS member of her citizenship.
Hermer had also represented five Sri Lankan asylum seekers in 2023who were given a one-off deal to come to Britain from the Chagos Islandsshortly after Labour came to power.
Timeline: Lord Hermer’s cases for Leigh Day
2014: War crimes in Iraq: Leigh Day was involved in pursuing a caseagainst British soldiers who were accused of murdering and torturingIraqi civilians. A public inquiry found no evidence to support the mostserious of claims that were based on lies. The law firm was successful ina civil case it took on behalf of a number of Iraqis against the MoD in2017 for ill-treatment by British armed forces.
2023: Afghanistan: Hermer was listed by Leigh Day solicitors asrepresenting Afghanis who claimed family members has been murderedby UK Special Forces in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012. The firm allegedthat UK forces participated in extra-judicial killings and the cover up ofthese deaths. The claims are now the subject of an independent statutoryinquiry.
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