Barrister disbarred over anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi tweets

Complaint against Ian Millard describes him as an ‘outspoken admirer of Adolf Hitler’

Ian Millard was expelled from the bar after claiming the Nazi party’s ‘flaws were few, its achievements many’ (Getty)

A barrister has had his right to practice law revoked after a complaint that he posted a series of “seriously offensive” tweets about Jews, Muslims and black people.

Ian Millard was expelled from the bar by a disciplinary tribunal after posting messages on his Twitter account in November 2014.

In the tweets, he expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany, while making it clear in his biography that he was a barrister. The tribunal found this had brought the profession into disrepute.

In one tweet Mr Millard described the then Justice Secretary Michael Gove as a “pro-Zionist, pro-Jew expenses cheat”, according to tribunal documents.

Another tweet featured an image of a Nazi swastika alongside the German phrase “Juden sind hier unerwunscht”, which means “Jews not wanted here”.

He also wrote: “National Socialist Germany 1933-1945. Its flaws were few, its achievements many. Don't believe Jewish-Zionist lies.”

The Bar Standards Board’s director of professional conduct, Sara Jagger, said in a statement: “The use of such offensive language is incompatible with the standards expected of barristers.

“The tribunal rightly found that such behaviour diminishes the trust and confidence the public places in the profession and the decision to disbar Mr Millard reflects this.”

Mr Millard was called to the Bar by Lincoln's Inn in November 1991 and worked in London on criminal and civil cases, as well as presenting judicial review applications at the city's High Court.

But before being disbarred he had been unregistered for several years and had not worked since 2007.

Since being disbarred, he has tweeted more offensive statements. He claimed he had received many messages of support and only a few “slating” him -- mostly from “Jewish Zionists”.

He also complained coverage of his case was one-sided.

He tweeted on Saturday: “I was disbarred (on Thursday) because of 7 tweets. 7 tweets out of 155,000 tweets (and RTs) over 6 years.Newspapers silent on that.”

He added in another post: “My persecution by the Zionists, carried on in the ‘British’ Press, continues to attract people: 57,605 have seen my tweets in past 24 hours.”

Lawyer Jonathan Goldberg QC brought the complaint against Mr Millard. He said after the hearing: “A man who spews out such Nazi propaganda is not fit to call himself a barrister, so I feel satisfied.”

His complaint against Mr Millard, filed in 2014, said the barrister’s tweets were “racist, anti-Semitic, anti-black, anti-Muslim” and showed him to be an “outspoken admirer of Adolf Hitler”.

Defending himself at the tribunal, Mr Millard said he “rejected these simplistic labels”, and had not “directly insulted or attacked anyone in any way by addressing them on Twitter”.

He argued that calling people Jews was not offensive and that his Twitter account was not related to his work as a barrister, which he no longer carries out.

Proceedings will now be brought against Mr Millard in the US, where he is still a member of the New York bar.

Speaking after the case, Gideon Falter, of Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, told the Daily Mail: “Anti-Semitism is a cancer in society and it must be met with zero tolerance.

“We commend the Bar Standards Board’s decision, which sends a clear message that anti-Semites will suffer devastating professional consequences for their actions.”

Mr Millard will be able to appeal against his expulsion if he wishes to do so.