THE EMBASSY OF MEXICO APPOINTS A CONSULTANT ATTORNEY TO STRENGTHEN THE DEFENCE OF MEXICANS IN THE UK

LONDON, United Kingdom, 1st December 2016.- In order to increase the scope of protection of Mexicans in the United Kingdom, the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs appointed the Mexican lawyer, Pia Sanchez Suarez as consultant attorney of the Consular Section of the Embassy of Mexico.

During the presentation of the attorney’s appointment, Minister David Najera, Chargé d’ Affaires, recalled that this designation is in accordance with the defence policy of the rights of Mexicans, as one of the highest responsibilities of the Government of Mexico.

The Mexican diplomat trusts that due her professional experience and career, Sanchez Suarez will be a fundamental contribution piece in the task of protection, providing stronger assistance to Mexicans who are facing legal proceedings, as well as any other situation which could risk their physical of moral integrity.

The Minister recalled that based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the Embassy of Mexico through its Consular Section, provides assistance to all Mexican Nationals in this country, hence the figure of a consultant attorney will contribute by reaffirming a professional qualified assessment which is authenticated by British authorities.

Before a group of diplomats, members of the Mexican community and of the law enforcement sector in this country, including members of the British Supreme Court of Justice, Minister Najera recalled that the Vienna Convention assures the respect of the induvial rights of foreigners and quoted as an example the controversy raised in 2003 by the government of Mexico before the International Court of Justice for alleged breaches of Articles 5 and 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations in relation to the treatment of 51 Mexican nationals who were tried, convicted and sentenced to death in criminal proceedings in the United States.

The incident later known as the ‘Avena Case’, recalled by the diplomat, in which Mexico proved the violation of rights of Mexicans abroad, by not notifying the Mexican consulate without delay of the detention and thereby depriving Mexico of the right to render the assistance to those individuals.

For this reason the figure of the consultant attorney, is relevant for the management of the protection to Mexicans. Usually this person becomes the first instance of probono advice to determine the legal channels before the laws of a country. The facilitation that this lawyer figure develops allows Mexican embassies and consulates to be able to guide the defence of our nationals.

On her behalf, the new attorney consultant, associate of Lewis Silkin LLP, graduate of the University of Leeds, who has training in labour law and consular work, thanked the Mexican government for the confidence and assumed the commitment inherent to her new responsibility.

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