Dozens of Bermuda's lawyers and judges held a rally yesterday in support of their oppressed counterparts in Pakistan.

Thousands of lawyers and activists there have been jailed and placed under house arrest for protesting President Perves Musharraf's emergency rule, the suspension of Pakistan's constitution and the effective removal of its Supreme Court judges.

The protests have seen widespread boycotts of court proceedings, and many lawyers and judges have been beaten and tortured.

Local lawyers Timothy Marshall, Georgia Marshall and Peter Martin organised the rally, which was supported by the Bermuda Bar Organisation. Similar demonstrations have been held as far afield as the United States, Canada and England.

The lawyers wore black as an act of symbolism to reflect the black suits worn by those in Pakistan.

Addressing the gathering on the steps of Sessions House, chairman of the Human Rights Commission Venous Memari — a lawyer by profession — said: "We deplore any attempt, by any group or body, to stultify or inhibit the independence of those who are responsible for ensuring that justice is done to all without fear or favour and without regard to race, creed, or political affiliation.

"To stand mute while our sisters and brothers are being incarcerated and assaulted in any jurisdiction would be to encourage such acts and give support to those who have no regard for the rule of law.

"We must, therefore, stand together united with one voice and say this must not be allowed to continue so that our voices resonate around the world in support of those who are denied the basic rights of every individual to the guarantee of justice."

Chief Justice Richard Ground told the gathering that news of the global protests has reached lawyers and judges in Pakistan, who have expressed gratitude. He said he hoped news of the demonstration in Bermuda would reach them too.

"It is very appropriate that this ceremony here today involves the Bar of Bermuda and the judiciary coming together to express their outrage at the indignities inflicted on their colleagues in Pakistan, and to affirm their belief in the fundamental importance of the independence of both the legal profession and the judiciary. There is a vital symbiosis here — the existence of a free and fair judiciary is of little use without an independent Bar ready, willing and able to represent those who seek to enforce their constitutional rights. I firmly believe that the independence of the judiciary and of the legal profession are prerequisites not just of a free and fair society, but also of a prosperous one. We are privileged here in Bermuda to enjoy both," he said.

President Musharraf, who took power in Pakistan in a coup in 1999, has promised to end emergency rule on December 16, six weeks after he imposed it. On Wednesday he stepped down as head of the army and was sworn in for a new term as civilian head of state.

He promised that a General Election will be held in January.