Bermuda's lawyers will hold a rally in support of their counterparts in Pakistan on Friday.

Thousands of lawyers and activists there have been jailed and placed under house arrest by the authorities for protesting President Pervez 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. According to reports on the Jurist legal news website, some of the lawyers have been tortured and beaten.

Bermuda lawyer Timothy Marshall organised Friday's rally which will be held under the auspices of the Bermuda Bar Association. All lawyers and judges have been invited to attend, and will wear black as a sign of support for the lawyers in Pakistan who wear black suits.

"Word of Bermuda's effort has spread to British Columbia and the lawyers there have been encouraged by their Bar President to wear black this Friday," said Mr. Marshall. "For all that is said about lawyers, good or bad, the public interest throughout history has always been greatly served when members of our profession stand up and protect fundamental human rights and freedoms.

"Our colleagues in Pakistan have put themselves in harms way for the greater good. They deserve our support."