Matthew Berlow is a Jewish lawyer in Glasgow who has spent years defending Israel and Jewish identity – online, in court, and on the streets.

As co-founder of Glasgow Friends of Israel, he helped establish a regular public information stall on Buchanan Street, promoting dialogue and peaceful co-existence. But his advocacy work has made him a repeated target for antisemites and extremist campaigners intent on silencing him.

After years of harassment, Mr Berlow is once again fighting to defend his professional reputation and to uphold the right of Jewish lawyers to speak freely on matters of public interest.

What’s happening?

The Law Society of Scotland, the body responsible for regulating solicitors and promoting standards of conduct, has brought a charge of professional misconduct against Mr Berlow. The complaint relates to remarks he made on Facebook in 2019, including a darkly comic pun about Hamas suicide bombers and strong criticisms of individuals promoting antisemitic rhetoric online.

The complaint was submitted by a woman with a documented history of posting antisemitic content and targeting Jewish activists. Nevertheless, the Law Society has chosen to pursue disciplinary action – a decision that Mr Berlow and his legal team believe is disproportionate, discriminatory, and consistent with a broader pattern of unfair treatment.

This is not the first time he has been targeted for speaking out. In 2018, he was ordered to undergo “diversity training” simply for describing a group that had hounded a Jewish-Israeli business owner out of Scotland as “scummy racists”. His language was blunt, but his message was clear: antisemitism should never go unchallenged.

Now, once again, Mr Berlow finds himself subjected to a professional disciplinary process for exercising his lawful right to free expression, while those responsible for years of harassment face no scrutiny at all.

Why it matters

This case is about more than one man. It raises serious questions about:

• Free speech and political expression: Should lawyers face professional sanctions for expressing personal views on matters of public concern, particularly when those views relate to foreign policy, extremism, or religiously motivated violence? Under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, political speech is afforded the highest level of protection. Are regulators applying this principle fairly?
• Antisemitism and institutional double standards: Why are professional bodies so quick to investigate and penalise Jewish voices that call out antisemitism, yet slow to act when those same individuals are subjected to sustained harassment and abuse?
• Equality before the law: Mr Berlow is a Jewish solicitor, married to a Muslim woman, with a 30-year record of tireless campaigning both professionally for clients and for Israel.  He now faces a misconduct tribunal for political comments and satirical remarks. Would others be treated in the same way under similar circumstances?

Help Matthew fund his fight for justice

Mr Berlow is preparing to defend himself robustly at the forthcoming disciplinary hearing. But legal representation costs money – and after years of online abuse, professional strain, and financial pressure, he urgently needs your support.

If you believe in freedom of speech, equal treatment, and the right to call out antisemitism without fear of reprisal, please donate what you can.

Every contribution goes directly to legal costs. Help Matthew Berlow stand firm—and show that lawyers should not be punished for defending their community, speaking their conscience, or confronting hatred in public life.

Thank you.