Gordon Nardell, lawyer dealing with Labour antisemitism, to adopt only part of broader Jew hate definition

Gordon Nardell, newly appointed Labour Party in-house counsel

Lee Harpin writes in the Jewish Chronicle, “The lawyer appointed by Labour to oversee its disciplinary cases will adopt only part of the internationally recognised definition of antisemitism, the JC can reveal. Gordon Nardell QC has been confirmed as Labour’s first in-house counsel on disciplinary matters as part of General Secretary Jennie Formby’s pledge to clear the backlog of outstanding antisemitism cases.But the respected commercial and human rights lawyer will not adopt the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism — including examples relating to Israel.”…Although Jeremy Corbyn’s party adopted the IHRA definition in 2016, Jonathan Goldstein, chair of the Jewish Leadership Council, expressed fears in April that the Labour leader had performed a “backtrack” over the definition because of claims it limited criticism of Israel.”…

“Mark Lewis, the leading media lawyer, said “the problem” was Mr Nardell was taking “a quasi-judicial role in which opinions have been given so that even if justice is done it might not be seen to be done. ‘It is a bad starting point that parties are already calling for recusal.’  Another leading QC told the JC: “The issue is whether receipt of a communication from someone actively campaigning for one party compromises the appropriate neutrality.”…

“On Wednesday a Labour official stressed to the JC that Mr Nardell, who is Jewish, had a long record of campaigning against antisemitism and other forms of discrimination. The source insisted that as someone who had been active within Labour for many years, Mr Nardell had been ‘added on Facebook by some people he doesn’t know or doesn’t know well”. (more…)