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By ROISIN GADELRAB
 

Rev'd Jack Harris
Priest swaps collar for a lawyer's wig

‘I want to fight for asylum seekers’ says reverend

A PRIEST is swapping the pulpit for the court room in a return to his life as a lawyer – in order to fight for the rights of asylum seekers.
Reverend Jack Harris, 56, of St Peter’s Church, Belsize Park, delivers his final service on Sunday although he will remain a “roving” vicar. He says he wants to help asylum seekers and immigrants, whom he says are treated badly in England.
The vicar, who came to Belsize Park in 1996 said: “What drew me was coming into contact with people, and seeing their frustration. There’s a propensity for suicide on the part of asylum seekers.
“I feel strongly about how they are being treated. They are not welcomed properly or given proper hospitality and I want to do what I can to make things better.”
He says his legal knowledge has come in useful during his 20 years in the church. He added: “I kept up my interest in law. I always found it useful in advising parishioners who had legal problems. But I got most involved with refugees and asylum seekers and immigrants generally. They often don’t have access to proper legal representation.”
He is currently involved in a case expected to reach the European Court of Human Rights.
He said: “Earlier last year I looked at the new rules about marriage where one of the parties isn’t a British national. I spotted this loophole which exempted people who get married in the Church of England, exempting them from all the rules. It’s possible that this will go to the European Court for clarification.”
Revd Harris, who is particularly interested in building up relations between different faiths, has worked side-by-side with Rabbi Rodney Mariner, of neighbouring Belsize Square Synagogue for many years.
The two have become good friends and Rabbi Mariner recently honoured his friend’s retirement with a presentation of a plaque made from one of the synagogue’s fallen trees, which stood on the site of St Peter’s Old Vicarage, now the home of the synagogue.
For now, Revd Harris is concentrating on saying goodbye to parishioners and working on small cases to refresh his memory.
He said: “I thought this would be my last chance. I’ve been quite amazed by how easy it is to fit back into things. There’s more and more a need for human rights lawyers.”
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