Lord Abernethy is an active member of the International Bar Association.

BBC: The men in robes

The council of the International Bar Association, alarmed by the accountants' plans, last year called on world regulators to consider preventing such firms from offering other services to companies whose books they audit.

ECONOMIST: Accountants and lawyers

On Tuesday, the Human Rights Institute of the International Bar Association (IBAHRI) told the BBC's Sinhala service that the government's move to impeach the chief justice risked being seen as an attempt to curtail the independence of the judiciary.

BBC: Shirani Bandaranayake: Sri Lanka MPs' impeachment bid