Tory barrister criticised after 'wristbands for mentally ill' idea

A barrister from Finchley, who once ran unsuccessfully to be the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London, has been heavily criticised for 'shocking' comments made at a hustings event in Cambridge where she is standing as a Tory parliamentary candidate.

Chamali Fernando, who joined the Tories in 2009 two years after failing to win the Lib Dem nomination for the London mayoral poll, is alleged to have said that wearing a wristband to indicate the nature of a mentally ill person's condition would assist professionals to understand their conditions.

A petition has since been set up calling for Fernando to stand down in the election.

Speaking at an event hosted by a campaign group, Keep Our NHS Public, in Cambridge, Fernando was asked what could help the police deal with people suffering from mental health issues.

It is alleged she responded with an idea for colour-coded wristbands that would disclose a person's illness. She said this could help barristers better aid the public.

A search of the Bar directory lists a Miss Chamali Fernando as an employed barrister with Sriharans Solicitors of Southall, Middlesex. According to her LinkedIn profile, Fernando is also a New York attorney.

Her controversial comments came to light after political blogger Richard Taylor informed the local student newspaper, the Cambridge Tab. Taylor has also produced a full transcript of the lawyer's words.

While not denying the comments were made, Fernando, who has been a barrister for 12 years, having completed her Bar Vocational Course at the Inns of Court, tweeted: 'Richard Taylor is distorting commentary for his self publicity purposes.'

In a statement to the Cambridge News, she said: 'The question that was asked is how could the authorities such as the police better deal with mental health issues. At Cambridge National Autistic Hustings the chairman of CNAS said he carries a green card in his wallet to identify his condition.

'There are people who have come into contact with the police and due to an underlying mental health condition are unable to communicate their condition. It was not that they should wear a wristband. That would be draconian.'

Meanwhile, incumbent MP for Cambridge, Dr Julian Huppert of the Liberal Democrats, told Cambridge News he was 'shocked' by his former party colleague's comments.

A study from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in December 2014 found that over 1.2 million employees suffered from some form of illness during the last year. A large proportion of these illnesses related mental health issues including stress, depression or anxiety.

Members of the legal profession are far from immune from mental health illnesses. A survey conducted by LawCare found that 74 per cent of 1,147 lawyers surveyed were more stressed in their work last year than they had five years ago.

Sam Mercer, head of equality and diversity at the Bar Council, told SJ last year: 'Psychological wellbeing within the profession (and mental health more generally) is rarely spoken about, yet within the Bar's relatively small community everyone can be affected by their own or their colleagues' poor mental health.'

In October 2014, the Bar Council announced the launch of a survey to assess the health and wellbeing of its members and identify risk factors which may impact on their performance.'

Over 2,500 members of the Bar responded to the survey, with the results expected to form part of a larger wellbeing project coordinated by the representative body of the profession, which aims to provide insights into the working environment of barristers and how their unique role impacts on psychological health and wellbeing.

The results of the survey are currently being analysed and the data collected will be used to highlight wellbeing as fundamental to sustaining performance as a practising barrister, and empower and equip members of the Bar in addressing risky behaviours which may affect performance.

[Photo credit: 360b/Shutterstock.com]