Niall Murphy

Mr Murphy, 43, is a partner at KRW LAW LLP and is known for his work as a criminal defence lawyer and in representing victims of state violence during the Troubles.

He was admitted to Antrim Area Hospital on 25 March, nearly two weeks after he started to show COVID-19 symptons and began self-isolating.

News of his illness prompted an outpouring of support from lawyers, judges and journalists from across Ireland and beyond, as well as the Law Society of Northern Ireland and The Bar of Northern Ireland.

In an article for The Detail, Mr Murphy said healthcare workers on the frontline “are the equivalent of the firemen who rushed into New York’s Twin Towers on 9/11”, and criticised failures to provide them with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE).

He added: “We should also recall that the current Tory government voted against pay rises for nurses and no amount of honeyed words about the great treatment he received (from nurses who would have residency problems ironically post-Brexit) from Boris Johnson should distract from that.

“An immediate rise and sustainable pay structure should be immediately considered by the British parliament. Student loans for all front line health care workers should be cancelled if they are working in the NHS.

“How would you pay for this? Simple. The wealthy should pay more in tax.”