Features

In November 2012, Lord Sumption observed that “The judiciary is recruited from a pool of highly educated and experienced legal practitioners. This pool is itself dominated by white males”. Coinciding with a progress report, his view was that diversity in the judiciary could take 50 years so, how was 2013 for women in the law … ? 

Many employers bemoan the employability gap between education and work. Sarah Thwaites talks about one initiative to help bridge the gap in the legal sector.  

With youth unemployment still hovering just under the one million mark, we all have a role to play in ensuring we don’t leave the next generation behind. 

Andrew Bruce discusses the recent decision in Walker & Scott v Burton & Bamford relating to rectification of the Land Register.  

Ireby (population 60) is a tiny village in Lancashire. It is situated at the highest point in Lancashire and close to the county boundary with West Yorkshire. For the past eight years it has been the site of “a rather old fashioned un-neighbourly dispute with some unusual feudal bits and some land registration bits tacked on”. This dispute culminated in the Court of Appeal’s decision in Walker & Scott v Burton & Bamford [2013] EWCA Civ 1228, [2013] All ER (D) 146 (Oct) on 14 October 2013. This article considers the land registration issues associated with the dispute. 

Theatre company Clean Break presented  Billy the Girl, written by Katie Hims, directed by Lucy Morrison and played at Soho Theatre from 29 October to 24 November. Nigel Pascoe QC reviews the play for  Counsel. 

Good research is rarely wasted. True certainly for prize winning playwright Katie Hims, having tutored in womens’ prisons in drama and completely absorbed the language. In this haunting piece, she reproduces it to perfection. Insecurity, hope and always the fear of rejection in the air, she set out nevertheless to achieve, quite deliberately, a happy ending. The result is a compelling and uplifting quasi-comedy, adding effortlessly to the excellent reputation that Clean Break has gained. For this is purposeful theatre, helping female offenders develop their potential through drama. But absent entirely from the play is any sense of polemic messaging. The picture is true because the playwright has listened and allowed us with considerable skill both to learn and to share. It is some achievement. 

Job title
Senior Clerk, 20 Essex Street 

20 Essex Street is a leading international set of commercial barristers’ chambers in London and Singapore specialising in international arbitration, commercial, EU, competition, insolvency and public international law disputes. 

What have been some of the highlights of your career?
I am fortunate there have been more than a few. Being appointed Joint Senior Clerk here in ’96 was a proud day. I started clerking in ’76 in what is now Henderson Chambers for 8 years, then spent 4 years at Blackstone Chambers. I’ve been at 20 Essex Street since ’88. I was elected Chairman of the IBC in March this year, although it should be noted I was unopposed. However, my proudest moment is undoubtedly being instrumental in setting up the UK’s first fully staffed and full-time international chambers in Maxwell Chambers, Singapore in October 2009; I had been working on this behind the scenes since 2007. Meeting representatives from MinLaw and the AG’s Department in Singapore was great fun and a real eye-opener in discussing and planning with them for the future and how to succeed. That initiative has been a great success for 20 Essex Street. 

This year’s Bar Conference was held on 2 November 2013 at Westminster Park Plaza.  Counsel reports back.  

Just a stone’s throw from the Palace of Westminster, over 550 barristers, clerks, practice managers, law students, journalists and interested observers gathered to take stock of a frenetic, and often bruising, year for the profession. But they also gathered to learn and discuss how to face up to the challenges of the future. 

A lively opening keynote session featured a welcome from Conference Chairman, Saba Naqshbandi, the Chairman of the Bar’s address and a keynote speech from one of the leading advocates of his generation, and polymath, Lord Pannick QC. 

How does a drug addict who yearns to change their life around do so? HH Michael Baker QC explains one police force’s pioneering scheme.  

Drug addicts do not have an easy life. Class A drugs do not come cheap. Purloined property can only be fenced for a fraction of its value. Thousands of pounds worth of goods may have to be burgled or otherwise nefariously acquired each week in order to feed a Class A drug habit. And the addict is constantly looking over his shoulder, suspicious, insecure and afraid. Not surprisingly many addicts yearn for a quieter, easier and better life. In 2006 Hertfordshire Police pioneered an interviewing technique based on this desire for a changed way of life. By befriending suitable addicts and respecting their aspirations they persuaded them to admit to all their past offending in a series of drive-rounds and interviews. So effective was this that, by the time they got to court, they often had scores – sometimes several hundreds – of offences waiting to be taken into consideration. 

John Battle, ITN’s Head of Compliance, on the new rules, the background to the changes, and what the future holds.  

This legal term sees a significant turning point for our legal system; televising of proceedings in the Court of Appeal begins. Although Supreme Court judgments can already be viewed on a dedicated YouTube channel, and live proceedings seen on a Sky News website, this is the first time that the public has seen footage of the Court of Appeal. It could open the door, in due course, to extending filming to trial courts. 

John Cammegh examines how the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal failed a nation  

There is a sense of foreboding in Bangladesh: in January the country will go to the polls amidst rising civil disorder. The government is nervous: a series of crackdowns on opposition groups, crippling strikes and industrial tragedies, epitomizing the traditional disregard of workers’ rights and safety, mean the opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP) is likely to regain power. In fact no incumbent government has ever been returned to power in Bangladesh, where short term score settling has always triumphed over consensual change.