*/
Was the display of short profiles of Black and Asian members of the Inns for Black History month worth a view? There are at least three good reasons why the answer is unquestionably ‘yes’. First, the exhibition served to highlight the contribution to the development of law made by Black and Asian members of the Inns – from H O Davies who was Called to the Bar in 1946 and, in 1951, founded the Nigerian People’s Congress, to Shirley Isabelle Miller QC who, Called in 1961, became the first Jamaican female QC in 1971.
Secondly, the display is a reminder, to all members of the Bar, that Black and Asian members of the Inns have not only been integral to the positive development and history of the Bar but continue to be so through individuals such as Desiree Artesi, Called in 1998 and legal adviser to the High Commission of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda who, in 2014 became a Bencher of the Inner Temple, and Katie Ghose, Called in 1996, Director of the British Institute of Human Rights (2005-2010). Finally, anyone who views the display cannot fail to be positively encouraged and inspired by the huge achievements and accomplishments of previous and current Black and Asian members of the Bar.
This year is a particularly important year to celebrate those achievements as it is 70 years since SS Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury Dock, an event that has been widely taken to mark the beginning of post-war mass migration of many citizens from Commonwealth countries; without which crucial migration the English legal system may not have benefited from the top-level contributions made by the likes of Leslie Thomas QC, Bobbie Cheema-Grubb QC and Martin Forde QC, all of whom were featured in the exhibition.
Grace Brown is a public law barrister at Garden Court Chambers.
This is a small selection from the dazzling array of pioneers who challenged the social barriers of their time. The full exhibition can be viewed in booklet form at: bit.ly/innsbhm2018
Professional cricketer and the UK’s first black peer; Appointed MBE (1945); knighted (1962); Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple (1963); Life Peerage (1969)
Founded the Nigerian People’s Congress (1951); Queen’s Counsel (1959); Federal Minister of State in the Ministry of Industries (1963-1966)
Leader of the Indian independence movement; disbarred following his conviction for sedition (1922); reinstated as a member of the Inner Temple (1988)
Actor, musician and author, and first black person to appear regularly on British television; cofounder of Drum Arts Centre in London with the aim of helping to foster black artistic talent (1974)
Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society (1897); retrained as a barrister (1910)
Judge of High Court of Justice of Ghana (1961); Ghana representative UN Commission on Status of Women (1962); Court of Appeal judge (1969); President of Ghana’s Court of Appeal (1980); Ghana Constitution Drafting Committee (1991)
First African to serve as a judge; appointed Police Magistrate, Lagos (1931); High Court Judge (1942); Chief Justice (1957)
First black Jamaican to be appointed King’s Counsel (1911); Attorney General of Jamaica (1914) and British Guiana (1925)
First Prime Minister of India
First woman to top the London Bar exams (1958); first woman judge of the Delhi High Court (1978); Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh (1991)
First woman to read law at Oxford (1889); First woman to practise law in both India and Britain
Founding member of the League of Coloured Peoples; fi rst female barrister from West Africa (1933); first woman magistrate in Nigeria (1943)
Founding member of the Pan-African Association; first black man admitted to the Bar in the Cape Colony (1903)
Barrister and nationalist; disbarred for writing articles in support of Indian Home Rule (1909); reinstated as member of Inner Temple (2015)
Called to the Bermuda Bar (1947); Knighted (1971); First Premier of Bermuda (1971-1975)
First woman barrister in Pakistan; pioneer of human rights activism in Bangladesh and founder of the organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (1986)
First black Head of Chambers (1968); first black Deputy Circuit Judge (1978); Bencher of the Inner Temple (1986)
Appointed Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (1914); recommendation for King’s Counsel turned down – it was not until 1958 that QCs were appointed in Nigeria
Public law barrister at Garden Court Chambers
Was the display of short profiles of Black and Asian members of the Inns for Black History month worth a view? There are at least three good reasons why the answer is unquestionably ‘yes’. First, the exhibition served to highlight the contribution to the development of law made by Black and Asian members of the Inns – from H O Davies who was Called to the Bar in 1946 and, in 1951, founded the Nigerian People’s Congress, to Shirley Isabelle Miller QC who, Called in 1961, became the first Jamaican female QC in 1971.
Secondly, the display is a reminder, to all members of the Bar, that Black and Asian members of the Inns have not only been integral to the positive development and history of the Bar but continue to be so through individuals such as Desiree Artesi, Called in 1998 and legal adviser to the High Commission of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda who, in 2014 became a Bencher of the Inner Temple, and Katie Ghose, Called in 1996, Director of the British Institute of Human Rights (2005-2010). Finally, anyone who views the display cannot fail to be positively encouraged and inspired by the huge achievements and accomplishments of previous and current Black and Asian members of the Bar.
This year is a particularly important year to celebrate those achievements as it is 70 years since SS Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury Dock, an event that has been widely taken to mark the beginning of post-war mass migration of many citizens from Commonwealth countries; without which crucial migration the English legal system may not have benefited from the top-level contributions made by the likes of Leslie Thomas QC, Bobbie Cheema-Grubb QC and Martin Forde QC, all of whom were featured in the exhibition.
Grace Brown is a public law barrister at Garden Court Chambers.
This is a small selection from the dazzling array of pioneers who challenged the social barriers of their time. The full exhibition can be viewed in booklet form at: bit.ly/innsbhm2018
Professional cricketer and the UK’s first black peer; Appointed MBE (1945); knighted (1962); Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple (1963); Life Peerage (1969)
Founded the Nigerian People’s Congress (1951); Queen’s Counsel (1959); Federal Minister of State in the Ministry of Industries (1963-1966)
Leader of the Indian independence movement; disbarred following his conviction for sedition (1922); reinstated as a member of the Inner Temple (1988)
Actor, musician and author, and first black person to appear regularly on British television; cofounder of Drum Arts Centre in London with the aim of helping to foster black artistic talent (1974)
Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society (1897); retrained as a barrister (1910)
Judge of High Court of Justice of Ghana (1961); Ghana representative UN Commission on Status of Women (1962); Court of Appeal judge (1969); President of Ghana’s Court of Appeal (1980); Ghana Constitution Drafting Committee (1991)
First African to serve as a judge; appointed Police Magistrate, Lagos (1931); High Court Judge (1942); Chief Justice (1957)
First black Jamaican to be appointed King’s Counsel (1911); Attorney General of Jamaica (1914) and British Guiana (1925)
First Prime Minister of India
First woman to top the London Bar exams (1958); first woman judge of the Delhi High Court (1978); Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh (1991)
First woman to read law at Oxford (1889); First woman to practise law in both India and Britain
Founding member of the League of Coloured Peoples; fi rst female barrister from West Africa (1933); first woman magistrate in Nigeria (1943)
Founding member of the Pan-African Association; first black man admitted to the Bar in the Cape Colony (1903)
Barrister and nationalist; disbarred for writing articles in support of Indian Home Rule (1909); reinstated as member of Inner Temple (2015)
Called to the Bermuda Bar (1947); Knighted (1971); First Premier of Bermuda (1971-1975)
First woman barrister in Pakistan; pioneer of human rights activism in Bangladesh and founder of the organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (1986)
First black Head of Chambers (1968); first black Deputy Circuit Judge (1978); Bencher of the Inner Temple (1986)
Appointed Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (1914); recommendation for King’s Counsel turned down – it was not until 1958 that QCs were appointed in Nigeria
Update from the Chair of the Bar
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, discusses the upcoming changes to pensions and Inheritance Tax and the potential impact on your financial future
Save the Children UK is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
The Chief Legal Officer to the Metropolitan Police, barrister Brett Welch, tells Anthony Inglese CB about his mission and the work to turn the Met around
Barrister apprenticeships – shortly to provide the fourth pathway to the Bar – are an ideal opportunity to support local talent and ‘grow your own’, say Tim Coulson and Dr Jane Dennehy
Grok around and find out – or not? Mariya Peykova investigates the nudification scandal, what the law has to say about sexually explicit deepfakes, and whether stronger regulation is needed
Oliver Lewis spotlights an overlooked yet rapidly evolving area of law – coercive and controlling behaviour within care contexts
For one night only at Middle Temple Hall (Sunday 26 July 2026) – Abigail Bright introduces the famed annual fundraising theatrical event. This year, Martin Shaw and Jason Watkins perform John Mortimer’s The Dock Brief, a mixture of farce and pathos and all in support of the work of the Kalisher Trust in its 30th year
