*/
Government lawyers scooped three prizes at the inaugural Bar Council Employed Bar Awards at the Tower of London in July.
The Serious Fraud Office’s Camilla de Silva won the employed barrister of the year award in recognition of the central part she played in the UK’s third deferred prosecution agreement, agreed with Rolls Royce, which resulted in more than half a billion pounds being paid to the Treasury.
Matthew Johnston, Government Legal Department, won the young employed barrister of the year for his role in the government’s work in relation to the Mediterranean migration crisis.
David Browitt, also of the Government Legal Department, won the award for outstanding achievement by a public service barrister, but the sensitive nature of his work meant the details could not be shared.
The gong for outstanding performance by a HM Forces barrister went to Commander Carolyn Kenyon of the Royal Navy Legal Services, but security protocols prevented the audience learning about her work.
Hannah Laming, from London law firm Peters & Peters, won outstanding achievement by a barrister in a corporate organisation or solicitors’ firm, for her work in white collar crime compliance, fraud, corruption and bribery.
Employed advocate of the yearwent to Matthew Gowen from East Anglian law firm Birketts, for his elegant presentation skills, measured approach and consistently excellent advocacy.
Bar Chair, Andrew Langdon QC, said the winners and shortlisted nominees are a ‘demonstration of the exceptional quality’ of the employed Bar. ‘Much of their work, until now, has not been celebrated.’
Government lawyers scooped three prizes at the inaugural Bar Council Employed Bar Awards at the Tower of London in July.
The Serious Fraud Office’s Camilla de Silva won the employed barrister of the year award in recognition of the central part she played in the UK’s third deferred prosecution agreement, agreed with Rolls Royce, which resulted in more than half a billion pounds being paid to the Treasury.
Matthew Johnston, Government Legal Department, won the young employed barrister of the year for his role in the government’s work in relation to the Mediterranean migration crisis.
David Browitt, also of the Government Legal Department, won the award for outstanding achievement by a public service barrister, but the sensitive nature of his work meant the details could not be shared.
The gong for outstanding performance by a HM Forces barrister went to Commander Carolyn Kenyon of the Royal Navy Legal Services, but security protocols prevented the audience learning about her work.
Hannah Laming, from London law firm Peters & Peters, won outstanding achievement by a barrister in a corporate organisation or solicitors’ firm, for her work in white collar crime compliance, fraud, corruption and bribery.
Employed advocate of the yearwent to Matthew Gowen from East Anglian law firm Birketts, for his elegant presentation skills, measured approach and consistently excellent advocacy.
Bar Chair, Andrew Langdon QC, said the winners and shortlisted nominees are a ‘demonstration of the exceptional quality’ of the employed Bar. ‘Much of their work, until now, has not been celebrated.’
The Bar Council continues to call for investment for the justice system and represent the interests of our profession both at home and abroad
By Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
AlphaBiolabs has made a £500 donation to Sean’s Place, a men’s mental health charity based in Sefton, as part of its ongoing Giving Back initiative
Q&A with Tim Lynch of Jordan Lynch Private Finance
By Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Six months of court observation at the Old Bailey: APPEAL’s Dr Nisha Waller and Tehreem Sultan report their findings on prosecution practices under joint enterprise
The Amazonian artist’s first international solo exhibition is wholly relevant to current issues in social and environmental justice, says Stephen Cragg KC
Despite its prevalence, autism spectrum disorder remains poorly understood in the criminal justice system. Does Alex Henry’s joint enterprise conviction expose the need to audit prisons? asks Dr Felicity Gerry KC
It’s been five years since the groundbreaking QC competition in which six Black women barristers, including the 2025 Chair of the Bar, took silk. Yet today, the number of Black KCs remains ‘critically low’. Desirée Artesi talks to Baroness Scotland KC, Allison Munroe KC and Melanie Simpson KC about the critical success factors, barriers and ideas for embedding change
In the final part of a series celebrating the Bar Pro Bono Award winners, Ramby de Mello and Doughty Street Chambers share the stories behind their awards
