Letters to the editor
Messrs Barrs of the Bar
Dear Editor
Whilst I’m sure the incidence of “nominative determinism” amongst members of the legal profession had more to do with the date of the article (“In the name of the law” Counsel April 2009 pp 16-18) than with hard scientific fact, I feel Christina Michalos’ list would be incomplete without mention of the three Messrs Barr of the Bar.
To date, we have not all appeared together in the same case though we came close at Peterborough Crown Court when Mr P Barr represented a defendant (one Mr Barr) who was prosecuted by Mr E Barr—much to our regret His Honour Judge Barr did not sit at that court centre!
Peter Barr, The Chambers of Michael Hubbard QC, One Paper Buildings
The first employed silks
Dear Editor
In the April issue you say: “Two employed barristers were successful … the first ever employed barristers to be appointed” (see Counsel April 2009 “Silk success for women and employed Bar”, p 4). Counsel is usually exactly correct but in this case I am afraid not and I thought I should write to point it out.
I was myself appointed in 1981 after I had left the Bar to become Chief Legal Adviser at Lloyds Bank. I was not the first nor the last employed barrister appointed, although there has been a gap of several years so that the present news is very welcome demonstrating that advocacy skills in court are no longer the sole test for appointment.
Derek Wheatley QC, MA (Oxon), Richmond
