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By Jo Delahunty KC
Reviewed by Anna Yarde
Bristol University Press (May 2026), Paperback 306 pages, ISBN 9781529221282
Thank you for your love letter, which was profound.
Although its arrival was anticipated, the complicated feelings conjured by your vulnerability, openness and integrity were not. Such candour takes a great deal of courage. Thank you for setting the Bar.
It is easy to admire the JDKC that others can see – the advocate, the leader, the fighter. The one who has earned her suffix through fearless cross-examination and the relentless pursuit of justice. The JDKC who lectures, practises and adjudicates.
But understanding the journey that led there – and the person behind the initials – adds depth and meaning to the achievements. It is those experiences, and the supporting actors, that resonate so clearly and for so many. After all, it is a rare individual who leads a life completely untouched by disadvantage, abuse, discrimination, bullying, disability/illness or the improper use of power – whether by themselves or a treasured friend or colleague. And it is the absolute duty of leaders and those in privileged positions to ensure that the voices of those who experience those obstacles are truly listened to and acted upon. Talking about the role models who shaped our stories, as you have done, enable us all to become the mentors that the next generation needs and deserves.
Your determination to empower leaders and juniors alike to become the change that we all need is forceful. Thank you for taking responsibility for the lead vocals, while giving others a platform to share their experiences and form the chorus. Your willingness to share your own difficult, painful memories is testament to your commitment to enabling those at the Bar to speak up when it is uncomfortable, and to always do what is right.
Thank you for talking about the burden, as well as the privilege of representing the most vulnerable individuals in care proceedings.
How intrusive it feels to not only read about someone else’s most personal moments, but to immersive yourself in their private conversations, raw and unfiltered feelings, and the everyday details of their being. To be drawn in, consumed, and to finally retreat hours later – taking part of their story forever into yours.
What it feels like to bear witness to someone else’s grief, pain, confusion and suffering. To predict the likely outcome of their story. To take a share in the responsibility how it ends.
Thank you for showing us what it means, and costs, to share the beautiful chaos of a whole, complex person. What it means to look a certain way, speak a certain way and think a certain way at the Bar. How we must all reflect on who we are and the values that will govern our practice. What it means to do right. And why we must all do it – after all, We Set the Bar.
Perhaps we should wonder – was this letter truly only meant for us? You see, we’ve also been swept up in this all-consuming, utterly addictive romance. We’ve already made the same life-long commitment to justice, accountability and human rights – ‘til death do us part.
And, just as you have done, we have made the same choice: that the cost, working conditions, and sacrifice, is worth the reward.
We make that choice, over and over and over – as individuals – and we join to create an unstoppable force for good. We do so, listening to the words in your love letter, and committing to make the Bar a healthier, more egalitarian place: ‘We come to the Bar to make a difference. When we do, the lengths we have gone to achieve our place fade into nothing, and we would not think twice before doing so again.’
In service, standing together, and always in unrelenting, defiant hope that we will be heard,
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Anna Yarde is a family law barrister at Harcourt. She specialises in the law relating to children, Deprivation of Liberty and Forced Marriage. Anna is a Legal 500 leading junior (2025)
Bristol University Press (May 2026), Paperback 306 pages, ISBN 9781529221282
Thank you for your love letter, which was profound.
Although its arrival was anticipated, the complicated feelings conjured by your vulnerability, openness and integrity were not. Such candour takes a great deal of courage. Thank you for setting the Bar.
It is easy to admire the JDKC that others can see – the advocate, the leader, the fighter. The one who has earned her suffix through fearless cross-examination and the relentless pursuit of justice. The JDKC who lectures, practises and adjudicates.
But understanding the journey that led there – and the person behind the initials – adds depth and meaning to the achievements. It is those experiences, and the supporting actors, that resonate so clearly and for so many. After all, it is a rare individual who leads a life completely untouched by disadvantage, abuse, discrimination, bullying, disability/illness or the improper use of power – whether by themselves or a treasured friend or colleague. And it is the absolute duty of leaders and those in privileged positions to ensure that the voices of those who experience those obstacles are truly listened to and acted upon. Talking about the role models who shaped our stories, as you have done, enable us all to become the mentors that the next generation needs and deserves.
Your determination to empower leaders and juniors alike to become the change that we all need is forceful. Thank you for taking responsibility for the lead vocals, while giving others a platform to share their experiences and form the chorus. Your willingness to share your own difficult, painful memories is testament to your commitment to enabling those at the Bar to speak up when it is uncomfortable, and to always do what is right.
Thank you for talking about the burden, as well as the privilege of representing the most vulnerable individuals in care proceedings.
How intrusive it feels to not only read about someone else’s most personal moments, but to immersive yourself in their private conversations, raw and unfiltered feelings, and the everyday details of their being. To be drawn in, consumed, and to finally retreat hours later – taking part of their story forever into yours.
What it feels like to bear witness to someone else’s grief, pain, confusion and suffering. To predict the likely outcome of their story. To take a share in the responsibility how it ends.
Thank you for showing us what it means, and costs, to share the beautiful chaos of a whole, complex person. What it means to look a certain way, speak a certain way and think a certain way at the Bar. How we must all reflect on who we are and the values that will govern our practice. What it means to do right. And why we must all do it – after all, We Set the Bar.
Perhaps we should wonder – was this letter truly only meant for us? You see, we’ve also been swept up in this all-consuming, utterly addictive romance. We’ve already made the same life-long commitment to justice, accountability and human rights – ‘til death do us part.
And, just as you have done, we have made the same choice: that the cost, working conditions, and sacrifice, is worth the reward.
We make that choice, over and over and over – as individuals – and we join to create an unstoppable force for good. We do so, listening to the words in your love letter, and committing to make the Bar a healthier, more egalitarian place: ‘We come to the Bar to make a difference. When we do, the lengths we have gone to achieve our place fade into nothing, and we would not think twice before doing so again.’
In service, standing together, and always in unrelenting, defiant hope that we will be heard,
By Jo Delahunty KC
Reviewed by Anna Yarde
Far-ranging month for the Chair of the Bar
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the most recent data on alcohol misuse in the UK, and the implications for alcohol testing in family proceedings
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how tailored financial planning can help barristers take control of their finances and plan with confidence
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, outlines the drug and alcohol testing options available for family law professionals, and how a new, free guide can help identify the most appropriate testing method for each specific case
In this wide-ranging interview, Professor Jo Delahunty KC, Family Law KC of the Year, talks to Anthony Inglese CB about the values that shaped her, the moment she found her vocation and, in an intensely personal call to arms, why time is running out for the legal aid Bar
Is the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office process fit for purpose? Women barristers’ experiences of bullying are not being reported or, if they are, they are not making it through the system, says Tana Adkin KC
Thomas Roe KC and Andrew O’Kola respond to an article by Dr Leonardo Raznovich (Counsel , October 2025) – ‘Privy Council colonialism? Piercing the constitutional veil’
Chair of the Bar reports back
The client’s best interests could be well-served by sharing the advocacy with junior counsel more often than you might think – Naomi Cunningham and Charlotte Eves explore some less orthodox ways to divide the speaking role
