Michael Polak, (Call 2012), is a member of Church Court Chambers and practises in international law, serious crime, human rights, and strategic litigation. Prior to becoming Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee in 2022, Michael was President of Middle Temple Young Barrister’s Association and in the past, he has been the elected Chair of the Human Rights Lawyers Association’s Young Lawyers Committee where he started the annual judicial review competition and journal, the Young Human Rights Lawyer. Michael is on the Hall Committee of Middle Temple and is an elected member of the South-Eastern Circuit and the Bar Council.
Michael Polak and Michael Harwood of the Young Barristers' Committee on why young barristers should build their practice internationally – and the relaunched grant programmes helping them to do so
Following the launch of the Life at the Young Bar report and a nationwide listening exercise, Michael Polak and Michael Harwood outline the Young Barristers’ Committee’s raft of initiatives designed to address your issues of concern
In a critical year for the Young Bar, Michael Polak, the Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee, sets out his key pledges for 2022
Chair of the Bar finds common ground on legal services between our two jurisdictions, plus an update on jury trials
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
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest ONS data on drug misuse and its implications for toxicology testing in family law cases
An interview with Rob Wagg, CEO of New Park Court Chambers
With at least 31 reports of AI hallucinations in UK legal cases – over 800 worldwide – and judges using AI to assist in judicial decision-making, the risks and benefits are impossible to ignore. Matthew Lee examines how different jurisdictions are responding
What has changed, and why? Paul Secher unpacks the new standards aligning the recruiting, training and appraising of judges – the first major change to the system for ten years
The deprivation of liberty is the most significant power the state can exercise. Drawing on frontline experience, Chris Henley KC explains why replacing trial by jury with judge-only trials risks undermining justice
Baffled by the government’s proposed s 41 reforms and by the Law Commission’s preferred model, Laura Hoyano looks at what won’t work, and what will
Ever wondered what a pupillage is like at the CPS? This Q and A provides an insight into the training, experience and next steps
