From a jobbing criminal hack to a silk, Recorder and Bencher in four years – Kama Melly QC reflects on how it happened and the measurement of career success at the Bar
Taking stock of your practice, planning for the future and adjusting the way you work is one way to make use of interrupted times. Athena Markides grilled a panel, one famously secret, at the Bar Conference for their advice
The Bar… will it ever be the same again? Melanie Tether and Nadia Motraghi analyse some of the immediate challenges – how to assess the suitability of an individual case for a remote hearing; how to ensure full participation of all parties so that cases are dealt with justly, as well as on an equal footing; and how to enable open justice
Are our courts just buildings or something more? What role does the physical courtroom play? Rapid steps towards remote hearings today, while essential during the pandemic, could also inform future decisions on court closures warns Lorna Cameron
Have the 2013 reforms improved the youth justice experience at all or were they simply good intentions, poorly executed? A walkthrough of the key issues – and ideas for change – by Tori Adams and Kirsty Day
Is the film a little misleading on the Official Secrets Act 1989? asks Jo Morris
Willing to try new ideas for new times? Two systemic coaches, one a practising barrister, give advice on creating and supporting healthy household relationships during lockdown
By James Pereira QC and Zita Wu-Tulyahikayo
By Simon Brown, Marble Hill Publishers (February 2020) ISBN 9781527254268. Reviewed by David Wurtzel
Toothache becomes a headache
Sage advice from Ian Whitehurst
Hybrid – home and CWJ’s Bethnal Green office, London
Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ) is recruiting paralegals with feminist values to join its new Independent Legal Advice service.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Susie Griffin on the admin that keeps barristers from billable work
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
As the world becomes more digital, Barbara Vinagre Mota examines international research into the mental health consequences of judges’ exposure to graphic and immersive evidence, highlighting the importance of support systems
In an era of patient-centred care and growing concern over misconduct in medical settings, why do women still lack the right to choose women consultants for examination and treatment? Charles Davey investigates
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC