Chair's Column

As the year in office draws to a close, final reflections both on how difficult these twelve months have been for the Bar, and on how much there is for all in the profession to be proud of and to fight for.

Contributor
Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

2013 has been, as everyone keeps telling me, a very difficult year. We have seen the implementation of LASPO, which has denied legal aid to very many vulnerable people seeking to enforce or defend their rights in family, housing, employment and immigration cases. It has seen two consultations on legal aid funding for criminal work which demonstrate a stubborn commitment by the Ministry of Justice to cut fees, irrespective of the damage done to a legal profession which is the envy of the world, and in total defiance of the fact that fees in some areas of crime have already been cut by 40%. These cuts are planned against a background in which the legal aid spend in crime was £1.1 billion in 2011 and has since fallen to £0.9 billion in 2012. Of course, nobody can depend on the fact that the rate of crime will continue to fall but a very substantial part of that saving has been achieved by the previous cuts in fees. That is being ignored. We continue to argue the case as vigorously as we can.

A reflection on the extraordinary achievements of the outgoing Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge

Contributor
Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

A standing ovation in the court of the Lord Chief Justice is a rare phenomenon. But it happened spontaneously, and with genuine warmth, at the valedictory ceremony for the outgoing incumbent, Lord Judge. The court was packed and places had been available by invitation only. If the proposed broadcasting of the proceedings in the Court of Appeal had been in place, it would have been a marvellous occasion to have captured for posterity.

Defending the profession; resisting cuts that will destroy access to justice for all; understanding the value of our justice system in a civilised society; and amidst all the proposed changes, the need to establish a Royal Commission to carry out a full, independent review

Contributor
Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

Barristers are such an easy target. Trite sneers are instantly available to the disappointed litigant, failed pupil or populist politician. We are “fat cats” sitting in “Georgian terraces” bleating about the “racket” coming to an end. The natural response of the practitioner to these comments is anger and frustration.

A look at the government’s new consultation on legal aid reform and an urgent call to all sections of the Bar, irrespective of discipline, to respond

Contributor
Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

I would imagine that being hit and knocked out by a speeding car means that when you come around you feel a mixture of relief at not being dead and a deep concern about whether your injuries might yet turn out to be fatal. That’s the dawning feeling for most of the criminal Bar following publication of the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ’s) consultation paper, Transforming legal aid: delivering a more credible and efficient system.

The new landscape of Alternative Business Structures; forming our own views on how our profession would best evolve; and increasing recognition of the economic value created by the Bar

Contributor
Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

The first two months of the year have seen change and the promise of change.