Chair's Column

Cross-examination remaining at the heart of the criminal justice system; the Bar’s great advocates; its international reputation for excellence; and the work of the ATC.

I had intended to begin this month with a reference to the Congress of Vienna, which began 200 years ago, and at which Prince Metternich, Viscount Castlereagh, Talleyrand et al. settled the future of European international relations for a century. However, I have just received the news that Yorkshire County Cricket Club have won the County Championship, and can talk of little else.

Remembering the start of the Great War; the recent progress made in preserving criminal advocacy; reviewing business models; LASPO and the LAA figures; and an inquiry into the role of the Lord Chancellor.

The Great War began, for this country, on 4 August 1914, which must rank as one of the saddest days in our history, given the levels of death and destruction which followed. Although described by some as the war to end all wars, it was followed, only 25 years later, by the Second World War, which the United Kingdom entered on 3 September 1939.

The findings of the Joint Committee on Human Rights on the implications for access to justice of the Government’s proposals to reform judicial review; the publication of the Jeffrey Review; and facing challenges with resilience and determination.

It is 700 years since Edward II’s army was defeated by Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn, on 23-24 June 1314. At school, we were taught that Robert was inspired to overcome early setbacks in his career by a spider who refused to give up. The spider is now thought to have been an invention, probably by Sir Walter Scott, but his inspiration remains a valuable one for advocates, who often have to display persistence in the face of adversity if a case is to be properly presented. That is certainly true at present of the case for preserving access to justice in criminal, family and civil cases.

The Bar Barometer and the growing diversity of the Bar; the changing face of, and the debts incurred during, pupillage; the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill; and an eventful time on the South Eastern and Wales and Chester Circuits.

The publication in February of the Bar Barometer is an opportunity to look at who we are. We already know that the Bar is a profession of advocates and specialist advisors who are committed to the values encapsulated in the Bar Council’s strapline: integrity, excellence and justice. But the hard figures in the Bar Barometer confirm that the Bar is also a growing and, contrary to clichéd stereotypes, increasingly diverse profession. So, for instance, the number of practising barristers continues to increase, to 15,585 in 2012, including 12,680 at the self-employed Bar.