As 108 new Queen’s Counsel are announced, Peter Purvis profiles four recent appointees with ‘atypical’ backgrounds, practice or circumstances – showing that preconceptions shouldn’t hold you back
Is there a place for NDAs post #MeToo? Any restriction on freedom of contract will require very careful consideration, writes Jonathan Cohen QC
Legal bloggers can attend family court hearings on a similar footing to journalists thanks to a new pilot scheme. Lucy Reed reports on the practical and ethical issues raised
Courts can play their part in deterring so-called ‘honour-based’ violence with a new human rights-based approach to sentencing and a re-shaped language, argues Kevin Dent
Impeachment may not have been used in Great Britain since Lord Nelson won the Battle of Trafalgar, but it is frequently used in the United States. As talk of unhorsing President Donald J Trump continues, David Roberts QC traces the history and process
An exhibition depicting the daily life of the Greenham Women, including Rebecca Trowler QC, reminds us of the importance and power of peaceful protest, writes Maurice MacSweeney
After the feast, the reckoning
Grilling Richard Atkins QC on his fears and aspirations for the year ahead, The Secret Barrister finds a crusader chair with an ambitious and overarching aim
New terms of engagement: the first Dean of Education at Inner Temple, whose research on juries, judges and courts continues to break ground, turns her empirical eye towards a fresh vision of lifelong learning for the Bar
UK
Details of the qualification requirements can be found in the information pack. It is expected that the successful applicant will take up their post in the spring of 2027.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
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
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Developing a tech start-up demands a different definition of excellence to the Bar, says Saara Idelbi. The co-creator of Advocatr on entrepreneurship, AI advocacy training, and matching the thrill of a killer cross-examination
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
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