Heidi Stonecliffe KC, 2024 Chair of the Employed Barristers’ Committee, reflects on her year at the helm and progress made in implementing the Life at the Employed Bar Report 2023 recommendations
There is widespread acknowledgement that the criminal justice system, and in particular the trial and appellate processes, are failing women. Emma Torr reports on a system in crisis and hope on the horizon
Matthew Banks introduces the Deaf Legal Network, a new forum bringing together lawyers and the deaf community to overcome the barriers experienced by deaf people in accessing the justice system
Which special measure? Dr Natalie Kyneswood discusses the accessible resources she has produced for adult-victim witnesses in sex offence cases to explain how special measures work
Senior barristers reflect on the progress made since the publication of Race at the Bar: A Snapshot Report in 2021, as well as the persistent challenges and cultural shifts still needed. Interviews by Mariam Diaby
The WCWF, once again, invites judges, the HMCTS, chambers and clerks to ‘Consider the Carers’. By Emma Cross
As the international community strives towards a more inclusive future, ongoing dialogue and reform will be essential to harmonise the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with the complex realities of disability, says Christina Warner
As non-court dispute resolution continues to develop, the Sikh Court shows how innovative solutions can be used to meet the evolving demands of justice, say Baldip Singh, Sharan Kaur Bhachu and Mani Singh Basi
The winning essay is ‘A fiction of defendant participation: Single Justice Procedure offences should be moved to the civil jurisdiction’ by Hal McNulty
Caroline Croft explains what drove a group of family lawyers to set up the award-winning FLANC to bring about change for neurodivergent adults, children and families in the family justice system
Birmingham
We are seeking a permanent, full-time Family & Childcare Team Secretary for our newly expanded team in our Birmingham office.
Update from the Chair of the Bar
By Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group
Modernising communication and collaboration at a leading Chancery set. A Zexi case study
How to build profile without compromising professional duties. By Naumaan Farooq, Co-Founder of Inked PR
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the role of cut-off levels, and the wider range of factors that must be considered when interpreting results for family court proceedings
Endometriosis Awareness North, a charity raising awareness of endometriosis and supporting those affected across the North of England, has received a £500 boost from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
A decade of reviews and research has disrupted accepted thinking in the search for causality. Suicides following abuse have overtaken domestic homicides. Is the law keeping up? Professor Susan Edwards KC (Hon) examines recent cases and the obstacles to successful prosecution
The case against judge-only justice and why efficiency is not enough. By Professor Leslie Thomas KC
Heritage as an anchor and a compass, finding our common humanity and embracing the power of the outsider Melina Antoniadis’s lessons learnt
Seeing the full picture Baljit Ubhey OBE outlines the CPS action plan to tackle violence against women and girls, offering insights directly relevant to courtroom practice
Lauren Fullerton examines the how, what and why of setting up a second chambers base