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31 March 2021 / Jane Bewsey KC
Issue: 7927 / Categories: Features , Legal services , Covid-19 , Profession
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A year like no other: a chambers’ perspective

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How have chambers changed in the face of the COVID crisis? One year on, Jane Bewsey QC of Red Lion Chambers provides a status report

With 23 March 2020 marking the anniversary of the first lockdown, it seems like a good time to look back over the year of COVID-19—and what a very long year it has felt. In April 2020, I wrote about how our chambers, Red Lion Chambers (RLC), was coping with the nature of the crisis and what impact it was expected to have on our work and working practices. I wrote at a time when the courts were shut, the work pipeline had been turned off, and there were very real fears about the future survival prospects for many chambers and individuals practising at the independent Bar.

One year on, we have seen some courts reopening, we have learnt how to do remote hearings, and Teams/Zoom meetings have become a routine part of all our lives. Each of us has had our

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Sara Mason

Bellevue Law—Sara Mason

Bellevue Law expands workplace law offering with specialist healthcare regulatory appointment

Seddons GSC—Peter Ames

Seddons GSC—Peter Ames

Seddons GSC strengthens Dispute Resolution team with partner hire

Taylor Rose—four promotions

Taylor Rose—four promotions

Taylor Rose announces partner promotions

NEWS
Pressure is mounting for a dedicated UK AI law, but deciding what it should achieve remains the central challenge
Legal professional privilege has checked the SRA’s investigative powers, exposing difficult questions about tackling suspected abusive litigation
Refusing mediation need not trigger a costs penalty, but litigators must justify their position
Group claims, disputed costs and judicial recruitment dominate the latest courtroom round-up
Landlords face fresh registration duties as procedural reforms reshape the civil courts
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