Lucy Masoud, 33 Bedford Row, won Junior Pro Bono Barrister for her transformative work assisting victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, and stalking. She founded the Faisal Luke Pro Bono Project in 2023, a voluntary scheme which has helped more than 400 women secure protective orders and safeguard their children.
Pro Bono Chambers’ Professional award went to Colin Perrin, 23 Essex Street (Manchester), who helped launch the Manchester Chancery Litigant in Person Support Scheme, which assists people who arrive in court unrepresented.
More than 200 people attended the awards at Iner Temple last week, organised by Advocate, the Bar’s national pro bono charity, and hosted by former BBC broadcaster Joanna Gosling. Advocate’s chair of trustees, Sharif A Shivji KC said it had been ‘humbling’ to read the citations, with ‘every story and contribution remarkable in its own right’.
Landmark Chambers silk Justin Bates took the Pro Bono KC award for supporting a vulnerable elderly individual in a multi-year-long complex housing dispute, which has implications for the wider leasehold sector, and for supporting homelessness charity Shelter in an appeal before the Supreme Court.
Doughty Street’s Graeme Hall, was named International Pro Bono Barrister for his years of voluntary work supporting prisoners on death row in Uganda, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, and Taiwan. Harry Stratton, One Essex Court, won Young Pro Bono Barrister for his work in defamation cases on behalf of MeToo complainants, overseas political activists and others. Cloisters Chambers won the Pro Bono Chambers award for its collective commitment to pro bono work.
3VB Chambers’ International Advisory and Dispute Resolution Unit, which launched last year and delivers specialist training for government lawyers across Africa, received the Pro Bono and Social Responsibility Initiative award. Last but not least, the John Collins Pro Bono Excellence award went to criminal barrister Daniel Bunting, 2 Dr Johnson’s Buildings, whose pro bono work includes mentoring junior counsel on a difficult case helping the son of a highly vulnerable mother access finance to attend university.
Lady Carr, who presented the awards, said: ‘As the charity marks 30 years of service, it was timely to reflect on the outstanding contributions recognised this year.’
Josh Giddens, director of practical guidance and exec sponsor of Rule of Law at headline sponsor LexisNexis, said: ‘Pro bono barristers play a vital role in turning the principles of the Rule of Law into lived reality for some of the most vulnerable people in society.
‘Their commitment to those who would otherwise face the legal system alone is an inspiration to the profession and I would like to congratulate all the winners and those short-listed in this special anniversary year. At LexisNexis, our mission is to advance the Rule of Law around the world. Supporting these awards reflects our deep commitment to access to justice and our belief that the law must work for everyone.’
