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Positive thinking

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27 November 2015 / Alistair MacDonald KC
Issue: 7678 / Categories: Features , Profession
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Alistair MacDonald QC reviews the highlights of life at the Bar in 2015

As the year nears its end and with it my tenure as chairman of the Bar it is, perhaps, a good time to look back on some of the more positive aspects for the Bar of 2015.

We can’t ignore the ongoing challenges the Bar and our justice system continue to face, including the impact of legal aid cuts, increased court fees and the risk to legal professional privilege (LPP) under the Draft Investigatory Power Bill, to mention a few.

However, while much of the Bar Council’s efforts are focused on dealing with these issues, there have been highlights for the Bar in 2015 which are reminders of the important role the Bar continues to play in society.

Advocacy consultation

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), headed up by a new Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Michael Gove, published what I believe to be one of the most important consultations for the Bar and the wider advocacy community of our

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

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Sponsored by
Bloomsbury Square Employment Law—Donna Clancy

Bloomsbury Square Employment Law—Donna Clancy

Employment law team strengthened with partner appointment

mfg Solicitors—Matt Smith

mfg Solicitors—Matt Smith

Corporate solicitor joins as partner in Birmingham

Freeths—Joe Lythgoe

Freeths—Joe Lythgoe

Corporate director with expertise in creative industries joins mergers and acquisitions team

NEWS
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The High Court’s decision in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys has thrown the careers of experienced CILEX litigators into jeopardy, warns Fred Philpott of Gough Square Chambers in NLJ this week
NLJ this week: Jury trial & a constitutional illusion
Sir Brian Leveson’s claim that there is ‘no right to jury trial’ erects a constitutional straw man, argues Professor Graham Zellick KC in NLJ this week. He argues that Leveson dismantles a position almost no-one truly holds, and thereby obscures the deeper issue: the jury’s place within the UK’s constitutional tradition
NLJ this week: The rise—and risks—of going private
Why have private prosecutions surged despite limited data? Niall Hearty of Rahman Ravelli explores their rise in this week's NLJ 
NLJ this week: Human rights disputes push courts to redefine their role
The public law team at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer surveys significant recent human rights and judicial review rulings in this week's NLJ
NLJ this week: Debarment orders—shortcut or minefield?
In this week's NLJ, Mary Young of Kingsley Napley examines how debarring orders, while attractive to claimants seeking swift resolution, can complicate trials—most notably in fraud cases requiring ‘particularly cogent’ proof
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