Pro bono barristers celebrate awards as Advocate turns 25

There were 46 nominations across nine categories at the awards, sponsored by LexisNexis, including the new John Collins Pro Bono Excellence Award, won by pro bono enthusiast Sarah Blackmore, joint head of chambers at Spire Barristers.

Sarah Abram, Brick Court, won Junior Barrister for her work, including being the only barrister willing to travel to Luxembourg in the pandemic to represent an environmental NGO at a hearing, the outcome of which had a profound effect on environmental campaigners’ ability to challenge highly polluting infrastructure projects. 

The Queen’s Counsel award went to Anthony Metzer QC, Goldsmith Chambers, whose work includes forming a specialist team to advise on the international sanctions regimes to finance restorative justice for victims of sexual violence in conflict, with particular focus on the Yazidi victims of Da’esh.

Rhys Davies, Temple Garden, and Ben Keith, 5 St Andrew’s Hill, jointly won International Barrister for helping a British man wrongly imprisoned in Dubai for 13 years in a complex case spanning multiple jurisdictions. 12 King’s Bench Walk, which encouraged its members to dedicate nearly 700 hours to Advocate cases, won Chambers of the Year. Chambers Professional was given jointly to Leigh Royall, Spire Barristers and Patrick Sarson, Gatehouse Chambers.

Pro Bono Innovation was awarded to Leducate, which aims to promote an understanding of everyday legal rights among secondary school-aged students through an online learning platform.

Lord Goldsmith QC, founder of Advocate and Chair of the judging panel, said: ‘When I set up the Bar Pro Bono Unit (as Advocate was), I did not know what the take up by the Bar would be.  But I was bowled over by the willingness of the Bar to do pro bono work and I remain humbled by how willing the Bar is.’