Features

The Charter, its background, popular misconceptions and its current popularity – Robin Griffith-Jones and Mark Hill QC on Magna Carta, religion and the rule of law  

“Magna Carta,” said Sir Edward Coke, “is such a fellow that he will have no sovereign.” 

And another thing...  

... asked Tony Hancock – “Does Magna Carta mean nothing to you?” From maps and letters to extracts from Hancock’s Half Hour, the British Library’s Magna Carta exhibition has something for everyone. Melissa Coutinho attends a private viewing and sees that it does, in fact, mean a great deal 

Simon Thornton-Wood explains the BSB review of pupillages and the purpose of its upcoming consultation  

“Nothing can substitute experience,” wrote the author Paulo Coelho. 

Great stuff  

Intended as a theatrical contribution to the Magna Carta celebrations, the Read Not Dead’s final production of its series was of The Troublesome Reign of King John of England  by George Peele. David Wurtzel was there 

James Potts considers the client money issues raised by the peculiarities of brokerage business models and the need, despite the amended CASS rules, for an effective client money distribution regime  

In light of the recent administration of foreign exchange broker Alpari (UK) Ltd, it is topical to review the position of interdealer brokers in relation to the FCA’s Client Assets Sourcebook (CASS) rules, which have been significantly amended with effect from 1 June 2015 

Ahead of the General Election, Mark Hatcher takes a look at the main parties’ pledges on justice and considers the impact of a Coalition deal  

“There’s no point asking experts… no one knows what’s going to happen… to predict the next general election you may as well play pin the tail on the donkey.”  

David Wurtzel meets Sir Andrew Burns, the new Chair of the Bar Standards Board  

Sir Andrew Burns is the third Chair of the Bar Standards Board (BSB), the first man to hold the post, and resolutely a layman.  

Advising Secretaries of State and Cabinet Secretaries is not about the gift of the gab, finds Anthony Inglese CB  

“Say your piece. Be concise. Then shut up. Ministers have no time to listen to a long legal ramble,” says Harry Carter, Deputy Legal Adviser to the Home Office, Chief Legal Adviser to the Northern Ireland Office and now a Bencher of Gray’s Inn.  

Nkumbe Ekaney QC and Charlotte Proudman examine the impact of the first FGM case litigated in care proceedings  

A study by Equality Now and City University estimated that about 103,000 women aged 15-49 who had emigrated to England and Wales from female genital mutilation (FGM) practising countries were living with the consequences of FGM.