Features

Rule of law and judicial independence are critical to the maintenance of a healthy body politic as we face some of the greatest challenges of our time, writes Mark Hatcher  

Earlier this year Donald Trump claimed that US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel of San Diego was unfit to hear two lawsuits against the now-defunct Trump University because ‘he’s a Mexican’.  

Clerks: team leader’s assistants at Fountain Court 
 

Darwin calculated that the strata of the Weald of Kent would have taken 300 million years to reach their present state of erosion, so judged on its title, one might have expected ‘The changing landscape’ to have proceeded at a stately pace but any such impression was quickly dispelled as Briggs LJ, Andre de Mestre, Eleanor Holland and Ruth Hughes tore through the Civil Courts Structure Review, Chancery Division initiatives, disclosure and paperless trials.  

In her opening address Louisa Nye, Chairman of the Young Bar, noted two key themes included within the conference: technology and Brexit.   

As lawyers around the world watch with apprehension to see how President-Elect Trump will handle policy engaging the rule of law and human rights, Katherine Duncan reports on the IBA Human Rights Institute’s open letter to the incoming commander-in-chief  

In September, just a short distance away from The White House and as we watched the events of the US Presidential Campaign unfold, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) held an open forum at the IBA Conference in Washington, DC. 

Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, Chairman of the Bar  

In her speech at the 31st Bar & Young Bar Conference, held at the Westminster Plaza Hotel, on Saturday 15 October 2016, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, Chairman of the Bar, highlighted the profession’s ability, and enthusiasm, for innovation.  

A practical guide by defence and prosecution  

Deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs), a relatively recent addition to the UK criminal justice toolkit, allow a company which has committed a criminal offence to avoid prosecution if it complies with a range of conditions, including a hefty financial penalty. 

The winner of the 2016 Pro Bono Award, sponsored by the Bar Council, was announced at the conference. John Collins, of Zenith Chambers, has been at the Bar for six decades.