INTRODUCTION
Editor’s Notes G
reetings from the Editor’s office. The sunshine is over, those lovely walks along the towpath ending with a late drink in a pub are a memory but the ever-present factor in all our lives remains – COVID-19. Much as we may try to blank it out or operate round it and adapt our living and working methods, it is evolving at will, and those of us without crystal balls are doing well to be able to maintain survival mode. Here at the Bill, we are no different. We have struggled to capture copy for this edition as all things Covid are offered up as the reason for lack of time and ability to produce materials for our readers. It is true that whilst we try to perfect the art of working from home, or alternating between the office and home, operating within the Corona context is proving very testing. Everything seems to take longer, involve more processes and yet the demands on us are no different and some say more relentless than before. Middlesex members have fed back to us about their difficulties in adapting to the processing of ongoing business but others have demonstrated a willingness to look beyond the current issues and to examine how changes to working practices could be beneficial with a new flexibility and new collaboration techniques. Many are taking the opportunity to work off site and to change and innovate. What was seen as hindering productivity may now be viewed as a positive. The cost of new technology may well be less than the investment in physical
office space. However, there is always the issue of balance of supervision of home working and assessment of the quality of output with the compliance with professional standards and requirements. PII Insurers who are considering renewal applications certainly have those matters front and centre in their assessments of risk and anecdotally there have been some eye watering renewal premiums quoted, so when our Council Member Michael Garson held two Zoom meetings recently for our members to explore their experience and issues around the renewal of PII, these were very timely and well received. Again, the lack of a model is hampering firms from making a reasoned and educated estimate of likely business and income. We hope you enjoy this edition of the Bill of Middlesex and we really want your feedback on any aspect, so do email us or your Council Member with your ideas for speakers, topics for future events or meetings, problems, issues, information about changes in your firm and matters of concern you would like raised in Council or with our local MPs. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you in advance for your support. With best wishes in these difficult times. ■
Maralyn Hutchinson Acting Editor Middlesex Law Society
Baroness Hale of Richmond to give English-Speaking Union’s Evelyn Wrench Lecture Getting the Message Across: Communication and Transparency in the UK Supreme Court. Tuesday 10 November, 7.30pm GMT via Zoom
O
n Tuesday, 10 November at 7.30pm, Baroness Hale of Richmond will give the English-Speaking Union Evelyn Wrench Lecture 2020. Lady Hale was the first female Law Lord in the UK Parliament, the first woman to serve in the Supreme Court, and its first female President. A staunch believer in equality (her motto is Omnia Feminae Aequissimae – ‘women are equal to everything’), she has done much to promote the rights of women, children, and those with reduced mental capacity in a legal career stretching back to 1966 when she began teaching law at Manchester University. Last September, she became a household name when she delivered the Supreme Court’s verdict that the Prime Minister’s decision to prorogue parliament was unlawful. She has more recently made waves with her statements that, in regard to the Covid emergency laws, parliament ‘surrendered control to the government at a crucial time’. Lady Hale, who retired in January, has been dubbed the ‘Beyonce of the law’ due to her popularity among young lawyers and students.
Baroness Hale
Professor James Raven, Chair of the English-Speaking Union, says: ‘We live in a more and more polarised society in which public and social media debate is increasingly crude and offers a harmful example to young people. The ESU leads in showing how we can best agree to disagree and how to communicate with effectiveness and grace. Court proceedings are, or should be, the paradigm of settling arguments in a civil manner and the Supreme Court hears cases of the greatest public and constitutional importance affecting the whole population, so we are honoured to have Lady Hale as our guest.’ The lecture will be hosted on Zoom, and there will be time for questions afterwards. Tickets cost £35 can be booked online at www.wrenchlecture2020.eventbrite.co.uk or by calling 020 7529 1567. Members of the press wishing to attend should email rachel.fernandes@esu.org. ■ The Bill of Middlesex | 7
