Circuit Societies

Midland Circuit Society

Master Blondel Thompson is an international criminal and sports barrister based at St Philips chambers in Birmingham. She prosecutes and defends serious criminal cases and undertakes work at the International Criminal Court, The Hague, The Netherlands. She has numerous appointments to sports disciplinary bodies in England and sits as an arbitrator judge for the Switzerland. She is a member of the Middle Temple Midland Circuit Society.

The Middle Temple Midland Circuit Society, formed in 2018, has achieved its primary goal of re-engaging with members on our Circuit.

Thursday nights are traditionally one of the busiest for members of the criminal Bar, in terms of preparing work listed the following day. This was not a deterrent to the vast numbers who attended the Middle Temple dinner in Birmingham on the Thursday 10 October 2019. An enjoyable relaxing evening of delicious food and wine, connecting with old friends, making new ones and enjoying each other’s company. A number of students attended who informed us of the benefits gained from their attendance. Not only had they made new friends, but some had secured mini pupillages. We were delighted that Master Igor Judge and Lady Judge attended, and that he was willing to speak to us of his experiences of practising on the Midland Circuit as a barrister. A delightfully humorous speech ending with words of encouragement and support for the future. He took the time to meet and converse with many of us after the dinner remaining long after the dinner had ended.

Sadly, Covid-19 has temporarily clipped our wings, forcing us into isolation with life on Zoom, Skype and Microsoft Teams becoming the norm. We are still hopeful that our soiree and dinner on Friday 27 November 2020 in Nottingham will go ahead. The Middle Temple Midland Circuit Society activities on Circuit have been growing steadily; events and garden parties planned for the summer months, dinner in the Autumn, with assistance to students throughout the year. The Inn’s support for students on Circuit is wide ranging. Benchers on Circuit are encouraged to and have assisted the Middle Temple Students’ Association at the school of law for the past two years, presenting talks on life at the Bar, how to apply for mini pupillage, and pupillage, the application process, CV structure and content, how applications are viewed in terms of the numbers applying for a small number of pupillages. Some of the students have taken the opportunity to telephone at a later date to request mini pupillages. We look forward to the future with great anticipation as the Middle Temple family on Circuit continues its high visibility.

Midland Circuit dinner at Opus Restaurant, Birmingham

Northern Circuit Society

Master Simon Medland is a Circuit Judge based at Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne,

Preston Crown Court. Before being appointed a Circuit Judge in 2018, he was a criminal law practitioner whose experience and specialisms encompass all aspects of serious crime and fraud. He has prosecuted and defended in some of the region’s most serious cases. He is Chairman of the Middle Temple Northern Circuit Society.

I was very proud to become the Chairman of the Inn’s Northern Circuit Society earlier this year, being lucky enough to inherit a vibrant, busy society from Master David Stockdale who had led it to a peak of excellence. Together with our esteemed colleagues (and friendly rivals) from over the Pennines, we can claim without exaggeration to be real pioneers in bringing the Inn to our Circuits. To mark Master Stockdale’s retirement as Chairman, we nipped in under the wire before Lockdown to have a reception at King Street Town House on Thursday 12 March 2020. There we presented a framed antique fruit plate bearing the Inn’s crest; a small mark of our profound esteem for Master Stockdale and all that he has done for the Inn on Circuit over so many years. It is daunting, but a privilege, trying to fill Master Stockdale’s massive boots. I could not even contemplate it without my excellent Committee and the superb assistance of Colin, Oliver and Francis from the Inn. Regrettably, we have lost Master Jane Cross this year after her retirement from the Bar. Master Cross has been a member for many years and has brought a great deal of skill and, if I may say so, crisp elan to our work.

We have refreshed the format of the Committee by making sure every city on Circuit is properly represented, whilst also maintaining the important contribution of the Middle Temple Young Barristers Association and LGBTQ+ Forum representation. One of our new Silks on Circuit, Tim Storrie, is now my Deputy. All of us will by now be familiar with the way social media apps have revolutionised our working day. I am sure this is here to stay and will be a growing trend. Domus has adapted to all this magnificently, and the vital role we have in keeping our student and young members engaged and informed has been maintained and, arguably, improved. We had a Sherrard Conversation on Thursday 21 May 2020 using the StarLeaf app in which I, together with Masters Simon Myerson and Tina Landale, chatted with more than 70 student members of the Inn and gave them our views of life on Circuit. I must express my thanks to Christa, Sally and Jonny for their hard work which made this such an enjoyable and useful success. Lovely though it is to report where we have battled through adversity to keep the show on the road, there have been regrettable casualties in our calendar. The annual Northern Circuit Garden Party, to have been at Lancaster House in July, was cancelled. As I write this (mid-June), I am still hoping that our principal social event of the year in Saturday 28 November 2020, the Joint Dinner in the Georgian splendour of Liverpool Town Hall with Master Richard Wright and his pals from the North Eastern Circuit, will take place as planned. I greatly fear though that it too will be scratched. The Courts on Circuit have been adapting energetically to keep some turnover of work. I am sure Skype will be here to stay for Mentions, PTPHs and many other hearings. I am

Liverpool Town Hall

equally sure that HMG will invest – as soon as they have given it some thought – in more video links from prisons to Courts, and I would bet a bottle of Colin Davidson’s finest that within and enjoyed. But amidst all of the change that has been thrust upon us, the Inn and the Circuits have continued to play a vital role in providing a sense of stability for the profession. It is perhaps in such times of adversity that our common sense of belonging to these important institutions resonates more strongly amongst us. Some years ago, Master Igor Judge identified the particular challenge faced by the Inn in retaining its links with members who practice on Circuits outside the South East. Whilst the challenge remains, I hope that the ‘pythonesque’ calls of ‘What did the Middle Temple ever do for us’ have receded in Before Covid-19 struck, we enjoyed an excellent Survive and Thrive event organised by the Inn in conjunction with

a year or so attendance by video link from prison will be the ‘The Prisons Crisis: What’s gone wrong and how to fix it’ has

norm for this type of work, including sentence hearings, where defendants have been remanded in custody. Master Treasurer this year is one of the Northern Circuit’s greats – Master Brian Leveson – and Master Reader, from July, is another – Master Clement Goldstone. It is such a pity not to have a full year of events in which to see them in the North, but 2020 is still a golden year for us in view of their splendid been able to support its members on Circuit and that is by

appointments. In a wider context, 2020 might well become memorable in the years to come for all the wrong reasons. However, I am equally sure an honest historian would need to be kind to so many people who have gone well above and beyond to keep the show on the road. I am fond of history and have been reading, for the umpteenth time, my now rather dog-eared copy of Pepys’ Diaries. Samuel Pepys grew up near St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street and knew the Temple and its members well. He lived in a time when the very existence of Great Britain was threatened for over 50 years by Civil War, plague, wars with the Dutch, and the Great Fire of London. Life was seriously interrupted, things often seemed almost hopeless, but they pressed on through, adapted their ways, never lost hope, both rapid and sustained throughout the winter. We must chronic underfunding of our justice system. By the same token, the survival of the publicly funded Bar hangs in the balance If lockdown was tough then we might expect this ‘recovery’ 28 November 2020 and we look forward to welcoming members of both Circuits then.

rebuilt their homes and cities, and emerged on the other side invigorated and energised for the future. On the Northern and North Eastern Circuits, we are doing our best to follow that example.

North Eastern Circuit Society

Master Richard Wright was Called to the Bar in 1998 and took Silk in 2013. He is a criminal advocate who has defended or prosecuted many of the highest-profile cases in the North of England. He is Leader of the North Eastern Circuit and Chairman of the Middle Temple North Eastern Circuit Society.

Timing is everything. On that point Master Treasurer and I will certainly agree, having both assumed office – Sir Brian as our Treasurer and myself as the Leader of the North Eastern Circuit – on Wednesday 1 January 2020. This is certainly not the year that either of us had planned! I think back to Wednesday 4 March 2020 when the six Circuit Leaders travelled to London for a meeting with the Lord Chief Justice and the President of the Queen’s Bench Division. The Leader of the South Eastern Circuit suggested that we added Covid-19 planning to the agenda. The rest of us told him not to be so soft.

Fast forward to late July and we have all been adapting to a recent years. the Circuit and followed by a well attended Mess in Leeds. This event brought together the Inn and the Circuit and was designated a Qualifying Session. Sadly, our plan to welcome Master Nick Hardwick to Leeds in order to reprise his excellent lecture given in Hall last year been put on hold. As have our hopes for a repeat of the drinks reception at the Judges Lodgings that we enjoyed last summer, together with further student focused events planned for the autumn.

There is one other very important way in which the Inn has the very generous financial provision that it has been able to put aside to assist members facing financial hardship. I know that the grants made directly by the Inn to pupils have been a lifeline to many. Moreover, and I repeat here the thanks I have paid privately to Master Treasurer, the generous donation made by the Inns to the Barristers’ Benevolent Association (BBA), that enabled them to establish the Covid-19 fund, has quite simply kept people going through some very difficult times. I should also mention in this regard my friend from over the Pennines, Master Simon Medland, who first identified the pressing need for the establishment of a special fund to assist the Bar, and the publicly funded Bar in particular. We must now look to the future and to the recovery of capacity in the Courts and Tribunals which we hope will be also not forget that the eye-watering backlog of cases facing us existed pre-Covid-19 and is largely the product of years of not as a result of Covid-19, but because years of cuts have had a terrible effect on the sustainability of the profession. phase to be harder still. It is more important than ever that we face these challenges together and I am sure that the Inn will continue to play an important role as we try to meet them. We still hope to be able to hold the Joint Northern and North-Eastern Circuit Dinner in Liverpool on Saturday very different way of life to that which we had previously known

The Merchant Adventurers Hall in York

Wales Circuit Society

Michael Jones was Called to the Bar in 1995. He practised from Chambers in Swansea and Cardiff before joining the CPS in 2009 as the first ever Senior Crown Advocate in Wales. In 2018 he was appointed Queen’s Counsel. He is Secretary of the Middle Temple Wales Circuit Society.

Covid-19 has meant that the last six months has been, for most of us, anywhere from challenging to shattering, personally or professionally. Here in Wales, political devolution allowed an eventual divergence from London on social guidance and legal restrictions. That brought with it either reassurance or frustration depending upon the nature of your business or where you stood politically. But what of those days in Wales before the Covid-19 cloud descended and when we took for granted the tangible pre-match whilst we waited for another game to conclude. The consequence of this was that our in-match water breaks were soon replaced with Gaviscon. The Bar XI eventually is to provide closer links between the Inn and all practising, teaching and student members of the Inn on Circuit. We are honoured to be led by our President, Master David Picken. Unfortunately, as with all events of this nature, it had to

company and fellowship of friends and colleagues? In November 2019, we welcomed the newly appointed Master

On Saturday 6 July 2019, the Bar Council held, for the first time, one of its full council meetings in Wales. The meeting took place at a conference suite in the Principality Stadium and was a great success. The Director of Public Prosecutions (Master Max Hill) spoke about the work of the Crown Prosecution Service and the relationship between the employed and self-employed Bar who, in the words of Master Hill, ’make an equal contribution to the delivery of justice in England and Wales’. A particularly apposite speech Hill, were invited to a Wales Circuit dinner in the magnificent main hall at Cardiff Castle the evening before. On that note, the Inn currently has an Employed Bar Working Group, led by Master Christiane Valansot and Michael Harwood, with a principal aim to make recommendations to the Inn as to how to deliver parts of the Inn’s Strategic Plan, namely to: ’Ensure that the Inn is of relevance to members who practice outside the traditional chambers structure, whether in government, commerce or other areas of practice’. As a certain Welsh writer (Roald Dahl) once declared: ’A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men’. With that in mind, on a wonderful sunny day in September 2019 at Cardiff Cricket Club and, thus, with no chance of blaming the weather for a poor performance, a distinguished Judge’s XI once again took on the might and tactical obsequiousness of the local Bar XI. Both teams were boosted by a sprinkling of Middle Templars. However, an unfortunate double booking meant that we had to enjoy the sumptuous post-match tea emerged as late winners and celebrated with a laudable lack of hubris. We now await the Welsh Government’s review on the current restrictions on recreational cricket with fingers crossed.

March 2019 saw the inaugural meeting of the Middle Temple Wales Circuit Society in Cardiff. The main aim of the Society Lloyd-Jones and to have the proactive support of our own ‘Regimental Sergeant Major’, Colin Davidson, to whom we owe a debt of thanks for all he does for our Inn, both here and abroad. The first Middle Temple Wales Circuit Society dinner was due to be held at the Hilton Hotel in Cardiff on Thursday 2 April 2020 and would have included a Qualifying Session led by the Presiding Judge of the Wales Circuit, Master Simon be cancelled or rather, we hope, postponed until such time as we can safely gather together again. given that the Employed Bar Committee, along with Master

Nicholas Hilliard to Cardiff Crown Court for his inaugural trial as a High Court Judge. It included a walking site visit past various pubs and chip shops which were then open for business but not as part of the site visit. As we anticipated, with a customary eye for detail, Master Hilliard had no difficulties with the pronunciation of some of the key locations, such as Senghennydd Road, Gorsedd Gardens and Gelligaer Street – names that can still baffle a local! We very much hope that we can welcome him back to Wales in the near future.

Fast forward to March 2020 and the pandemic had reached these shores and spread in sufficient numbers to trigger the lockdown of most of Wales. The streets were empty, the shops and courts were closed and the Principality Stadium, which had once held cherished sporting and music events, had now been converted into a field hospital. However, on Monday 18 May 2020, with much determination and ingenuity, two Crown Court jury trials commenced. It was surreal to visit the court the week before and see one way direction markers and striped warning tape on the chairs and benches. The trial in Cardiff was presided over by Master Maura McGowan and concluded effectively under her calm stewardship in challenging circumstances.

As other Crown and County Courts across Wales now physically re-open to accommodate trials in a cautious and limited way, it is a positive sign for the gradual return to a personal and professional life that we all once knew, loved and very much need.

Cardiff