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I From the Treasurer
FROM THE TREASURER
Her Honour Judge Deborah Taylor
Shortly before going to print, we heard the deeply sad news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This came at the end of an extraordinary week in which we saw Her Late Majesty receive the resignation of her 14th Prime Minister, and appoint her 15th Prime Minister, only to be taken seriously ill shortly afterwards. In the week of national mourning following the announcement of her death, we witnessed an outpouring of national and international appreciation and admiration for her long reign of selfless and dutiful service to her peoples. For most of us, Her Majesty was Queen for the whole of our lives, certainly for our working lives, embodying the values of integrity and regard for the constitution which are so important for society and for the rule of law. On behalf of The Inner Temple, I have sent deepest condolences to His Majesty The King and to our Royal Bencher, Master Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal.
Respectful of the period of national mourning and after careful deliberation, we took the decision with Gray’s Inn to cancel the planned Joint Amity visit to Washington and the subsequent visits to four Caribbean jurisdictions, which were due to start on 10 September, and would have continued over the period of the funeral. Though disappointing, especially after so much work had gone into planning the visits, cancellation was undoubtedly the right course, understood and unconditionally supported by those in the United States and Caribbean we were due to meet, whose own respect for Her Late Majesty was apparent in their dealings with the Inn and the condolences they expressed. On any view 2022 has been an extraordinary year to be Treasurer: it is the year in which Project Pegasus, long in the conception and execution, was completed, and the Inn reopened in enhanced glory; the year in which we emerged from the dark days of separation by the COVID-19 pandemic to celebrate with heightened appreciation the ability to meet and enjoy each other’s company in the Inn; the year of the 100th anniversary of the Call of the first women to the Bar of England and Wales, reminding us that the modern era in our long history only began within living memory; the year which marks the provision of the new Bar Course this autumn in the new Education and Training Centre, reintroducing and reinforcing the provision of education and training at the heart of the Inn; the year of the Platinum Jubilee and death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The coming together of all these strands took me back to 2014, when I was one of the members of the Strategic Review Group (SRG), established under the chairmanship of Master Hunt to provide the Inn with a strategy which would “articulate a vision of a thriving Inner Temple in 2020 and beyond, with a clear plan of route, in a fast changing domestic and international landscape”. The SRG reported in April 2015, with a strategy which set the Inn on course for the achievements of 2022. Recommendations included that the Inns support the establishment of a virtual Inns’ College working together to improve the standard of training courses for the Bar and reduce their excessive cost to students, and that the Inn should redevelop the Treasury Building to improve its educational provision, with a state of the art auditorium and smaller teaching rooms at the heart of the development, and with the Library closer to the Education and Training Department. The SRG was unpersuaded of the case for a bespoke international arbitration facility, and instead strongly recommended the design of flexible space capable of many uses.
This year has seen these recommendations come to fruition. The new Inns of Court College of Advocacy (ICCA) Bar Course has gone some way towards achieving the intended goals of higher standards and lower cost, but despite encouragingly high success rates there is still more progress to be made. Project Pegasus has provided the Inn with a new state of the art auditorium, education and training rooms, and breakout spaces capable of many uses. The Library is integrated into the heart of the new building, more easily accessible to members and students on the new course. Since the reopening in May 2022, we have all been able to enjoy a wide variety of events, educational and social, and the decision to design for flexible rather than limited use has proved sound. With advances in remote hearings changing the nature of many court proceedings, a purpose built arbitration centre might well be standing empty. On the other hand, the new facilities provide opportunities for improvement not only in the education and training the Inn provides to students but also for continuing education for members of the Inn through events which focus on the interests and needs of practitioners at all stages of their careers, and in different branches of the law. It is important that we continue to use the space we have imaginatively, to benefit all members of the Inn. Although we are now beyond 2020, the domestic and international landscape is as fast changing as ever.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the Call to the Bar of Ivy Williams, all four Inns have joined together to form the Inns of Court Alliance for Women (ICAW), the successor to the Temple Women’s Forum, to support equality for women in the profession, to improve retention, and to increase diversity at senior levels in the Bar and Judiciary. Recent Bar Council research has shown that there is still much to be done to achieve equality of opportunity and remuneration, particularly for women from minority backgrounds. The Inn continues to make a strong contribution to improving equality, diversity and inclusion through outreach work, the fair allocation of scholarship funds and support for those from all backgrounds starting, and already established in their careers. Thanks to a working group of the EDI Sub-Committee, a new Equality & Diversity training module has been created for volunteers assisting with education and training activities. This profession specific training will support the new Volunteer and Participant Code to ensure best practice, safeguarding and monitoring of the Inn’s activities. The training will be offered first to volunteers taking part in the volunteering survey and subsequently will be rolled out to all members involved in the Inn’s governance.
The Inn continues to attract high quality candidates for Call to the Bar. I have already had the great pleasure of welcoming newly called barristers and congratulating them on their achievements at three Call Nights and two additional Call Receptions held for those who were called online during the pandemic. A realistic apprehension of the difficulties of pursuing a career at the Bar did not affect their enthusiasm, nor the pride of their families and friends, making these occasions a highlight of the year.
The Inn has also encouraged more involvement with the Circuits. I have been able to visit and meet members of the Inn on all of the Circuits and to host dinners to encourage understanding and involvement by the Inn’s Academic Fellows, and academics from universities in the North East and South West, as well as London. The increased opportunity for members of the Inn on Circuit to become involved and attend meetings remotely has been an unexpected and lasting benefit of COVID, as the universal use of Zoom has caused the unlamented end of the squawk box phone.
It is a truth universally acknowledged, not least in Treasurers’ articles in the Yearbook, that being Treasurer of The Inner Temple in any year is a great privilege. I have felt that privilege acutely when I consider my good fortune in being able to take part in all of these activities, no longer affected by the pandemic and Project Pegasus. The year has passed swiftly, but there is still much to do in the autumn and winter months. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of the Inn for unstinting enthusiasm and constant support. In particular, I thank the Sub-Treasurer Greg Dorey for his good counsel and unwavering good humour. I have also been most fortunate in having the assistance and support of the Reader Master Robert Francis (Sir Robert Francis KC), and the Reader Elect Master Michael Soole (The Hon Mr Justice Soole), both of whom have been outstanding in their roles this year, and into whose most capable hands I pass the reins for next year.
