From the President

As I approach the halfway point of my Presidential year it is appropriate that I take this opportunity to reflect on the Society’s ongoing work on behalf of members.

I begin my report at the start of the year with the Special General Meeting (SGM) and I am grateful to the many members who attended in person and online and who contributed to what was an admittedly heated discussion on a complex issue – the National Minimum Wage as it applies to Trainee Solicitors.

Despite the difficult subject matter the SGM was a positive engagement with members and everyone who attended left with plenty to reflect on. If anything, the meeting has underscored the need for the Society to engage, communicate and listen more effectively and to continue to be responsive to the ‘real time’ issues affecting members and practices and where possible to improve. It is also clear to me that without modification to the process, small firms and those on legal aid are unlikely to be in a position to take on Trainees in future.

The process of delivering on the above has begun in a number of ways including the Local Association meetings which are currently underway, the development of new communication platforms to support members including a new membership platform and engagement with key decision makers on issues affecting our members such as legal aid.

As you will see in this edition of the Writ the Society has continued to represent and promote the solicitor profession on issues, including the Pledge to uphold the Rule of Law.

The Pledge, which to date has been signed by the Justice Minister, Naomi Long and Alyson Kilpatrick, Chief Commissioner, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC), underscores their commitment to upholding the independence of the legal profession and the judiciary.

In early March the Society’s Chief Executive, David Lavery and I provided evidence to the Justice

Committee at Stormont on the vital role which solicitors play across Northern Ireland.

During our evidence we presented the Committee with advance copies of the Society’s new ‘Justice Agenda: A Plan for Better Justice’ which highlights the Justice priorities for political decision-makers.

The launch of the Pledge and our evidence before the Justice Committee is a clear demonstration of the Society’s ongoing work to ensure greater visibility of the important services our members provide to the community as well as the challenges they now face.

Our representation and engagement on behalf of members has continued on key issues including Legal Aid. Over the course of the last number of months the Society has met with the Justice Minister and her officials on legal aid funding and the justice budget.

Members will be aware the Society has met with His Honour Tom Burgess CBE, who is currently undertaking a fundamental review of the criminal legal aid framework in Northern Ireland.

We are grateful to Judge Burgess for his time and also to our members who have met, provided firsthand evidence and contributed to his review. The Society remains confident that the Review report, expected later this year, will provide the foundation for informed discussions about legal aid funding in Northern Ireland.

As I indicated previously, the Society recognises the need to improve communication with members and I am pleased to report that over the coming months the Society will begin to roll out new communications platforms including new ezine format and website to allow the Society to target communications in a timely and supportive manner.

I am grateful to the Member Services Team who are taking forward these initiatives and who have been instrumental in supporting the new Local Associations meetings which have been very useful in allowing the Society to engage more proactively on members’ issues at local level.

Time and space in this edition of the Writ prevent me from listing all of the issues and events over the last number of months but I would like to highlight a few which I believe are important to recognise.

In February 2024, the Presidential team and Registrar joined the Lady Chief Justice, Dame Siobhan Keegan for the Admission Ceremony at the Assembly Buildings in Belfast. Over 80 newly

admitted solicitors attended and were joined by family, friends and their Masters.

The future of the solicitor profession will be defined by our new members and it was heartening to see the next generation who in my view will undoubtedly make a positive contribution.

Throughout the last number of months I have been very fortunate to have represented the Society at a number of events abroad.

Many of these events are detailed in this edition but what is important to note is the genuine goodwill and respect shown to our Society by colleagues across the world.

Closer to home, I was delighted to attend a number of Local Association meetings throughout Northern Ireland and I am grateful for the hospitality and kindness shown to me at each event. It has also been very useful to have gleaned the “real life examples” that I have been able to bring to the Justice Committee and the Minister when highlighting particular issues and problems facing the profession, particularly some of the specific local issues.

The Writ magazine is a snapshot of the ongoing work of the Society at any given time. As someone who has had the privilege of peering ‘behind the curtain’ I can assure members that the work undertaken by the staff of the Society is often unseen, unheard but ongoing. I would like also to take this opportunity to welcome Tony Caher as the new Editor of The Writ. I believe Tony will bring a vital new perspective to our Society’s in-house magazine.

There is an acknowledgement that the Society needs to reset our engagement and communication strategies with members and I am pleased to report that this is underway.

However to make it successful it is very important that members get involved in the Society moving forward.

This means engaging, contributing to issues, standing for election and making a difference in shaping and defining the future of the Law Society of Northern Ireland.

I would strongly encourage you to do so!

Lastly I commend this edition of the Writ to you and hope you enjoy reading it.

Darren Toombs