MTYBA

Middle Temple Young Barristers' Association

Racial Bias and the Bench – Report launch - 18.10.22 at 18:00pm

October 18, 2022  /  Hayley Blundell

Please our friends for the launch of a new report that raises urgent questions about racial attitudes, procedures and practices in the English and Welsh justice system focusing on judicial office holders.

In 2020 the Lord Chief Justice launched the Judicial Diversity & Inclusion Strategy at a time of raised public concern about the treatment of Black and other ethnic minority people in the justice system. This report assesses the terms of the strategy and draws on findings from a new survey of legal professionals.

 

During this 90-minute session, we will share our findings and welcome feedback from the audience

Speakers include:

Keir Monteith KC – Garden Court Chambers; University of Manchester Simon Fellow

Professor Leslie Thomas KC – Garden Court Chambers; Gresham College

Professor Eithne Quinn – Arts, Languages & Cultures, University of Manchester

Dr Remi Joseph-Salisbury – Presidential Fellow, Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity, University of Manchester

Professor Andrea Dennis – John Byrd Martin Chair of Law, University of Georgia

Stephanie Needleman, Legal Director and Lawyer, JUSTICE

Please note that the event is online, free and open to all, but booking is essential. 

Please book here. 

Comment

Black History Month

December 20, 2021  /  Hayley Blundell

On the 18th October 2021 MTYBA was please to work alongside MTSA in providing a celebration at Middle Temple for Black History Month. Below are some pictures from the event.

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Get Involved....

December 05, 2021  /  Hayley Blundell

Nomination deadline EXTENDED for
MTYBA's 2022 Committee Elections 🗳️

An update

  • MTYBA has extended the deadline for nominations to now close on Saturday 11 December at 23:59, to make running for positions accessible for our membership. There will be no requirement to attend the AGM in person and voting will take place via email only. We encourage all of our membership to stand for positions. Please also see the amended timetable below.

Key info:

  • Term of office: 2022 calendar year.

  • Eligibility: MTYBA membership starts at the date of Call to the Bar by Middle Temple and continues through to the later of: seven years post-Call or seven years post-pupillage. Any member of MTYBA may stand and vote.

  • Candidates may stand for no more than two positions.

  • Voting will take place via email ONLY.

  • You may only vote once via email.

  • The results will annouced by email.

Amended Timetable:

  • Nominations EXTENDED and will now close at 23:59 on Saturday 11 December

  • Ballots will be published on Sunday 12 December

  • Voting by electronic ballot via email opens on Sunday 12 December

  • Voting by electronic ballot via email closes at 23:59 on Sunday 19 December

  • Results will be announced on Monday 20 December

How to stand:

  • Send your full name, email address, Middle Temple membership number, year of Call, list of positions standing for (no more than 2), and a short biography (max 200 words) by email to the Returning Officer at mtybareturningofficer2021@gmail.com by 23:59 on Saturday 11 December.

How to vote:

  • Look out for an email to all MTYBA members on on Sunday 12 December

  • Vote electronically by 23:59 on Sunday 19 December

Offices being contested:

  • President

  • Vice-President

  • Treasurer

  • Secretary

  • Social Secretary

  • Communications Officer

  • Tenancy Officer

  • Employed Bar Representative

  • Pupillage Officer

  • Pre-Pupillage Officer

  • Advocacy Officer

  • Diversity and Inclusion Officer

  • Northern Circuit Chair

  • Welsh Circuit Representative

  • Western Circuit Representative

  • North Eastern Circuit Representative

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INVITATION TO THE BAR COUNCIL RACE SUMMIT

November 02, 2021  /  Hayley Blundell

A huge thank you to the MTYBA members who attended Part one of the Race Summit on 16th September 2021. 

On behalf of the Chair of the Bar MTYBA would like to invite you to the Bar Race Summit 2021, taking place at Middle Temple on 5 November. 

The Summit will see the launch of the Bar Council’s Race at the Bar report, with recommendations for Bar-wide action based on roundtable discussions held prior to the Summit (on 16 September). Participants in these discussions included Bar leaders, Chambers' Equality and Diversity Officers, Heads of Chambers and members of Bar-based race equality networks.

We will also hear from our guest speaker, Leroy Logan MBE, the former Metropolitan Police Superintendent who was featured in the recent Small Axe series. Leroy will share his journey as a Black police officer and provide perspectives on race issues; where we have got to as a society, what is still needed to build a more equal criminal justice system and how we tackle issues around race and social mobility going forward.

For those able to attend in person, the Summit will end with a reception and opportunity to meet others with an interest in making progress on this agenda.

Event timing and details: 

The event will take place between 17:30 and 20:00. Further information about our guest speaker and further details of the event are on the website here. Please note this event is on the same day as the MTYBA Annual Dinner. 

How to RSVP: 

If you would like to attend at Middle Temple, please  Register Online (via My Bar). We are requesting a small fee for attendance as all proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to equality and diversity networks working on this agenda across the Bar.  

There also two other options for joining: 

  • If you are unable to join us in person, you can attend the event online by selecting the online ticket option.

  • If you would like a complementary ticket and don’t wish to donate, you are welcome to RSVP to racesummit21@barcouncil.org.uk (copying in MTYBA) and state there whether you would like to attend in-person or online. 

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MTYBA & Renaissance Foundation Mentoring by Diversity & Inclusion Officer Emma Hughes

October 04, 2021  /  Hayley Blundell

Introduction:

Many have experienced great difficulty during the last year of the pandemic. But fortunately, there have been positive memories as well, one of which is the MTYBA mentoring scheme.  I, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Emma Hughes and MTYBA President Michael Polak have managed the Middle Temple Young Barristers Association mentoring programme with the Renaissance Foundation over the last two years.

The Renaissance Foundation:

The Renaissance Foundation supports and inspires young people aged 13 – 19 years old that face significant life challenges to fulfilling their unique potential. They predominantly work with young carers who look after sick parents or siblings at home, students that have been identified by their schools as at risk and young patients who are transitioning between child and adult hospital services.

The incredible RF staff are extremely dedicated and have such a talent to bring the young people out of their shells. MTYBA are so grateful to have worked with founder Sat Singh, Rachael Edwards-Coutts, Corey Samuel, Niusha Bonakdarian, Rose Deshmukh, Grace Gibson and Natalie Chevin. Website: https://www.renaissance-foundation.com/

 

What does a barrister do?

We held a session in 2020 discussing the route to becoming a barrister, the role of a barrister, and the varied practice areas. The esteemed panel consisted of Recorder Jo Delahunty QC, Elaine Banton, Monifa Walters-Thompson, Mass Ndow-Njie, Srishti Suresh and Leon Lynch. The event concluded with a hilarious performance by comedian Dane Baptiste. We also had a number of group sessions where we broke out into one on one breakout room sessions to discuss mentees goals and objectives.

 

April fools fun Session

On the 1st April 2021 we had a fantastic online fun session in celebration of April Fool’s day. This was a casual fun event for everyone to reconnect with their mentees. We had a fancy-dress theme and encouraged everyone to wear a funny hat or prop. It was brilliant to see a huge range of fancy dress from pirate hats, sombreros, top hats and more! I was sporting a lovely set of bunny ears accompanied with face paint!

We divided into teams and played charades and ice breaker games. There were extra points awarded for the best team name, funniest lockdown story, and best fancy dress. All the young people were awarded with easter eggs!

 

Miles and Partners Solicitors

Members of the Miles & Partners Solicitors spoke to Renaissance Foundation & Bridging the Bar mentees about the role of a solicitor in Housing, Mental Health and Public & Private Family Law. This event consisted of a panel of Solicitors speaking to the young people about the role of a Solicitor, the differentiation between a barrister and solicitor and identifying the key traits they look for when instructing a barrister, followed by a Q&A session. We extend a warm thanks to the speakers Julie Nix, Linda Pope, Lou Crisfield, Kaileigh Hazeldine, and Musonda Phiri.

 

Leslie Thomas QC

An event took place on Thursday 15th July 2021 with BTB Champion, Professor Leslie Thomas QC the distinguished barrister and specialist in civil liberties and human rights. The RF young people were given a basic Introduction to Civil Liberties & Human Rights, made aware of their rights regarding stop & searches, and were educated about key cases involving breaches of Human rights and excessive force. This was a hugely impactful and informative session for mentees and mentors alike. 

 

Bridging the Bar QS - 27/05/21

This was a panel style discussion addressing the barriers to diversity at the bar, the initiatives dedicated to enhancing opportunities and we heard from Bridging the Bar (BTB) Chairman Mass Ndow-Njie about what motivated him to found BTB. 

The BTB Champions Professor Jo Delahunty QC and Professor Leslie Thomas QC shared about their journeys, the challenges they faced, and the importance of Diversity and Equality at the Bar.

We will also heard from several BTB mentees, Afiya Amesu, Adenike Onasanya and Sephlin Sam about their experience of the BTB mentoring programme. Lastly, we had performances from talent artist Jordan and spoken word from award winning poet Rakaya Fetuga. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSCwcKh9V1E&t=11s

 

 

Tours of the Supreme Court & the Old Bailey

On 1st September 2021 we had an in-person event which involved a legal tour of several courts. The RF young people were chaperoned by the kind and extremely hard-working Fundraising Executive, Niusha Bonakdarian. As well as the warm and wonderful Outreach and Medica Executive, Corey Samuels who took the majority of the superb photographs.

 

The MTYBA mentors and RF met in front of the iconic statue of Nelson Mandela in parliament square. We then commenced our day with a captivating tour of the Supreme Court. We felt very privileged to be the first group to re-launch in person tours since lockdown ended. Supreme Court Information Officers, Simon Josiffe and Cloe Ofori hosted us. Simon delivered a fascinating and engaging tour and was incredibly skilled in explaining the complex role of the court and the difficult cases and legal principles the justices grapple with.

 

Simon had an incredible ability to get the young people to engage and indicate their areas of interest and provided extensive knowledge of the history and interesting thought-provoking cases like Lee v Ashers Baking Company Ltd and others [2018] UKSC 49. We also had the opportunity to meet Judicial Assistant (JA) Isabella and learnt about the role of a JA and hear first-hand how interesting and intellectually stimulating it is to work closely with the justices.

 

We had a lovely lunch at the London Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant which features a wealth of memorabilia from the award-winning film ‘Forest Gump’. 

 

We ended the day by visiting the Central Criminal Court also known as the Old Bailey. Kindly Rebecca Collins who is PA to His Honour Judge Lucraft QC, arranged for us to view a case and meet a Judge. The Common Serjeant, Judge Mark spoke with the group and provided an excellent insight into the criminal justice system, the role of a judge and the nature of the work. I was especially touched and grateful for his tactful address of the knife crime epidemic in the UK and the way he warned the young people about its dangers.

 

Those who were of age observed His Honour Judge Lucraft QC, the Recorder of London sitting and presiding over a terrorism case. The attendees who were under age were permitted to premiere some newly produced educational videos about the Old Bailey. At the conclusion of the day the entire group was fortunate enough to receive a speech from a prosecutor about their role, cross-examination and how a case of this nature is run. Wonderfully several young people stated they were going to pursue a legal career and were highly motivated by the trip.

 

Mentee Shanice’s Perspective on the Trip:

‘Hello, my name is Shanice, I’m 17 years old, currently in year 13 and I would like to study Law in University. I have been part of Renaissance Foundation since 2018, it’s an amazing organisation that helps support young carers and young patients by organising trips, meeting new people and providing opportunities.

I had an amazing opportunity to visit The Supreme Court and Old Bailey on 1st of September 2021 with Renaissance Foundation and MTYBA. As you first step into the supreme court you undergo security. After you have completed that process you can then explore The Supreme Court and get a much better look at the beautiful historical stained glass windows which show various symbols and paintings. We were then introduced to our tour guide who showed us around the courts, the building and we got the opportunity to speak with a judicial assistant. They spoke about the responsibilities of their role such as, helping with research assigned by the judges, preparing documents, handling reports, briefs and records. They shared great tips with us, such as to have tenacity as that will help when you experience failure as well as advice on getting into a career at The Supreme Court.

This was a phenomenal experience, as during the tour I learned new facts about The Supreme Court and the judicial branch. A great fact that I learned was that The Supreme Court was not just the highest court in the United Kingdom but also, in some commonwealth countries too. Which include Jamaica, New Zealand, Canada and many more. The Supreme Court was created in 2009 by the constitutional reform act 2005. Before this, the highest court in the land was the House of Lords.

After The Supreme Court, we visited the Old Bailey. During our visit I got to watch a real life case, which was a great demonstration of justice operating in real life. We also spoke with a senior judge who talked about the law, knife crime and the laws and sentencing around that. I was amazed by everything around me and to see the case happening. Hearing about the holding cells and dead man’s walk where the doorways got narrower and narrower. It was a great experience.

Visiting The Supreme Court, Old Bailey and speaking with professionals helped strengthen my desire/aspiration to become a barrister and be able to help people. It made me more fascinated. Overall, it made me love law even more and in the future I’ll be able to speak on someone’s behalf, understand how procedures work and help people to get fair trials. It helped to show me how the criminal justice system applies law and it’s an amazing opportunity to put on my personal statement.

I am very grateful for this visit and the advice share with me is deeply appreciated and thank you to everyone that spoke to me and made the visit possible.’

 

Young people’s comments:

Feedback:

Ananya (RF Graduate) (Mentor – Cameron Haden)

"Thanks for organising the trip! I had a great time! Please pass on my thanks to Emma Michael and Niusha too 🙂"

 

Estrella (RF Graduate) (Mentor – Carin Hunt)

"Thank you so so much Corey for allowing me to be part of today’s event. I really enjoyed it and I’ve learned so much. I cannot wait to tell my family once I get home. I truly felt like a VIP member being able to step into unseen areas by the public."

 

(RF Young Person who wants to be a Lawyer) (under 18 so anonymised)

"Thank you I had an amazing day and learnt a lot"

 

Mentee Testimonial: Estrella

‘I am 19 years old and now studying Bio-Medical Science at Middlesex University this year. My mentor is Carin Hunt.

How did you feel about working with MTYBA?

I think, it was actually really helpful for me. Although I didn’t have many sessions with my mentor, it was useful to help guide me with what I wanted to do. Carin really helped me with my personal statement, I could really see the difference between the first one and the second one.

What did you think of the mentors?

I actually really enjoyed the atmosphere they mentors gave to the mentees. It made me feel quite intrigued about more careers. They also were very open to discussion and not just talking about work and mentoring, really open to talk in general, a nice conversation and it made us mentees feel welcome.

What did you think of the in person visit (Supreme Court & Old Bailey)

I actually really enjoyed it, I felt very VIP and prestige to be given that opportunity. And it taught me a lot of stuff in one day that I don’t really think about. It made me really intrigued, especially about Law.

How could the programme have been improved?

Have more sessions, but I understand because of pandemic.

Most helpful for me?

Personal statement and getting to talk with Carin, was very helpful and I needed advice with medical law and she helped a lot. Another big highlight was the trip, I really enjoyed the trip I think it was fun!’

 

Mentor Testimonial: Cameron Haden

"They say there are few joys greater in life then helping others, and helping to mentor the next generation through the Renaissance Foundation is such a joy. On a recent occasion we were able to show the mentees around the Old Bailey, and the Supreme Court, they got to converse with judges, barristers, ushers and guides, as well as see the courts from the perspective of the accused.

In doing so the mentees gained a snapshot of the legal industry, and saw the place where with  hard work and determination they could work in future.

For me it was really good to also see the mentees in person, and to discuss with a great many of them their ambitions and what has happened since I last saw them.

It's really quite amazing the resilience and determination they have. I feel proud to be doing my bit through the Renaissance Foundation to help them, and the next generation.

Of course, I much also give a big thank you to Emma, as without her I would not have had the chance to be part of the programme, nor be there on the day to make a difference. She's one of those unsung heroes.

The day it was really incredible, I look forward to what we will be doing next."

 

Other Events

 

Mentors also attended a fundraising event on the 14th June 2021 with President Obama’s former National Security Advisor and Speechwriter, Ben Rhodes. The session was a great opportunity to speak to someone in the heart of the Obama administration.

 

RF Young people have attended numerous Middle Temple Events such as International Women’s Day in March 2021, Innocent Until Proven Guilty in September 2020 featuring Innocent Project Lawyers and an exoneree. We look forward to them attending the Black History Month Event on 18th October 2021 and more.

 

A special thanks is extended to our MTYBA mentors who make this all possible! Specifically, Michael Polak, Hayley Blundell, Cameron Haden, Carin Hunt, Eleanor Clotworthy, Elisabeth Komives, Dina Sherif, Julian Ranetunge, Tiffany-Rochelle Louis-Byfield, Ellen Crow, Aimee Stokes and Yohana Bereket!

 

It has been incredibly rewarding to work with these intelligent, gifted and unique young people. I encourage you to sign up! We will be recruiting new mentors to work with this year’s new mentees very soon. Mentors will have to undergo mandatory training and DBS checks. If you are interested, please email enquiries@mtyba.org.

Comment

The 2021 MTYBA Committee

January 06, 2021  /  Merlene George

Using remote electronic voting, the 2021 MTYBA Committee was elected by the membership on 12 December 2020.

President - Michael Polak

Vice President - Merlene George

Treasurer - Salmaan Hassanally

Secretary - Hayley Blundell

Pupillage Officer - Jaysen Sharpe

Pre-Pupillage Officer - Grace Khaile

Advocacy Officer - Louisa Simpson

Diversity & Inclusion Officer - Emma Hughes

Social Secretary - Ellen Crow

Communications Officer - Phyllida Spackman

Northern Circuit Chair - Emily Landale

Welsh Circuit Representative - Tabitha Walker

Western Circuit Representative - Nick Mellis

North-Eastern Circuit Representative - Chloe Lee

The outgoing 2020 Committee would like to thank all those who participated in the election, either by standing in the election or exercising their voting rights. MTYBA has run over 25 events in 2020 and you can read short articles about our 2020 events here. The incoming 2021 Committee would like to thank the outgoing committee for all their hard work throughout 2020.  

MTYBA looks forward to another year of working hard to represent the interests of Middle Temple’s young barrister members. Stay tuned for news of upcoming events and opportunities in the New Year.


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Background image by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0