617 barristers across England & Wales were celebrated on the second ever Pro Bono Recognition List endorsed by the Lady Chief Justice.

The following Members of Monckton Chambers featured on the list: Reuben Andrews, Alan Bates, Brendan McGurk KC, Cliodhna Kelleher, Jenn Lawrence, Conor Mccarthy, Eric Metcalfe and Hugh Whelan – recognised for their dedication to pro bono work, which this year has seen a 30% increase in barristers featured on the List.

The Pro Bono Recognition List recognises barristers and solicitors who have given 25 or more hours of pro bono legal assistance over the previous calendar year.

Endorsed by its patron The Lady Chief Justice of England & Wales, The Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, the Recognition List was set up under the sponsorship of the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Committee, with the support of the Law Society, Bar Council, and all major pro bono legal organisations.

In addition this year, we are delighted that Jenn Lawrence was nominated for the Bar Pro Bono Awards, commending her dedication to pro bono work.

Monckton Chambers continue to support Advocate through being a Silver Circle Pro Bono Patron. We are proud and committed to champion this worthwhile cause, and to support Advocate to continue to provide this important service. Read more here.

The members and staff of Monckton Chambers warmly congratulate Azeem Suterwalla on ‘taking silk’ today.

Azeem will be sworn-in along with other new KCs, at the official King’s Counsel Appointments Ceremony at Westminster.

Azeem has a well-established practice across Chambers’ core areas, offering expertise in Judicial Review, Public Procurement, Competition, Information Law, and general commercial work. He is a member of the Attorney General’s A Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown, advising and representing the UK government in his areas of practice. Azeem is recommended in the Legal 500 and Chambers UK as a leading practitioner across four practice areas: Administrative/Public Law, Public Procurement, Civil Liberties and Human Rights, and Community Care. Azeem appears regularly in the High Court and Upper Tribunal. He has undertaken cases in the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights. In addition to acting as a trial and appellate lawyer, a significant part of Azeem’s practice is advisory.

The full list of appointments, announced on 24 January, can be viewed on the KCA website here.

The Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) has appointed Christopher Vajda KC to its Panel of arbitrators.

Established in 1991 as an independent, not-for-profit organisation, the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) provides neutral arbitration services to the global business community.

For further information please click here.

Congratulations to Julian Gregory and James Bourke on their appointment to the CMA’s panel of counsel following an open competition. They join Rob Williams KC, Ben Lask KC, Josh Holmes KC, Julianne Kerr Morrison, Michael Armitage and Daisy Mackersie, current Standing Counsel members from Monckton Chambers.

The CMA, the UK’s primary competition and consumer authority, is an independent non-ministerial government department with responsibility for carrying out investigations into mergers, markets and the regulated industries and enforcing competition and consumer law. The panel of counsel is intended to provide the CMA with a strong team of advocates and external legal advisers, who are enthusiastic about and committed to its work – but also able to give it detached and objective advice. The CMA has expanded its Standing Counsel to make sure it has the right number of members to assist in its work going forward. This reflects the growth in litigation undertaken by the CMA across all areas of activity as well as in anticipation of an increase in workload, following the UK’s departure from the EU and the establishment of the Office for the Internal Market and the Digital Markets Unit.

These appointments were made following an open competition with the consent of the Attorney General. They are for an initial period of 3 years.

Further information is available here.

The Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer was adopted yesterday in response to increasing reports of attacks on the practice of the profession, whether in the form of harassment, threats or attacks, or interference with the exercise of professional duties, such as obstacles to access to clients.

The Convention covers lawyers and their professional associations, whose role is vital in defending lawyers’ rights and interests as a profession. The Convention addresses entitlement to practise, professional rights, freedom of expression, professional discipline and specific protective measures for lawyers and professional associations. Under the Convention, states must ensure that lawyers can carry out their professional duties without being the target of any form of physical attack, threat, harassment or intimidation or any improper hindrance or interference. Where such circumstances could amount to a criminal offence, parties must conduct an effective investigation. Parties must also ensure that professional associations can operate as independent, self-governing bodies.

The Convention will be opened for signature on 13 May, on the occasion of the Council of Europe Foreign Affairs ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg. At least eight countries, including six member states of the Council of Europe, must ratify it for it to enter into force. Compliance with the Convention will be monitored by an expert group and a committee of the parties.

Jeremy McBride acted as the consultant for the preparation of the Convention and its Explanatory Report after having produced a feasibility study on a new instrument relating to the profession.

Monckton Chambers is delighted to continue supporting Advocate through being a Silver Circle Pro Bono Patron.

Advocate is the Bar’s national pro bono charity that makes it possible for barristers to balance a dedicated practice and make a significant contribution to the community, making access to justice available to all.

In addition to this patronage, our members already frequently donate their time and expertise to those who may otherwise be unable to obtain legal aid and who cannot afford to pay for legal advice and representation.

We are proud and committed to champion this worthwhile cause, and to support Advocate to continue to provide this important service.

You can read more about the work of Advocate here.