President

It has been an interesting start to my tenure as President, with a few in-person meetings but still lots of online engagement. It was during one of the host of online meetings that it was remarked I had been “very vocal” in my initial few weeks. On reflection I probably have been but, in my defence, for very good reasons: the Scottish Government announcements on the justice budget and the proposed second independence referendum; and the UK Government’s continued verbal attacks on the legal profession.

So, yes, I have been vocal in my first few weeks, but there was one voice that really hit home last month, and it wasn’t mine. It was Lyndsey Barber, the young criminal defence lawyer, and her 11-minute YouTube video on why she was leaving the profession she loved. It was a powerful, emotional and impactful piece. It laid bare the issues the criminal defence bar are facing and the impact that a generation of underfunding of legal aid is having on practitioners. I encourage all of you to watch it and I applaud Lyndsey’s courage in putting it out there.

Lyndsey’s video also highlighted the need for all of us to consider our own mental health and wellbeing. We have all been under increased pressure over the past few years, and it is incredibly important that we make sure we are finding mechanisms to help us cope. The Society has a fantastic resource in our LawScot Wellbeing initiative and I recommend you all visit the website. It has some very useful material and highlights our work with LawCare. The simplest thing we can do is talk: try and vocalise your feelings. Don’t suffer in silence; and remember it is OK to not be OK.

Positive vibes

Despite the month’s challenges, there have been some amazingly positive events in which I have been able to play a small part. I opened our Virtual Summer School, attended by bright and enthusiastic young people interested in joining the profession. This was an online event and it was extremely well attended. I was also absolutely delighted to give the opening address to the In-house Lawyers Conference. I was incredibly impressed by the diverse range of organisations represented by the delegates. I also had the great pleasure of presenting the In-house Rising Star Award for 2022 to Mariel Kaney. Reading some of the comments about Mariel’s work, both in the Lord President’s Office and on the football pitch as captain of Hearts FC women’s team, was very impressive.

I would also like to thank the Edinburgh Bar Association for inviting me to their annual dinner. It was nice to see people letting their hair down and enjoying themselves! And talking of enjoyment, I attended the Law Society of Scotland, Addleshaw Goddard’s Open AG committee and the Glass Network’s Edinburgh Pride brunch. It was great to see so many people in attendance, and a great time both at the brunch and on the march was had by all. For more information on the Glass Network and how to get involved, see their website theglassnetworksco.squarespace.com

Another inspirational pair of young people are Aimee Ross and Orla McMichael, the pupils from Fortrose Academy who were the winning team in the Society’s annual Donald Dewar Debate. Vice President Sheila Webster attended the event at the Scottish Parliament and was delighted to present the award to the winners. She was very impressed by the level of debating by both the winning Fortrose Academy team and the runners-up, The High School of Glasgow. 

Inspirations

From the inspirational young to the inspirational notquitesoyoung! Ken Dalling donned his Past President medal this month to represent the Society at the 50th European Presidents’ Conference in Vienna.
At the conference, the Law Society of Scotland joined its legal peers across Europe in signing the Vienna Declaration in Support of the Rule of Law. The statement includes 41 clauses covering relevant risks to the rule of law, including further condemnation of Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the resulting humanitarian crisis.

And finally, July will bring the first in-person Admissions Ceremony for three years. This is such an important event for all of our new members, and I know our CEO, Diane McGiffen and I are very excited to meet our latest members in person.