Faculty announces advocacy prize in memory of Lord Jones

An annual prize for excellence in advocacy is to be instituted in memory of the late Lord ("Mike") Jones.

Lord Jones's family, together with the Faculty of Advocates, announced the prize today to honour a man who had “a passion for advocacy” and was a key figure in establishing the Faculty’s training programme in the early 1990s.

He died in March 2016 after suffering a haemorrhagic stroke.

The Mike Jones Excellence in Advocacy Prize will be awarded to the winner of an annual moot for members of the junior bar and devils. There will also be a lecture by a distinguished guest.

Dr Kirsty Hood QC, Clerk of Faculty, said: “The Faculty is honoured to be able to play a part in this, and we would like to record the enthusiastic support of the Lord President.”

Fiona Jones, Lord Jones’s wife and a non-practising member of Faculty, told the launch event that Lord Jones had “lived and breathed” advocacy and was constantly crafting and refining new ideas.

“He was always passionate about excellence in advocacy, long before he was instrumental, with John Sturrock, in setting up the world-leading advocacy programme in the Faculty. I thought it would be fitting to have something in his memory, to continue his legacy,” she said.

Mr Sturrock, who was the Faculty’s first Director of Training and Education (1994-2002), recalled how he had been working on the advocacy skills training programme and Lord Jones approached him, saying: “I would like to help as much as I can.”

“It was wonderful to have someone of Mike’s stature involved, and he must have given thousands of hours of his time. His commitment was underpinned by his enthusiasm, and it was all about achieving, and helping others to achieve, excellence in advocacy skills,” Mr Sturrock added.