Welcome to the LCCSA AGM!

President’s speech 07/11/16

I woke this morning to the exciting news on my radio that we are about to experience the most important Presidential election ever. They were saying that whatever the result the current outgoing President was highly regarded, and far more popular than a likely successor.
Imagine my disappointment on realising they were talking about tomorrow’s US Presidential election, and not this evening’s LCCSA AGM and election of our new President…

It has been a funny year-a new PM, a new Lord Chancellor, BCM and “Pressure to plead Hearings, Brexit, killer clowns, and Donald Trump.

But for me, It has been an amazing year and enormous privilege to be LCCSA President.
It was a bit daunting….
The President was meant to be the then VP, but with a WEEK TO GO he bailed out, and (in the absence of anyone else) I was parachuted in.
My immediate predecessor was Jon Black.
I had to prise the presidential medallion from him, chest hairs still attached. Now I feel the same sense of ownership of the Presidential medallion, which exerts a command like the ring over a Hobbit.

Equally “precious” and hard to relinquish is the Presidential cigar box, although I am disappointed to say when my successor opens it, he will find only a note saying “sorry-I smoked all the cigars”
The Constitution said the outgoing president has to stay on for a further year. Thank goodness! Jon’s hard work over the last year has been an enormous help. Thank you Jon (below,as Pres)

                              
I have also been hugely helped and supported by Jenny Wiltshire as VP, who stays on as VP for another year- thank you Jenny. (Pictured above, LCCSA Conference, Ghent)

First the sad news-
We are losing from the committee one of the key officers, loyal to the LCCSA and lovely to work with, and who took on the role of Law Reform Officer and reformed it.
There are innumerable consultations and reforms, too many for you to respond to, so this association does so on your behalf. When i say association, I mean….TONY

Toast to Tony Meisels

The good news -we are retaining all of our co-opted senior statesman-Steve Bird, Ray Shaw, Malcolm Duxbury and Paul Harris, and joining them is Jon Black, who deals with the CLSA.
Last year we made Paul Harris an award of Honorary Life Membership.
This year we also feel compelled to reward onother of our former presidents an award, for staying on the committee and being supportive. Raymond Shaw
TOAST RAY SHAW
Rakesh Bhasin remains in post as our treasurer having kept us solvent, Mark Troman our secretary, Diana remains training officer.

And Congratulations members-tonight you have just elected a BRILLIANT COMMITTEE
And best of all we have as incoming president- Greg Powell.
Those of you who voted through the new constitution without reading it may not have realised the change that any future Pres has to be called Greg.
I don’t know whether Greg Stewart will be feeling pleased or anxious….
All of the committee bring their ideas and enthusiasm, many contribute significant amounts of time. I salute you all. (Pictured below, committee dinner, January 20160

Toast- the LCCSA committee

President.
I had very little time to prepare for the role.
It took a while to get used to the idea.
Mrs F, however quickly become adjusted to the idea of being a president’s wife. It basically meant extra work for her when I was absent on LCCSA business. There is no recognition or reward for being the wife of a President, but she took that on without complaint, has never been anything other than supportive, and, being grounded, has reigned in some of my crazier ideas.
Those of you who know her know she is brilliant, and those who know us both know that she really is my better half.
Now she realises that my Presidency is over and we can spend more time together, she may be the only person wishing I had stayed on for another year.
Toast-the ex-President’s wife

It seems like only yesterday I was starting my criminal career at EFBW.
Heavyweight lawyers, Nigel Dean (now DJ Dean) John Lafferty (now HHJ) and LCCSA legend Paul Harris
And Howard Riddle.
HR was senior partner when I started my articles.
He taught us several important lessons and gave extremely helpful Advocacy tips.
Of course, back then we practised in a fully adversarial justice system, much of which has been eroded and sacrificed on the bonfire of expedience and speedy summary hearings. I don’t know who to blame for that…
Anyway, as you know Howard became a stipendiary Magistrate, and ended up as the “Chief Magistrate”, and throughout has remained a member of and friend to this Association. I am delighted that he has agreed to be our guest speaker tonight, and welcome him and Hilary to our AGM Dinner.
Speaking of advocacy, last year I spoke of a report then just published which criticised the experiences of non-lawyer participants at the Crown Court, making reference to the alienation of seeing barristers swishing about in gowns and wigs.
i had a bit of fun with that, and tried on a series of wigs to see what difference they may make…

                 
When this came out, a spirited defence of wiggery was then made by some at the bar- “dignity of the court” and “providing anonymity”.
I was told the wig “protects the identity of the advocate”

Really?!

Not much of a disguise is it?!
Imagine cross examining on ID in a case where the alleged robber was concealed only by a horsehair wig with curls!

Why stop at a wig to avoid recognition?
Why not wear a full mask?
How about -to be really contemporary-a Donald Trump mask, or even a “killer clown”mask?

                                                   
Killer Clowns-scary but comical, a bit tragic. Come to think of it, very definition of Chris Grayling.

Alternatively, if a mask is going too far and we stick to a wig, how about something more contemporary-a Donald Trump wig perhaps?

I’m just teasing our friends at the bar.
We have many friends at the crim bar, and I have enjoyed working with the CBA. It is so important that the two sides of the profession are united in tackling our current challenges.

We have had in the last year great support from certain chambers, and particularly 25 Bedford Row, 5 St.Andrews Hil, and Doughty st.

We have worked with the Justice Alliance and the CLFS.

We also thank Thomson Reuters for sponsoring tonight. LCCSA members are eligible for discounted copies of Archbold.

Toast: Friends of the Association

Review of the last year:-

In January we defeated Grayling’s two tier proposals
I met the Lord Chief Justice (wearing a Christmas jumper)
We are engaged in a War on touts, and busy Ghost-busting.
We had a great Autumn Conference in Ghent.

                                      

We relaunched the London Advocate in digital format.

And, within the last month, we had an LCCSA victory on the “embarrassment clause” (forcing the LAA to rethink clause 2.2 aka the “gagging clause”. We were the only practitioner group named in the action that led to this, and can be rightly proud that we did not shy away from taking the fight directly to them.
(A full review of the year is in my President’s report, published on the LCCSA website)

Unfinished business
The postponed cut has not gone away-it was only postponed (to March)
We have to persuade the MoJ to abandon it, and we have to be ready to act if they do not.
And we will be ready.

We now have the measure of Liz Truss.
When our Senior Judges came under political and polemical attack, the lord Chancellor, whose oath of office is to support the independent Judiciary, has been found wanting.
Our association condemns the tabloid and political attacks on justice, and castigates the Secretary of State for Justice for her failure to swiftly support due process and the Rule of Law.

Well we have news for Liz Truss.
We are not gagged or trussed, and we will fight fearlessly for justice, for legal aid and for our member’s interests.

We are not the “Big Firms Group” or a small firms group, we are an accountable and united members group. You are the members. We are the LCCSA.

Conclusion
It has been a challenging but enjoyable year. have survived it only thanks to enormous help from a supportive and hard-working committee, whom I am proud to know as colleagues and happy to think of as friends.
Long live the Association

Members, thank you all for coming.
With your help and support the LCCSA has a strong future.
Final toast -the LCCSA

Above-current ID card.                                               Above -LCCSA ID card circa 1989