President's Reception, 11th March 2009

Home → President's Reception, 11th March 2009, British Academy, Carlton Terrace, London.

It is customary for the President of the Society to hold a reception in March each year, inviting a range of people who are connected with the Society. Usually these include research funders, members of the legal profession who have a role related to legal education, politicians and members of the Law Commission as well as Honorary Members who include members of the senior judiciary who have shown a commitment to legal education. Council Members are also invited so that they can meet the guests from other parts of the 'legal universe' and help to inform them about the Society's work and about current developments in legal academia. Overall, the purpose of this gathering has changed very little from the first meeting of the Society in 1909, when those involved in the study and practice of law were first invited to attend. The reception provides a chance for practitioners and scholars to come into contact in a less formal environment than is usual.


Photo: l to R Prof Richard Card, Prof Alan Paterson, Prof Joe Thomson, Prof Gareth Miller, Prof Celia Wells, Prof John Bell, Prof Margot Brazier, Prof John Wiley, Prof Fiona Cownie, Prof John Wiley, Prof Tony Dugdale, Prof John Birds, Prof Hugh Beale.

SLS President, Professor Fiona Cownie, welcomed Honorary Members, Council Members and a record number of Past Presidents to the Centenary Reception. Her speech gave a brief history of the founding of the society, pointing out the significance of Edward Jenks in particular, and to identifying themes that have emerged during her research for a book on the history of the society, written jointly with Professor Ray Cocks ("A Great and Noble Profession" available later this year from Hart )

Fiona identified the importance of several parties, The Judiciary, Legal Publishers, The Law Society, The Bar and The Law Commission to the Society, thanking them for their support and pointing out that where strong interests exist a certain amount of friction will also reside, but asserting that "present relations with the professions are considerably more amicable than they have been for a long time. However, I also think that they will only stay that way if we all put effort into appreciating each other's points of view, and trying, so far as possible, to make accommodations. This is something we all need to work at all the time." In looking ahead, the President mentioned two bodies with which the Society is forging closer links, the Judicial Appointments Commission and the Nuffield Trust and looked forward to working more closely with these. The President acknowledged the vital contributions made over its 100 years to the Society by successive Council Members, Executive Committee members, Hon. Secretaries and Treasurers, Convenors of Subject Sections and a small band of administrators who keep the flow of information moving, organise events and attend to financial arrangements.

Unusually, following Professor Cownie's speech, there was a brief opportunity to interview some of those attending and to ask their opinion of the Society and how the relationship between those studying law and those making legal judgement had changed in their experience. Here are a few excerpts:

Lord Mance commented "In the past questioning the judiciary or criticising the Court of Appeal was thought of as a sort of heresy or profanity. I am glad to say that those days are long since past. I think the relation is infinitely more fruitful. I think its a mutual relationship. This Society (SLS) assists people to get to know each other, to discuss problems and I think it is beneficial to both of us".

Whilst Lady Arden added "I would just like to pay a rather special tribute, following up the President's remarks in her speech, to the work which the members of the Society of Legal Scholars do for the Law Commission. I was Chair of the Law Commission from 1996 to 1999 and we had absolutely solid and invaluable support from members of this Society. They made their contributions, spending a lot of time on them, and they also acted as experts on projects when asked to do so."

The Rt Hon Lord Mance

The Right Honourable Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe pointed out that "we are now more and more, in our speeches and judgements, recognising the contribution that they (legal academics) make, how much we get from the work of legal scholars, who have more time to think about and analyse the very difficult problems that we hear argument about for only a few hours."

The Rt Hon Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe

Michael Todd QC, Chairman of the Chancery Bar Association contributed "When we are citing cases now we look at authoritative works, not just judgements, but also authoritative works by leading academics. So its very, very important to us firstly for ourselves to understand the law and also to consider the different ways the law can be analysed. I think it promotes the development of the law, I think its really very important".

Michael Todd QC, Chairman of the Chancery Bar Association (left) with Mr Malcolm White, Vice Chairman

Baroness Prashar of Runnymede, Chairman of Judicial Appointments Commission also sent the following in response,

"I congratulate the Society of Legal Scholars on reaching its centenary year. The Society's role in the teaching of law and input to debate on the legal profession and the judiciary are extremely valuable."

"The Judicial Appointments Commission is working hard to encourage a more diverse judiciary of the highest quality and to overcome some of the barriers that prevent under-represented groups from becoming judges. As well as encouraging its members to consider a judicial appointment, we look to the Society to support a wider range of students in the study of law. A more diverse legal profession will in turn lead to the more diverse judiciary that we are all eager to see."