Start of legal year marked with full-on ceremony today attended by new Lord Chancellor, head of judiciary, and other bigwigs (quite literally)
The new Lord Chancellor, David Lammy MP, was among a legal throng at a service in Westminster Abbey this morning, to bring in the new legal year.
English courts have, historically, been organised into four terms running from October to July, the first of which, Michaelmas, begins today.
Alongside Lammy, the hot-ticket event also attracted the head of the judiciary, currently Baroness Carr, High Court judges, KCs, members of the European Court of Justice and overseas judges and lawyers.
Equally enticing is the Lord Chancellor’s Breakfast served at lunchtime (of course) after the Abbey service. This happens in ye olde Westminster Hall, where everyone can mingle.
Dress code is ceremonial (for judges and KCs) with other attendees in morning dress — or as smartly presented as possible.
The tradition of having a religious service at this point in the calendar goes back to a time when judges would have prayers at the beginning of term. They would walk from Westminster Hall (then the main court) over to the Abbey, which is virtually next door. These days, judges have slightly further to travel from the Royal Courts of Justice on The Strand to Westminster Abbey and so tend to take a car.
For Lammy, who has only been in the job for less than a month following the cabinet reshuffle, this is an excellent opportunity to get to know the community he has suddenly joined. Though solicitors are not as visible at the occasion, the Law Society president attends, as does Susanna McGibbon, head of the Government Legal Department (which has over 1,800 lawyers working in it).
The benefits of the government and the profession getting together in this way were noted by McGibbon: “This new year brings fresh opportunities to strengthen the partnership between government and the profession, building on our shared commitment to justice and excellence.”
The courts used only to be open during the four terms, Michaelmas, Hilary, Easter and Trinity, presumably allowing time in the breaks for barristers to prepare — or for judges to consider — cases. As we all know, however, though the High Court and Court of Appeal do still close outside of term time, law these days doesn’t really do holidays that well.
Westminster Abbey is the historic church where William and Kate were married, and King Charles III was crowned. The ceremony is religious, with prayers and hymns, reflecting the close historical connection between church and the law. The four terms, for instance, each relate to a Christian saint or feast day. The service has readings by not only Lammy but also by the Inns of Court’s priests (each Inn has a chapel) including from the Master of Temple Church (the building made famous by The Da Vinci Code).
But the historical connection between the church and the law is not something that is taken into account much these days, argues Bijan Omrani, barrister and author of a book on the importance of Christianity in English identity, including law. He tells Legal Cheek:
“What that service reminds us is that the origins of the common law are Christian. The Bible was of fundamental importance to law and order, with tenets such as even the King must obey the law, that judges should judge evenly.”
The UK does these events very well (one only need look at how President Trump was wowed by his recent state visit). It is easy to argue for the service’s irrelevance. But in a world that is increasingly polarised and divided, particularly given the recent criticism of judges in the media by politicians among others, any occasion that brings people together in fabulous outfits probably has some purpose.
