Dear all Circuit has a good system of disseminating information to members via email, which means we can target specific groups (by practice area, Inn etc) to receive information which is relevant only to them.  However, a lot of information is for general distribution and will be of interest to all members. To avoid multiple emails clogging up your inboxes, I have decided that Circuit will, instead, send out a periodic ’Northern Circuit News Update' with items of general interest. These will also be uploaded to the members area of the Circuit website. If you have any news or information which you would like distributing to Circuit, please contact me or Clare Calder . A copy of this newsletter is also available on the Circuit Website here.   Circuit events: Preston mess - 26 February 2026 Venue: Delta Hotels by Marriott, 418 Garstang Rd, Broughton, Preston PR3 5JB. This will be a congratulatory mess for HH Lloyd and we will also celebrate the recent appointments of HHJ Deane and HHJ Hodgkinson. Liverpool Grand Court - 5 March 2026  Venue: Royal Liver Building, Pier Head, Liverpool, L3 1HU Kirsty Brimelow KC, the new Chair of the Bar, hopes to be in attendance. Liverpool Informal mess - 27th March 2026  Venue: Elif Turkish Grill & Bar, 22 Castle Street, Liverpool, L2 0SU. Manchester Grand Court - 2nd April 2026  Venue: The Midland Hotel, Peter Street, Manchester, M60 2DS. Congratulatory Dinner - 14 March 2026 Venue: St Georges Hall, St George's Place, Liverpool, L1 1JJ. To honour the Rt Hon Sir Tim Holroyde on his retirement from his position as Vice President of the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), Lord Justice Andrew Edis on his appointment as Vice President of the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), Lady Justice Amanda Yip and Lord Justice Ian Dove on their appointments as Lady and Lord Justices of Appeal, and Mr Justice Mark Cawson on his appointment to the High Court Bench. It was no surprise that places sold out within days of announcing the dinner and I am grateful to the venue for increasing our capacity. For members, please use the members area for booking on via the website and retired members contact Clare on the Admin email . The dates of messes next term will be circulated in the next Update. Other events: Welcome to HHJ Gunn 23 February 2026, Preston Crown Court (also by CVP) On 23 February 2026 at 10.00am at Preston Crown Court there will be welcome to HHJ Kirsty Ann Gunn who joins the Northern Circuit from the Cayman Islands.  Please attend if you can. There is an option to join via CVP. For those familiar with Preston Crown Court it is the link for Court 10 or contact sharon.goring@Justice.gov.uk to request the CVP link.   A poster for the event is here MP Court visits – 27 February 2026 and 10 April 2026 27 February 2026 - Andrew Cooper MP (Lab, Mid Cheshire) - Chester Crown Court  10 April 2026 - Esther McVey MP (Con, Tatton) - Chester Crown Court MPs will be in the robing room at lunchtime on the above dates to speak to barristers directly and find out more information about the government’s plans in relation to jury trials. Please attend if you are able to do so to ensure they are properly informed. I am grateful to Rebecca Filetti, Martin Reid KC and Andrew Thomas KC for facilitating the MP visits which have taken place so far. WICL – Women’s Faces Project – 9 March 2026, Crown Square Hot on the heels of Women in Criminal Law’s fabulous 3rd birthday event last week, WICL are hosting an event on 9 March 2026 from 5.30pm to 7pm in Manchester Crown Square robing room. The event is to mark International Women’s Day and is taking place at three venues across the country. In Manchester, WICL are honouring four trailblazing women: Rosa Heilbron QC, Edith Hesling, Elizabeth Lane and Nicola Gatto. The event is open to members and non-members. A link to the poster is here .  You can also book a place at the event using the same link. EDI event - 26 March 2026, Irwin Mitchell, Manchester Bollywood themed Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) Event at 6pm at Irwin Mitchell LLP, One St Peters Square, Manchester M2 3AF. The guest speaker is His Honour Judge Afzal. The Law Society, Manchester Law Society and Ethnic Solicitors Network will also be in attendance and members from the Manchester City Council, Universities / Law Schools and Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce have been invited. The evening will include food, music, and networking. A place can be booked at the event by contacting Charlotte Abbott .  BICBA Annual conference and dinner 26 March 2026 - Kimpton Clocktower hotel, Manchester A link to the poster for the event is here.   You can also book a place at the event using the same link. Further updates: LAA Cyber Attack – Guidance on Contingency Payments and Recoupments Scott Baldwin at St John’s Buildings Chambers, has produced a detailed guide for the FLBA in relation to managing the contingency / recoupment process. A copy of it can be found here . Advocacy training opportunities Circuit is from time to time asked to circulate to trained advocacy trainers the details of advocacy training events here and overseas. Circuit keeps a record of advocacy trainers who are trained by Circuit and who receive these notifications.  If you are a trained advocacy trainer via another route (e.g. your Inn), do not currently receive such notifications, and wish to do so, please contact Clare with details of your training record so that she can add you to the list of recipients. Contact Clare here . Publications: Parenting at the Bar A new book, 'Baby at the Bar: Navigating life at the Bar after becoming a parent' by Emma Price and Emma-Louse Fenelon will be published by Bloomsbury Professional on 26 February 2026. Based on the experience of over 250 barristers from across the self-employed Bar, it addresses the challenges for those at the self-employed Bar with parenting responsibilities and sets out the range of strategies which barristers have employed to make it work. There is an event in the evening of Monday 16 March 2026 at Gray's Inn Hall to mark the publication of the book and to raise awareness about the issues addressed in it. The authors have invited a member of the Northern Circuit to the event. If anyone would like to attend and write a review of the book for the next edition of In Brief, Circuit will reimburse your reasonable travel costs. Please let Clare know (first come, first served).  Neurodivergence in Family Law Natasha Khalique of Exchange Chambers has written a fascinating book ‘A Practical Guide to Neurodivergence in Family Law ’. Her final launch event will take place at Exchange Chambers, Manchester on 26 February. For a place at the launch event, Natasha can be contacted on Khalique@exchangechambers.co.uk. Community We have this term received the sad news of the deaths of HH Adrian Smith and Sebastian Clegg of Deans Court. I hope their families can draw strength from the fact that the thoughts of all of us, their Northern Circuit family, are with them at this difficult time. I remind you all that the theme of my term as Leader is ‘Community’. We are all different – we practice in different areas and have different roles. I am proud of the fact that whether you are a junior practitioner, a KC, a Judge or a retired member, on the Northern Circuit there is a place for us all. We have more in common than we might think. Please come to mess and other circuit events which are planned, it will be lovely to see you. Please also feel free to contact me if there are any matters of which you think I should be made aware.  My very best wishes to you all Sam Hillas KC Leader of the Northern Circuit