Dear all
Please see below our latest Northern Circuit News Update
Any requests to include information for future Circuit News Updates (which will be sent to all members and judicial members of circuit (current and retired), pupils and chambers’ senior clerks for dissemination) should be sent to Clare.
However, please note that we are trying to limit the number of Circuit emails so please ensure you send any requests to Clare at least two weeks in advance of the date you require any information to be circulated. Otherwise, be prepared to wait until the next Circuit News Update goes out before the information is circulated.
Justice needs Juries Campaign/Leveson report
You will have seen the news that the Government proposes to push through their proposals to restrict jury trials in the next couple of months. They intend to do so through the Courts and Tribunals Bill which has now been published and can be found here .
I want to reassure everyone that the Circuit Leaders, the Bar Council and the CBA are regularly meeting to discuss the next steps in fighting these proposals and I shall keep you all informed.
In the meantime, may I repeat the request from the Bar Council for as many people as possible to sign the open letter to the Prime Minister . Please share the link with your networks.
Advocate – ATP donations
Circuit is a Silver Sponsor of Advocate, the Bar’s pro bono charity, demonstrating our support for the important work they carry out. Every Spring, barristers have the opportunity to make a real difference to ensuring that important work continues. During the Authorisation to Practise (ATP) process on MyBar, you will see an option to support Advocate by donating £35 - a simple step that helps keep their service running. These donations make up over 40% of Advocate’s annual income. Please consider ticking the box if you can. Your donation will help Advocate continue to connect people to expert representation that can change the course of their lives. Please find attached a link to information from Advocate about how Circuit can help.
Circuit events
Bar Council visit and drop in sessions Liverpool and Preston – 5 and 6 March 2026
Venue:
5 March 2026 Liverpool Civil and Family Court (10am to 11.30am); St John’s Buildings Liverpool (2.30pm to 3.30pm)
6 March 2026 Preston Combined Court Centre (11.30am to 1pm); Winckley Square Chambers (2.30pm to 3.30pm)
Kirsty Brimelow KC, the Chair of the Bar Council and her team are visiting the Northern Circuit next week and would like to meet with and speak to as many barristers as possible. There will be drop in sessions taking place in both robing rooms on the mornings of the dates set out above and in SJB Liverpool and Winckley Square conference rooms on the Thursday and Friday afternoons, when refreshments will be provided. I would encourage as many of you as possible to come along to meet with Kirsty. She is interested to know what is happening on Circuit and whether there are any issues she can push forward for us at a national level.
Liverpool Grand Court - 5 March 2026
Venue: Royal Liver Building Pier Head, Liverpool, L3 1HU
Numbers are a little low for Liverpool Grand Court on 5 March 2006. That is expected due to the huge Circuit turnout for the congratulatory mess at St George’s Hall on 14 March 2026. However, we have a number of pupils being elected to Circuit that evening and in addition, Kirsty Brimelow KC will be in attendance. Please do book on to show your support if you are able to come. If that isn’t already enough to tempt you, Circuit’s Attorney General Martin Reid KC will be giving the speech that night. I expect it to be very entertaining.
Manchester Grand Court - 2 April 2026
Venue: Midland Hotel Peter Street, Manchester, M60 2DS.
Northern Circuit Advocacy Committee International Expert Witness Training Weekend – 15 to 17 May 2026
Venue: Lancaster House Hotel, Green Ln, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4GJ.
There are still some places available for this exceptional course being run by the Northern Circuit. The Circuit has forged close links with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to provide a first-rate training package for all practitioners whose area of practice includes the handling of expert evidence. Click here for further details of the course and costs. The event is open to non-members.
For all bookings for mess and the expert witness training weekend, please can members use the members area via the website. Retired or non-members should contact Clare on the Admin email .
Other events:
WICL – Women’s Faces Project – 9 March 2026, Manchester Crown Square
There are places still available for this event being organised by WICL 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 place can be booked at the event using this link .
Young Citizens - Bar Mock Trials National Final and Steering Group – March 2026
Venue: Royal Courts of Justice
The National Final of the Bar Mock Trial Competition 2025-2026 will take place at the Royal Courts of Justice on 21 of March 2026. The event will bring together 24 winning state schools from heats across the country, from 232 schools who competed.
Young Citizens have asked Circuit to nominate a judge for the National Final. Judges play a vital role in making the experience meaningful for the students. It is a full-day commitment (9.30am-4.30pm) and judges will hear three cases. This could be a sitting or retired judge or a experienced practitioner who wants to get involved. If you are able to assist, please could you let Clare or I know as soon as possible.
Young Citizens also has a steering group and they invited a member of Circuit to join it. It will take place on 4 March, 12.30-1.30pm, with the option to join on Teams or in person at the Justice Hub, Juxon House. Again, if you would like to get involved in this project, please do let us know as soon as possible. I appreciate this is short notice.
MP Court visit - 10 April 2026
Venue: Chester Crown Court
Esther McVey MP (Con, Tatton) - Chester Crown Court will be in the robing room at lunchtime 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 she is properly informed.
PIBA Conference for Junior Practitioners – 16 May 2026
Venue: Deans Court Chambers
PIBA is once again hosting a conference for junior personal injury practitioners on Circuit. The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (2.5 CPD hours) and is free to attend.
The conference is intended to appeal to practitioners of up to 10 years’ call, although all are most welcome.
In order to book your place at this event, or if you have any queries please contact Matthew Hooper the PIBA Northern Circuit Representative.
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Bereavement service for children training event – 2 July 2026
Venue: Manchester Civil Justice Centre
A training event is taking place in conjunction with the Sunflower Group and Bury Hospice led by Her Honour Judge Singleton. The event will take place in the Events Suite from 1pm to 2pm. A flyer for the event is here . To book a place, please contact Lynda Howard at Manchester CJC
Manchester Legal Walk – 4 July 2026
Venue: Manchester/Salford Quays
This fabulous money-raising event is taking place this year on 4 July 2026 to support the children’s bereavement service at Bury Hospice. The walk is 10 miles but please do consider joining even for a mile or two. You will be joining some great friends of Circuit and it is a smashing day. A link to the flyer is here.
Community:
We celebrated at Preston mess on 26 February the recent elevations to the Circuit Bench of Her Honour Judge Charlotte Deane and His Honour Judge Paul Hodgkinson. We also welcomed Her Honour Judge Kirsty Gunn from the Cayman Islands as she took up her position at Preston Crown Court.
We also marked in very lively manner to a packed room in Preston the retirement of HH Heather Lloyd, a legend of the Northern Circuit. Circuit wishes her a long and happy retirement.
I have been sad to report this week the deaths of HH Robert Brown and Sue Wright (Sherman). Writing those notices is an awful part of the Leader’s job but the messages of support the Circuit office receives really do mean a lot, thank you. Messages of condolence will be passed onto the families.
A number of you have asked about sending flowers or donations to Sue’s family. Sue never wanted people to waste money on flowers. In lieu of flowers, she preferred people to donate money to benefit her three foster children, Kiera, Corey and Miley. Her partner Faisal has set up a donations page for the children which can be found here .
We send love from our Northern Circuit family to theirs.
Please do come to mess. It does not feel like my feet have touched the ground since I became Leader at the beginning of January but I do very much like catching up with old friends and meeting new ones.
As ever, please 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