Lawyer groups slow to applaud new justice secretary's appointment

Endorsements for Michael Gove MP have been slow in materialising as lawyers await more news of and about the new Lord Chancellor.

 

Gove, the second non-lawyer to fill the dual role of secretary of state for justice and Lord Chancellor in 400 years, will be tasked with completing the controversial legal reforms started by his predecessors Kenneth Clarke and Chris Grayling, and, according to reports, scrapping the Human Rights Act within 100 days.

While it would be an understatement to say that the legal profession never warmed to Gove's predecessor, Grayling, it has equally not jumped to congratulate the new justice secretary on his elevation from chief government whip to all knowing overseer of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

Representative welcome

The first representative bodies of the legal profession to toast Gove have been the Bar Council, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) and the London Solicitors Litigation Association (LSLA). At the time of publication there was no comment from the Law Society.

Alistair MacDonald QC, chairman of the Bar, said: “We congratulate Michael Gove on his appointment as Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor. We are looking forward to representing the Bar’s interests to the new Secretary of State, as well as other ministers and officials at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), to ensure that justice is a priority for the new government.

'We also extend our congratulations to other new ministers, including the new Secretary of State for Business, Innovations and Skills, Sajid Javid. The Department he leads has an important role to play, with the MoJ, in developing the value of the Bar to the business community both here in the UK and overseas.'

Frances Edwards, president of CILEx, said: 'I want to warmly congratulate Michael Gove on his appointment to the crucial role of secretary of state for justice and Lord Chancellor, and all at CILEx are looking forward to working with him. Michael's appointment is a statement of how important the work of the Ministry of Justice will be in this next parliament, and in the coming weeks I look forward to meeting with him and discussing his priorities.

'CILEx is eager to work constructively with the new government, though it must be acknowledged that legal professionals and experts feel their views have not been fully taken into account in recent years. I hope this trend is reversed, and I and my profession are ready to engage.'

Meanwhile, John Bramhall, president of LSLA, remarked: 'The LSLA congratulates Michael Gove on his appointment as justice secretary. Civil justice has seen a series of major reforms in recent years. We expect it will be another year or so before we can better assess the impact of measures such as increased court fees, which we fear will have particular impact on SMEs, given the disproportionate impact on claims in the £50k-£200k/£500k bracket.

'In the meantime we look forward to constructive dialogue with Michael Gove, to safeguarding access to justice for all and to ensuring that London remains the location of choice for clients for high value international dispute resolution.'

The legal Twitteratti

However, there has been a mixed welcome from individual lawyers on social media to the news of the new Lord Chancellor.

@JackofKent: 'Let's give any new Justice Secretary a chance before they are condemned. Playing into their hands to be dismissive before they even start.'

@AdamWagner1: 'Gove - really an unknown on justice. Reformer, very bright. Track record of winding up an entire profession in education though...'

@JoanneCecil: 'Gove?! All teachers breathe a sigh of relief. Anyone involved in Justice recoils in horror. Grayling was just the warm up act.'

@MRHarries:' You wait 340 years for a Lord Chancellor who's not a lawyer. And then two come along in quick succession.'

@MrJohnBates: 'Given Gove's past form on private emails & FOI, maybe it's now time for lawyers to brush up on #eDisclosure training?'

@jerryayes1: 'Grayling sucked the humanity out of legal system Gove's job is to rein in sinister agendas of officials. I trust him.'

 

John van der Luit-Drummond is deputy editor for Solicitors Journal
john.vanderluit@solicitorsjournal.co.uk | @JvdLD