We all have a choice

You would have thought that by now Chris Grayling would have cottoned on to the fact that most of the legal profession hasn’t warmed to his charms, agreed with his political reasoning or accepted him as their rightful representative at the cabinet table.

Not a week goes by without the Lord Chancellor taking the blame for something or other. It’s such a popular sport that even supporters of his own party have expressed their surprise at his naivety.

Most of the time the criticism seems fair and the profession has, until now, united in its disdain. However, sometimes the attacks are unfounded and unnecessary. This week, for example, the justice secretary has been lampooned as the definition of hypocrisy for hosting the Global Law Summit.

Next month, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), alongside UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), a host of international law firms, the Law Society and the Bar Council, will welcome to Westminster delegates from around the world for a three-day conference to celebrate ‘Britain’s unrivalled legal expertise’ and the rule of law. When better to do this than in the year we commemorate Magna Carta and at a time when the UK is in economic recovery mode? After the election, say some critics.

Leading the charge is the Justice Alliance, which has called for a boycott of the summit and rolled out its own ‘Not the Global Law Summit’ event launching simultaneously with its government rival. Kicking off with a knockdown price celebrity comedy night, it’s difficult to see this as a true rival, more of a complementary fringe event. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It should be welcomed.

The profession is under enough external pressure from, yes, government cuts, costs wars, increased court fees, alternative advisers and competition from other jurisdictions. Let’s not now start fighting and dividing among ourselves. 

At £1,500 per ticket, the summit is not cheap. But it isn’t expensive either, for any equivalent commercial event. Have you seen the cost of CPD courses and international trade events lately? World class speakers, central London conference facilities, networking and supporting events come at a cost. Personally, I could think of other ways to spend that money – then again I could think of better ways to spend my time and money than on a skiing holiday. That’s surely the point. I have the choice. You have the choice.

Now isn’t the time to politicise the timing, cost or guest list of an event that you can choose whether or not to attend. Let’s come together and welcome the world to our country. Let’s celebrate the diversity in our profession. Let’s laugh when the time is right, protest when we must and remember that this job isn’t about us, but the people – and businesses – that rely on us. The legal processes we are revered for aren’t (yet) broken beyond repair. If we’re to get through this, we all need to work together, support one another and choose our fights carefully.

And if you are in the market for some excellent value learning and development, SJ Live returns next month. Check out www.sjeventslive.com for more details. We can't promise Boris Johnson in our speaker line-up, but that's not such a bad thing. Is it?

Kevin Poulter, editor at large

#SJPOULTER editorial@solicitorsjournal.co.uk

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