Sub-Treasurer's Report, February 2019

Once Hall closes on 18 April, the Treasury Building will be unavailable to members until it reopens in Spring 2021.

Space within the Inn has been identified for offices for the Treasurer, all Treasury staff and the Porters during Project Pegasus, as well as for most committee meetings. A contract for nearby temporary Library premises is close to signature (after visits to several prospective sites) and preparations are being made for the storage of books, paintings, furniture and silver. In the absence of agreement by the City of London for the erection of temporary structures in the garden and carpark, work continues to place the Inn’s events in other venues – in the case of E&T events, the majority will take place in King’s College London. Call Night ceremonies will continue to take place in Temple Church with the receptions nearby. Middle Temple have agreed that Inner Temple Benchers can lunch at their High Table during this period: it is assumed other members will take up their option of lunching at the other Inns, while staff will probably be paid a lunch allowance to cover their contractual benefit.

The Investment Sub-Committee met on 28 January. Both of the Inn’s investment fund managers were considered to have performed well in volatile markets. The managers confirmed that by the end of January, a significant proportion of underperformance in the fourth quarter of 2018 had been recouped.

The Pension Scheme Trustees met on 14 and 18 February.

Regular meetings have begun with Sir Robert McAlpine Special Projects (SRM) and major sub-contractors to implement the Project Pegasus contract. A format for monthly reports to stakeholders once construction begins will be agreed.

The Estates Committee met on 29 January under the new Chair, Master Roger Stewart. The committee agreed to extend until Easter the deadline for permanent locking of the main doors to all staircases in Inner Temple where no consensus exists to keep them open. Most main doors are now locked 24/7, with ten cases where a consensus exists not to lock the doors during the working day and only two outstanding cases where no agreement exists. Requests have been made by some chambers opposing the decision for enhanced entry-phone equipment at the Inn’s expense. This will be discussed at Estates Committee.

Pupil Criminal Case Analysis Sessions were held on 15 and 17 January; a Mentor’s Dining Night qualifying session on 21 January; a Pupillage Advice and Networking Evening qualifying session on 22 January; a Pupil’s Advocacy residential weekend at Wotton House on 25-27 January; Insight Evening outreach events at Durham University on 29 January, Leicester on 7 February and Cardiff on 19 February; a Highgate House residential qualifying session weekend on immigration law on 1-3 February; Pupils’ Advocacy Application Days on 9 and 16 February; a Schools Project outreach event on 12 February; a Lecture Night qualifying session on 18 February; an Insight Evening outreach event in Cardiff on 19 February; and a Story-Telling and Improvisation Techniques in Advocacy training qualifying session on 23 February; and a Lecture and Mixed Dining Night qualifying session on 23 February .

Intervarsity Debating and Mooting events competitions took place over 18-20 January; a Students Societies Sub-Committee meeting was held on 21 January; and a well-attended ITSA Burns Night Supper was energetically enjoyed on 25 January.

Pegasus Trust scholarship interviews were conducted on 22 and 24 January. The Pegasus Trust Council of Management met on 7 February, followed by a dinner with current scholars.

The Education and Training Committee met on 29 January, largely to discuss business relating to the Bar Standards Board (BSB) – a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Inns of Court, COIC and the BSB. The MoU sets out the roles and responsibilities of the parties in relation to the education, training and qualification of barristers of England and Wales prior to Call to the Bar and covers student membership of an Inn, qualifying sessions, fit and proper person checks and quality assurance. The MoU will form part of the BSB’s new Future Bar Training programme under which to allow the former Inns of Court College of Advocacy (ICCA) to would deliver the proposed new, two-part Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC). The Committee also discussed the COIC response to a BSB consultation on fees and charges relating to the future Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC).

The Advocacy Training Committee met on 4 February to discuss feedback from the recent pupils’ advocacy courses and to approve the protocol for teacher-trainers.

Interviews for the new Dean of Education position took place on 7 and 8 February and a job offer was made to one outstanding candidate, subject to contract.

The following members of Inner Temple have been appointed Queen’s Counsel:

• Dr Guglielmo Verdirame
• James Roberts Esq
• Mohinderpal Sethi Esq
• Balraj Bhatia Esq
• John Cammegh Esq
• Miss Katherine Goddard
• Timothy Cray Esq
• William Upton Esq
• Jonathan Hand Esq
• Kevin Dent Esq
• William Bennett Esq
• Nicholas Craig Esq
• Damian Woodward-Carlton Esq
• Michael Goodwin Esq
• Miss Sian Mirchandani
• Dale Martin Esq
• Ms Charlotte Kilroy
• Daniel Shapiro Esq
• Timothy Buley Esq
• Christopher Smith Esq
• Miss Diya Sen Gupta
• Jonathan Rees Esq
• Mozammel Mohammad Hossain Esq
• Fionn Pilbrow Esq

Master Andenas (Dr Mads Andenas PhD MA DPhil) has been appointed a QC Honoris Causa.

The Treasurer will host a dinner for the Inn’s new Silks on Wednesday 8 May at the Vintners Hall, a Searcys venue, on 68 Upper Thames Street.

On 24 January, five of our Searcys staff were shortlisted for corporate awards (out of 1200 staff in total). They were in the top three in all cases and Adam Finnegan won the award for being “Exceptional Manager of the Year”. Mike Wilson, Inner Temple’s Head Chef left on 22 February after 13 years at the Inn (one as Head Chef) to become Executive Head Chef at the Honourable Artillery Company, a new venue for Searcys. We hope to see him back here in two years’ time.

A Social Context of the Law debate on Artificial Intelligence chaired by Master Nice took place on 28 January, with contributions from Master Firth-Butterfield and Richard Susskind. Master Buckland lectured on “The History of the Law Officers” on 18 February.

The last Private Guest Night to be held in Inner Temple for two years took place on 30 January; the last such Benchers Night on February; and the last such Sunday Lunch on 24 February.

The Bar Liaison Committee met on 11 February. Agenda items included terms of reference for and membership of a working group to consider issues relating to the BLC and maternity and childcare, and a working party to draft a response on behalf of the BLC to the BSB consultation on fees and charges in relation to the future BPTC (see above).

The Treasurer Nomination Committee (TNC) met on 18 February and considered ways in which submission of the names of potential future Treasurers could be invited before the TNC makes formal nominations. A Bencher Nomination Committee meeting took place on 27 February.

Drinks were held on 19 February to mark Michael Ellis’s completion of 30 years working for the Surveyor’s Department.

The Temple Women’s Forum met on 28 February under the theme of “How Far Have We Come – Then, Now and the Future – Reflections on How We Have Progressed Since Women Gained the Vote”. Introduced by Co-convenor HHJ Sapnara, the forum took the form of conversations between Master Reader-Elect (and Co-Convenor) and the speakers. Speakers included: The Rt Hon Baroness Kennedy QC (Labour Peer), Dana Denis-Smith (100 Years Project), Judith Bourne (St Mary’s University), Dr Maggie Semple OBE FCGI (academic, business woman and QC Appointments) and Suella Braveman MP (Conservative MP for Fareham and member of Middle Temple) and was attended by 160 members of the Inns. Master Reader-Elect took the opportunity to encourage relevant attendees to nominate or be prepared to be considered as nominees to be Governing Benchers, in order to create an ever more diverse Bench Table at Inner Temple.

Master Melville chaired a Car Park Committee meeting on 19 February to review end-of-year income for 2018. Although income from daily permits held up well against figures for 2017, overall income was down due to lower revenue for use of the car park by film production companies.

Filming for the third series of period drama Harlots took place on 23 February in Church Court and Inner Temple Lane. A Channel 5 documentary Inside the Tower will film in the Committee Room on Thursday 7 March featuring Edward VI’s Devise for the Succession, by kind assistance of the Librarian. Post WWII spy drama, Traitor, filmed at Inner and Middle Temple in 2018 (under the pre-release name of Jerusalem), is currently showing on Channel 4.

The Library Committee met on 13 February and agreed to dispose of three rarely or never used European and international law series.

The Sri Lankan High Commissioner lunched in Hall with Master Treasurer, Master Gloster, Master Dias, Master Prandzioch and the Sub-Treasurer on 22 January.

The International Committee met on 19 February under the new Chairmanship of Master Flaux.

Members of staff have been undertaking (free) training by the City of London Police on cyber crime.

The City of London Police have also been involved recently in testing the Inn's IT security, with excellent results. The report showed that there are no areas of major concern. The Technology & Communications Officer will make some changes to the Inn's website security to ensure best practice; some legacy documents which are still online (and showing email addresses that are no longer in use) will be taken down.

The IT Department is proceeding with cabling for the temporary accommodation in Mitre Court and 3 King's Bench Walk, as well as the move of network infrastructure for the Wi-Fi, the telephone system, the Potting Shed, and the Porters' security system, from the Treasury Building to Mitre Court.

The IT Department is working with the Librarian and the Director of Properties to ensure that the temporary Library building has the required network infrastructure in place.

On 18 February an inter-faith tree planting gathering took place within the Inner Temple Garden as part of an initiative by the Faith’s Forum for London (backed by the Mayor of London). Attendees included representatives from the Muslim Association of Lawyers, The Faith’s Forum for London, The Inner Temple and the City Sikhs organisation. Trees planted included a multi-stemmed Japanese maple, Acer palamatum ‘Sango Kaku’, that has wonderful red bark and should create year-round interest; and a flowering cherry, Prunus ‘Ukon’, which has beautiful soft yellow blossom in spring.

The works to extend the irrigation system to the High Borders has been completed successfully. This work, together with arrangements for the irrigation system to run off the Bore Hole for the first time this year will result in watering the Garden in a more sustainable manner - one of the Garden’s key priorities over the coming years.

A Temple Music Foundation Board Meeting took place on 5 February and a Temple Church Committee Meeting on 28 February. Master Tomlinson took over as Chair of the Church Committee with unanimous Bench Table and Executive Committee support when Ian Mayes QC of Middle Temple stepped down. David Mildon QC of Middle Temple became Treasurer.

Choral Evensong on 27 February was a special St David’s event and featured the London Welsh Male Voice Choir, including the Surveyor.

A History Society Lecture by Master Lawrence on “My Life of Crime – Cases and Causes” took place on 4 February. This was followed by a dinner in honour of Master Baker, to thank him for his 26 years as Master of the Archives.

A COIC Board Meeting took place on 26 February. The BSB MoU and fees consultations (see above) were high on the agenda. Work is also continuing to agree an anti-harassment policy that meets BSB constraints (primarily that barristers advising on potential harassment cases should not investigate these without reporting them to the BSB).