AUTUMN 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Officers

 

President

Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC

 

Deputy-President

Joyce Arram

 

Chairman

Jonathan Marks QC

 

Vice Chairmen

David Ive

David Owen-Jones

 

Treasurer

Amy Sullivan-Weeks

 

Press Officer

Joanna Shaw

 

Secretary 

Jo Jackson

 

 

 

Committee

 

HH John Baker

John Burnett

Leslie Dubow

Jo Hayes

Jonathan Mitchell

James Sandbach

Anthony Scrivener QC

Lord Phillips of Sudbury

Steven Rhodes

 

 
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GENERAL ELECTION SUCCESS

The LDLA's three MPs, Sir Menzies Campbell QC, Simon Hughes and Norman Lamb were all returned to Parliament in the 2005 general election, which saw 62 Liberal Democrats elected, more than at any election since Asquith led the Liberal Party in 1923.

 

In Fife North East, Sir Menzies' majority increased from 17,926 in 2001 to 20,088, showing a 3.2% swing from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats.   Norman Lamb's Norfolk North constituents returned him with a majority of 10,606, up from 483 in 2001, while in North Southwark and Bermondsey Party President Simon Hughes was safely returned for the 7th time with a majority of 5,406.

 

Other LDLA candidates included former Association Secretary, Emily Gasson, who missed capturing Dorset North by a little over 2,000 votes. Committee member Jonathan Mitchell, pushed the Tories into third place with 24% of the vote at Dulwich & West Norwood, up from 10.8% in 2001.  The election saw the departure from Parliament of John Burnett, who stood down in Torridge and West Devon after 9 years and who, as Legal Affairs Spokesman and then as Shadow Attorney General, has been an active and enthusiastic member of the Committee.

Candidates'  Briefing

For the first time the Association produced a concise candidates' briefing on legal issues on which the Association had worked during the last Parliament.  These included the Criminal Justice System, Constitutional Reform, Human Rights and Legal Aid.  Work on the final draft of the Briefing was completed at the Oxford Conference at the beginning of April.  The Briefing was then approved by party headquarters and circulated to every candidate.   Copies also went to the specialist press, legal affairs correspondents of the major newspapers and all relevant legal pressure groups and associations.

 

A copy of the Candidates'  Briefing may be found on the Association's redesigned website at  www.libdemlawyers.org.uk  from 20 September 2005

 

Appeal

The LDLA Appeal, which preceded the election by some months at the request of the Party Chief Executive, Lord Rennard, raised well over £5,000 for use in target seats prior to the campaign.

 
   

BAR COUNCIL CHAIRMAN AT BLACKPOOL FRINGE

 

Guy Mansfield, QC, Chairman of the General Council of the Bar is to address a meeting jointly organised by the LDLA, the Bar Council and the Access to Justice Alliance at  6.15 pm on Monday 19 September in Blackpool at the Liberal Democrat Conference.   The theme of the meeting will be "The Crisis in Legal Aid" and speakers will consider the question "Are we Serious about Equality before the Law?".    David Heath MP, Party Spokesman at the Lord Chancellor's Department in the House of Commons, and James Sandbach from the Access to Justice Alliance and Citizens Advice, will speak with Mr Mansfield.

 
Text Box: WATCHING BIG BROTHER In a second LDLA fringe meeting at Blackpool at 6.15 pm on Tuesday 20 September, Simon Hughes MP, and Baroness Kishwer Falkner will consider the difficult questions posed by the use of modern surveillance techniques. While of proven benefit in the detection of crime and terrorism, CCTV, phone-tapping, computer logging and other surveillance techniques have serious implications for civil liberties. Speaking to the title “Watching Big Brother” speakers will consider what control citizens can have over surveillance and how civil liberties may be safeguarded.  

Text Box: WEBSITE REDESIGN The LDLA website has undergone a major redesign to make it more user-friendly and much more informative. The new website will be live from Tuesday 20 September 2005, after any final changes have been made by the Association Committee, which is to review it in Blackpool. The website will carry a notice board of forthcoming events, contact details, a downloadable membership form, newsletters and a library of articles and publications produced by the Association, as well as links to other relevant sites. www.libdemlawers.org.uk

Text Box: NEW PRESS OFFICER Committee Member Joanna Shaw has agreed to become the Association's Press Officer in a bid to raise the profile of the Association in the press and among the party at large. Joanna is a barrister with a wide civil law practice.

       
Text Box: INTERNATIONAL LAW WORKING GROUP LDLA members are heavily involved in the Working Group established by the Federal Policy Committee to examine changes in International Law in the light of recent events. LDLA members Diana Wallis MEP, Neville Hunnings, Secretary of the LibDem European Group, Gary Lawson, who is on the Executive of the Liberal International British Group, and Joanna Shaw, who has a particular interest in human rights law, join Lord Wallace and others to update policy in this fast moving field. LDLA Chairman and FPC member Jonathan Marks QC comments: “International events over the last few years have raised crucial new questions of international law. The UN Charter as it stands offers no adequate answers to questions about humanitarian intervention, as raised in Kosovo, of self defence against terrorist organisations, as in Afghanistan, nor as to how nations may respond to perceived breaches of UN Resolutions, which were claimed to justify the war in Iraq. Then again, the structures of the United Nations need overhauling to bring them up to date and to enable the international body to regain the respect and standing it has so badly lost over recent years. Contributing to this Working Group is some of the most important work lawyers in the Liberal Democrats can do for the Party”.
       
Text Box: ANNUAL DINNER GOES TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS Following the very successful 2005 Annual Dinner in the House of Lords, the 2006 Dinner will take place in the House of Commons on Monday 6 February 2006. Guests will be welcome. The cost is expected to be in the region of £50 per head. A Guest Speaker will be announced shortly.

27 TO GO!

With 223 members, the LDLA is now just 27 short of its 250 target, which will justify an application for “Specified Associated Organization” (SAO) status within the Liberal Democrats. SAO status will enable the Association to submit motions to Conference in its own name, rather than through local parties as at present. There are still lawyers in the Liberal Democrats who have not yet joined the LDLA. If you know any, please join them up! A copy of the new membership application form accompanies this Newsletter.

 

LAW SOCIETY LEGAL AID DEBATE

 

LDLA Chairman, Jonathan Marks QC, was one of the panel speakers at the Legal Aid debate organised by the Law Society on 23 June, making the Liberal Democrats the only political party represented on the panel.   The new Master of the Rolls, Lord Phillips, and Lord Justice Gage were among the other speakers.   The debate was chaired by Kevin Martin, the President of the Law Society,  and attended by about 150 prominent lawyers.   The Conservative Shadow Attorney General, Dominic Grieve MP, spoke from the floor.
       
Text Box: FORTHCOMING EVENTS Monday 19 September 2005, 6.15 pm Joint Fringe Meeting on Legal Aid with Bar Council and Access to Justice Alliance, with Guy Mansfield QC, David Heath MP and James Sandbach Opera House Foyer Bar Annexe Winter Gardens, Blackpool Tuesday 20 September 2005, 6.15 pm Fringe Meeting on Surveillance with Simon Hughes MP and Baroness Falkner Opera House Foyer Bar Annexe Winter Gardens, Blackpool Tuesday 29 November, 6 pm AGM, 4 Pump Court, Temple, London EC4 Monday 6 February 2006 Annual Dinner, House of Commons Wednesday 22 February 2006 80 Club Lecture 6.30 pm National Liberal Club Friday 3 March – Sunday 5 March 2006 Liberal Democrat Spring Conference Harrogate Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 April 2006 Oxford Conference (provisional)