MTSA Disability History Month Exhibition 2021
In celebration of Disability History Month and International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the MTSA has curated an exhibition to highlight disabled barristers and their work.
This exhibition aims to continue to push the bounds of inclusion by highlighting the need to break away from the traditional preconceptions of what the bar looks like. It showcases
barristers at all stages of their legal journey ranging from those who are seeking pupillage to those appointed to the House of Lords.
We hope that it acts as a catalyst for conversations revolving around the continued work necessary to ensure that the Bar becomes more accessible.
Additionally, as we approach the pupillage application period, we hope that this exhibition will provide timely inspiration for future barristers with disabilities to continue to strive for excellence as they will be able to see representations of the fact that their goals are achievable.
JOHN HORAN
John Horan specialises in all kinds of anti-discrimination work and employment law.
On the day before the millennium John Horan had a stroke — it changed his life and made him a passionate discrimination lawyer. His extensive experience in battling for the rights of disabled people has led to expertise in employment, goods and services, education and public authorities.
John was the first barrister to receive guidance from the EAT about disabled people’s rights before any court or tribunal. In 2016 John was listed by Power 100 as one of Britain’s most influential people with a disability. In 2015 John hosted the European Commission’s Monitoring Conference in Brussels on the Rights of People with Disabilities and the Courts.
John successfully challenged the state honour system in Trinidad for fostering differences and not being in compliance with international law. He also successfully challenged the terms offered to part-time high court judges as discriminatory at Croydon Employment Tribunal.
His views have lead to him being regularly interviewed by BBC’s Ouch! and the national media and press. He champions the rights of the disability community and was awarded Bar Council “Pro Bono Lawyer for the Year” in 2003.
John appears frequently for law centres, the FRU, ELAAS, Bar Pro Bono Unit and the Disability Law Association as well as well-known solicitors firms.
CHRISTINA WARNER
Christina Warner is a family and animal protection barrister at Goldsmith Chambers.
Having been described as a “powerful” and “charismatic” advocate, Christina channels her efforts into raising awareness of the needs of LGBT people, Spanish, and Portuguese-speaking communities and those with disabilities accessing the family courts. Having also been called a “pioneer” in the field of animal protection law, she has campaigned to promote the link between violence towards animals and children and domestic abuse.
Christina has been praised for her tireless dedication to promoting the rights of LGBT people and their children through pro bono contributions to charities and projects and has been credited by Amnesty UK, the UK Diversity Legal Awards, Lawyer Monthly, WeAreTheCity Awards, Inspirational Women in Law Awards and the Pro Bono Advocate Awards.
Having been diagnosed with Stargardts Disease (juvenile macular degeneration), a genetic condition which causes blindness, Christina has turned her hand to working with those living with disabilities and the need for greater transparency and inclusion of those of the community seeking access to justice. Christina’s experience working at the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court has further focused her work on raising awareness of the impact of international conflict on disabled women and girls.
Christina proudly represents the small yet diverse community of barristers with disabilities. Having been appointed Social Mobility Advocate for the Bar Council in 2021 she is regularly published as well as being a keynote speaker at international events. Citing ground-breaking queer/disabled/feminist icons such as Frida Kahlo, Marsha P. Johnson, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a huge source of inspiration to her.
BARONESS JANE CAMPELL
Jane Campbell is considered to be one of the most powerful leaders of the Disability Movement in Britain, especially when she Chaired the British Council of Disabled People from 1991–1995. During this period she led the campaign for disabled people’s antidiscrimination legislation, which culminated in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The first disability civil rights act to make it unlawful to discriminate against disabled persons in connection with: employment, the provision of goods, facilities and services, the disposal or management of premises; to make provision about the employment of disabled people; and to establish a National Disability Council.
Throughout her 40 — year career she has never ceased campaigning for the Rights of Disabled People and others who experience discrimination on grounds of their race, gender, sexual identity, religion, age and other social disadvantage. She has accomplished this, through parliamentary engagement both as a grassroots campaigner and later as an independent crossbench member of the House of Lords. However, disability rights has always been her passion. She has always put energy into creating practical ways to enable disabled people from all sectors of society to take full control of their lives and actively participate in progressive social and political change.
‘Nothing about us’, without us, is at the core of all her work.
She is particularly known for her campaigns for my work on Independent Living rights, equal access to health care and access to housing and the environment. In 2002 Jane founded Not Dead yet UK, the only effective opposition by disabled people to increasing calls for Assisted Suicide legislation. She sees assisted suicide as a great threat to the lives of disabled people, who in the absence of effective health and social care support services and equality of opportunity, are far less in a position to exercise effective choice about whether or not to end their lives prematurely (so-called “assisted suicide”).
Since joining the House of Lords in 2007 as an Independent Crossbencher, Jane has played key roles in securing a range of disability rights, in social care portability, environmental access, social care Direct Payments and Personal Health Budgets, transport accessibility and Access to Justice. She has also effectively fought off three Private Members Bills to legalise assisted suicide. She is currently a trustee of several charities/NGOs or patron, dedicated to advancing the rights and inclusion of disabled people and other protected diverse groups.
DR. GREGORY BURKE
Dr Gregory Burke has been a wheelchair-user and a disabled walker since the age of 16 following severe encephalitis. He was in hospital and rehabilitation for nearly 4 years.
State-school educated through-out, Gregory read History at King’s College, Cambridge; accepted on the basis of the interview alone as he had not sat any exams. He went onto win 3 awards and prestigious studentships and completed an MPhil and PhD.
In 2000 Gregory founded AccessAble.co.uk to empower disabled people with confidence to access venues and services by providing Detailed Access Guides. He established and grew AccessAble for 12 years and remains its Chair. AccessAble serves over 430,000 people every month. Cranfield MBA magazine named him “one of the UK’s top social entrepreneurs”.
In 2011 Gregory won the Blackstones/OUP inaugural Criminal Advocacy Competition. He was fortunate enough to receive two scholarships from Lincoln’s Inn.
Called in 2012, Gregory undertook pupillage at 7BR where he was offered and accepted tenancy. In 2017, he became Head of the Employment Team.
In 2019, Gregory won the UK Bar Award for an Outstanding Contribution to Diversity & Inclusion (Future Leader). He has been ranked in the top 100 most influential disabled people in the UK for the last three years.
Gregory features as an employment law leading junior in the directories noted for being an “accomplished advocate with superb knowledge…particularly adept at cross-examining expert witnesses.
COURTNEY STEP-MARSDEN
Courtney was called to the Bar by Gray’s Inn in 2019, as a Hebe Plunkett Scholar. She undertook her Bar Training Practice Course and pupillage with visual impairment. Since being offered tenancy in 2020, She has undertaken a range of work including employment, Court of Protection, public law and commercial work. She has a particular interest in disability discrimination cases due to her own experiences with disability.
DIEGO SOTO-MIRANDA
Diego is a barrister at 1 Essex Court Chambers with a wide-ranging practice in international and domestic commercial law, as well as other areas of civil practice, including defamation, professional negligence, human rights law and chancery, litigating in both domestic courts and tribunals. His practice includes both advisory work and litigation and he appears in cases in the Commercial Court, Queen’s Bench Division and Chancery Division. In addition, he has appeared before both the Immigration Appeals Tribunal and Employment Tribunals.
Diego has a disability called “Spinal Muscular Atrophy” or in his case specifically SMA-Type 2. It makes him entirely wheelchair dependant. Diego has written the book ‘Diego’s Story’ which is an autobiographical and philosophical account of growing up with his disability and becoming a barrister.
One of Diego’s most notable cases is Bewry v Reed Elsevier UK Ltd (trading as LexisNexis) and another — [2015] 1 WLR 2565 Court of Appeal where HHJ Moloney QC’s decision was overturned. HHJ Moloney QC had found that despite the learned judge’s extensive experience in defamation law, he had been wrong in his exercise of discretion when he granted the Claimant’s Application for an extension of the limitation period to issue defamation proceedings as per s.32ALimitation Act 1980 in circumstances where the claimant had been unaware of the publication of an allegedly defamatory case report for one year and thereafter had entered into negotiations for the publication of an amended report and correction. It had been reasonable for the claimant to seek to negotiate a settlement rather than to commence proceedings. However, the Court of Appeal found that the Judge had failed to take enough account in his reasoning of the claimant’s lack of explanation for his delay in issuing the claim.
Another notable case is Schenker Limited v The Sewing Machine Company Limited (Claim No: 6GG00983) London Merchantile Court which was a Multi-jurisdictional claim and counterclaim arising from a dispute over the terms of a C.I.F Hong Kong Sea Waybill and the losses resulting from the damage to industrial machinery during carriage.
FAISEL SADIQ
Faisel studied law at QMUL and UCL. In 1999, he was awarded a Major Scholarship by the Inner Temple and was called to the Bar in 2000. After pupillage he spent four-years as an employed barrister in the Government Legal Service before returning to the self-employed Bar in 2005. Since then, his practice has focused on property disputes.
He is Vice Chair of the Bar Council’s Equality, Diversity and Social Mobility Committee and Chair of the Bar Council’s Disability Panel. He is an active member of the Inner Temple and has been a Bencher since 2018.
In 2019, Faisel won the Chambers and Partners award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion.
Faisel was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis in 2010 and has learned to manage his condition whilst maintaining his practice.”
SARAH PHILLIMORE
Sarah’s disability is proximal focal femoral deficiency which required an above knee amputation.
Sarah was called to the Bar in 1994 and worked at City University and the Law Commission before joining Chambers in London in 1998. She then moved to St Johns Chambers in Bristol in 2010 and have specialised in public law family proceedings ever since. She is the site administrator for www.childprotectionresource.online and in 2020 was awarded ‘Family Law Commentator of the Year’ at the Family Law Awards.
Sarah wears an artificial leg to get about which can be challenging on circuit as many court buildings are not easily accessible to disabled people and even where there are lifts, these are often out of order. She hopes that she can be a good example to other potential barristers with mobility issues — it is possible to have a fulfilling and enjoyable career, particularly so now when electronic bundles are the norm and the days of lugging six lever arch files around in wheely bags on the tube are long gone!
DANIEL HOLT
Daniel is a future Pupil Barrister at 39 Essex Chambers. He is also the Founding Chair of the Association of Disabled Lawyers (‘ADL’), which was the first independent, pan-profession organisation of people working in and studying law with impairments and physical and mental health conditions. The ADL is a community and network raising awareness of the fact that disabled people and people with health conditions can study and practice law. It also champions the welfare and rights of disabled people and people with health conditions in wider society. It achieves its aims through engagement, events, campaigning and research.
Daniel was educated in special needs schools and is a seasoned disability rights activist. He has engaged with the Bar Standards Board, Legal Services Board, Solicitors Regulatory Authority, and many other organisations to help improve the experiences of lawyers and students with health conditions. He was a Disability Rights UK Trustee until 31st December 2019 when his second term came to an end. Daniel was ‘highly commended’ at the European Diversity Awards 2018 and is a recipient of Middle Temple’s Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Award, Blackstone Exhibition Award and Certificate of Honour. He had previously received a Campaign of the Year Award for his work on improving accessibility.
Daniel has a long-standing participation in pro bono cases and has volunteered with Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre, Hackney Community Law Centre, and the Free Representation Unit. He has a particular interest in social security cases and relishes helping those in vulnerable situations to access support. He completed an LLM in Clinical Legal Education with Distinction and attained 92% in his dissertation reflecting upon his cases.
ANDREW DAKOUTROS
Andrew Dakoutros is a barrister for the Government Legal Department where he works in the Home Office Litigation Department. He is lead lawyer for advocacy and runs the in-house advocacy scheme. He specialises in public and immigration law. Andrew has Dyslexia, Attention Deficit disorder and severe anxiety.
Coming from an under-privileged and, non-English speaking background, Andrew learned to speak English by watching tv when he was young. He found coping mechanisms to work with his disabilities. He attended a state comprehensive school in North London and worked full time throughout his degrees and bar course. Since qualifying as a barrister and finishing pupillage at 39 Essex street and GLD, Andrew runs a busy practice, but also focuses on being an advocate for disabled students and members of the bar. In 2021, he was honoured to be appointed a social mobility ambassador by the Bar Council. Andrew speaks openly about his disabilities and how they influence the way he works. Living with anxiety, ADD and dyslexia are all manageable and Andrew makes it absolutely clear that they are not barriers to a successful career at the bar.
REBECCA HAWKES- REYNOLDS
Rebecca is a barrister and an archaeologist. Before embarking on a career at the Bar, she gained a PhD in archaeology. She is fascinated by human interaction with and control over their environment. Therefore, she aspires to practice in planning and environmental law. While she is still applying for pupillage, she tries to retain an active role in the Inn, as a member of the Hall Committee and participating in other activities wherever possible. Currently, she works as a Heritage Consultant in planning. In addition to this she teaches at the Institute of Art and Law and publishes on various aspects of cultural heritage law and its relationship with the historic environment. She has lectured for Christies Master’s program and for the University of Southampton.
Rebecca has a mobility impairment as a result of a disability from birth and uses a wheelchair to get around.
All Barristers showcased have given their consent to be included in this exhibition.
