Criminal Law Week and the Criminal Bar Association Annual Lecture Series 2025

CBA/CLW Series “Kindness at the Bar: promoting positive working practices in the legal profession.”

Thursday 16th October

18.00 – 19.00hrs

A timely reminder of the importance of wellbeing at the Bar. Following initial research in 2022, by the Bar Council’s working group on “Wellness At The Bar”, the South Eastern Circuit and Red Lion Chambers commissioned Professor Robin Banerjee to lead a follow-up piece of research designed to deepen and extend our understanding of: a) the nature and impacts of kindness at the Bar on self and others; b) the factors that act as barriers to higher levels of kindness; and c) the mechanisms felt to be helpful for enabling or actively promoting greater kindness at the Bar.

The report, prepared by Professor Robin Banerjee, Dr Claire Durrant together with Valerie Charbitt and Nicola Shannon KC, highlights the importance of Kindness at the Bar and offers insight as to what can be done to achieve it.

Presented by Valerie Charbitt (Red Lion Court) and Nicola Shannon KC (Furnival Chambers).

In addition to a practice which encompasses serious and multi-handed cases, Valerie sits as a part-time judge for the First Tier Tribunal (Mental Health), and specialises in child and adolescent cases. She also represents health authorities before the First Tier Tribunal and the Upper Tribunal, in restricted cases. Since 2022, Valerie has been sitting as a part-time assistant coroner for West London Coroner’s Court. She is instructed in the Lampard Inquiry and was instructed in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Nicola Shannon KC, specialising in serious, organised crime, was appointed as a Recorder (Crime) with authorisation to try serious sexual offences. In 2024 she was appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport as a Board Member of UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), the body responsible for protecting and promoting clean sport in the UK.

Introduced by Helen Dawson of the CBA Education and Training Committee

The access link will be circulated on the afternoon of the 16th October.

CBA/CLW Series “Public Inquiries Uncovered: What Every Criminal Barrister Should Know”

Tuesday 28th October

18.00 – 19.00

An introduction to public inquiries and the role of a criminal barrister within that, presented by Maya Sikand KC and Kate Wilkinson KC, in conjunction with Criminal Law Week.

Maya Sikand KC (Doughty Street Chambers) specialises in civil liberties and human rights, appointed as a Recorder (Crime) in April 2018. Maya is ranked in the legal directories for her expertise in police law, civil liberties and human rights, and inquests/inquiries. She was shortlisted by Legal 500 for Public Law Silk of the Year in 2023 and Civil Liberties and Human Rights Junior of the Year in 2020. She is also a founding board member of the charity ‘Just for Kids Law’. She is currently acting in the Lampard Inquiry, instructed for two of the families.

Kate Wilkinson KC (6KBW) an experienced prosecutor (Grade 4 – Serious Crime, Fraud, Counter Terrorism and POCA, former Treasury Counsel Monitoree) regularly instructed for substantial and sensitive, high-profile criminal cases. She combines this with heavyweight public inquiry work including the Undercover Policing Inquiry, the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan and the Covid-19 Inquiry. She has experience both as inquiry counsel and representing core participants, with particular expertise in the complex operation of a public inquiry’s power to restrict material. Earlier this year, Kate was appointed to the Attorney General’s Panel of Special Advocates.

Introduced by James Gwatkin of the CBA Education and Training Committee

The access link will be circulated on the afternoon of the 28th October.