In June 2008, I had the privilege of representing the Law Society of England & Wales at the first ever British Syrian Law conference in Damascus. It was a wonderful, peaceful city back then and I took a trip to the Presidential palace for an audience with Bashar Al Assad.
However, I recall this visit now because of what happened at a dinner whilst in Damascus - someone lent over my shoulder and presented me with a card which read 'John Scally - Honorary Consul for the Principality of Liverpool'. He turned out to be the spouse of the representative of a perfume company in Syria and also led a pop group called 'The Scallies'. Things got even better when I met a Syrian lady who had recently visited Liverpool, in connection with our Capital of Culture status, who said that she had a wonderful tour of a football stadium in Liverpool. I assumed the worst but was delighted when she informed me that the stadium was called Goodison Park.
Liverpool is such a distinctive city with its own personality, impossible to be confused with any other. It is what makes it such a great place to visit. Liverpool also has a distinctive legal profession. It has a very effective local law society with human rights at its very core. As a city we have had to fight for justice on numerous occasions, notably the Hillsborough inquest, which I am very proud to say my company played a huge part in. The past presidents are from every sector of Liverpool legal life, from City Council Lawyers, to major national law firms, to criminal advocates and legal aid lawyers. I am delighted to say the next president is someone who has fought for access to justice for many years - our very own Chris Topping, Human Rights Lawyer of the year 2016.
It is 25 years precisely since I took up the role in December 1993. Like many other years it was an eventful time. One of Liverpool's largest firms collapsed with large debts leaving many thousands of clients in the lurch. Liverpool Law Society set up a public helpline to advise clients about what to do to ensure continued representation. The society performed a valuable service, not only for the profession, but for the stranded and worried members of the public.
When Chris takes over on 11th December, I hope he does not have to face a crisis of that magnitude. What I am certain of though is that, with Chris, the society will continue to serve its members well through a continuing education programme, the social events, the links with young and inspiring lawyers, its representation of the local profession with the judiciary and legal system at large and through the promotion of Liverpool as a centre of legal excellence.
It isn't until you get involved that you realise exactly how much the Liverpool Law Society does - it is an outstanding local professional body! I wish Chris well at the start of his year, he will receive every support from this firm in lightening his workload and helping him perform well in his role. At Jackson Lees, we pride ourselves on our ethos "Make a Positive Difference", and we look forward to watching Chris do just that in his role. With legal aid disappearing fast through ruthless cuts, the presence of human rights lawyers in this role at this time is more important than ever. Best of luck Chris - We will be right behind all you do throughout this coming year!