The pair are both members of the King’s Lynn Young Solicitors Group and were invited to attend the seminar ‘Justice and the rule of law’ held at Cambridge Science Park, on the 6^th March 2008.

The seminar was chaired by Joshua Rozenberg, ex BBC legal correspondent and current legal editor of the Daily Telegraph.  Panellists included Eilis Ferran, Professor of Company and securities law at the University of Cambridge, David Seymour legal adviser to

the home office, Phil Shiner, leading public and human rights lawyer and John Wadham, Group  Director, Legal of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

This was the first of a series of seminars taking place around the country which had been organised to debate the Solicitors’ core values of Rule One of the Solicitors’ Code of Conduct:

1.                  Justice and the Rule of Law

2.                  Integrity

3.                  Independence

4.                  Best Interest of the Client

5.                  Standard of Service

6.                  Public Confidence

Particular consideration was given to whether the Solicitors’ Code of Conduct rules is required by the legal profession and the public in the 21^st century. Questions were raised as to those areas of potential change and the particular stresses placed on these values. Most importantly if the rules are deemed to be necessary, then in what way could they be strengthened or sustained.

Andrew Holroyd commented “....with each generation, our profession has always ready to meet new challenges, while remaining true to our core values...”

Attendees to the seminar included other representatives from the King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Young Solicitors Group, members of the Judiciary and representatives from the Law Society and other local law firms.

The seminar was followed by informal drinks and canapés which provided time for reflection and comment on the content of the panellists’ individual presentation and subsequent discussion. There was also time for a photo opportunity with Ruth, Dean and the President after an earlier comment by the President about them being his “groupies” having recently met them at a Young Solicitors Group lunch in King’s Lynn which was attended by the President on the 20^th February.