An insight into being a pupil

4 March 2024

J Ockenden and Millicent Wild started their pupillage at 5 Essex Chambers in September 2023. Here they tell us about their experiences of life as pupils at a busy set of Chambers.

Being a pupil:

As first six pupils, we spend the majority of our time in chambers at Gray’s Inn. While no two days are ever the same, we can usually expect our weeks to be filled with a mix of paperwork and shadowing – going to court with fully qualified barristers to observe their advocacy. We also manage to fit in the occasional stroll to Pret for lunch or mid-afternoon coffee break at Press (or at Sam Leek KC’s great coffee machine).

When shadowing, we get to witness a wide variety of cases, from full trials involving civil claims against the police to high-profile inquests. However, the bulk of in-court work for junior barristers takes place in the magistrates’ courts, making applications for behavioural orders such as Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, Sexual Risk Orders, Stalking Protection Orders or Football Banning Orders. Since that’s the kind of work we’re likely to be doing once we start on our feet, we’ve been travelling to such glamorous destinations as Romford, Birmingham, St Albans, Highbury Corner, Uxbridge and Bexleyheath. When the subject of one of these orders appeals against its imposition, we might even get a day out to the Crown Court to watch the appeal.

Back in chambers, we do research and drafting for our supervisors and other members of chambers, including writing advices and opinions, skeleton arguments, defences and even the occasional counter-schedule.

A day in the life – Millie

Today is a Thursday in January. I am watching a junior barrister apply for a Football Banning Order against a football hooligan. The barrister I am meeting sent me the papers for this case earlier in the week. I spent about half a day reading through the case and researching the relevant legal principles earlier this week.

On the day of the hearing, I wake up early and check there are no disruptions to my route to court. As the court is within London, I set off with around 30 minutes more time than needed in case of any underground tube delays. I pick up a coffee on my way and check my e-mails on my phone. I arrive at court just before 9am and go through security. I factor in enough time for security as the checks and the size of the queue can vary depending on which court you go to.

I meet the barrister I am shadowing today and ask any remaining questions I have about the case. The barrister hands me the opening note she’s prepared, outlining her submissions for today’s hearing. The client arrives with a printed copy of the bundle and the barrister gives a short summary of the procedure for the day in court. The barrister then meets with her opponent. Often with behavioural orders, the Respondent is unrepresented which means the procedural rules on litigants in person apply, but today is an exception. The Respondent’s counsel has no questions regarding the case, so the two barristers greet each other and then wait for the court clerk to call us into the court. After a short moment, we enter the court room and take our respective seats.

The hearing goes ahead; I take a detailed note of what was said for my own use and for the barrister I’m shadowing. At lunchtime, the barrister and I get something to eat at a local cafe and then make our way back to chambers.

In the afternoon, I set to work on drafting a defence. The case involves a civil claim against the police, and I am writing it on behalf of a constabulary. I am familiar with most of the legal principles, having completed a similar defence before, but I refresh my memory and then read the facts of the case. I stop for a coffee break mid afternoon with my great co-pupil, J, and we have a quick catch-up about our day. J is always willing to lend an ear if I ever have any questions or concerns! I then return to my work and continue drafting my defence.

A day in the life – J

It’s late February and I’m on a train to Croydon to watch the first day of a two-day hearing, where one of our barristers is defending an appeal against a Stalking Protection Order.

The appeal is being heard in one of the Nightingale Courts which is, slightly surreally, located within a hotel. As I approach, there’s no obvious indication that this is anything other than a completely ordinary hotel and I start to wonder if I’ve made a terrible mistake – I am reminded again of the importance of building time for “wandering around looking lost” into my schedule. Fortunately, once I enter, I see the barrister I’m shadowing in reception. She wasn’t able to get permission to send me the papers for this case in advance, so I have only a vague idea of what I’m about to witness. She gives me a copy of her opening note and I try to get caught up, while listening in to her conversation with her opposing counsel.

At most of the hearings I attend, the barristers are wearing dark suits. Today, however, everyone is fully robed. There are five barristers in the robing room, wrestling with collar studs and changing from trainers into court shoes. Each of them has a wig on the table next to them, looking rather like grey hairy guinea pigs.

We enter the courtroom at about 10:30. Counsel let the judges know that they disagree about the standard of proof to be applied in the case, and expect to present arguments on that point tomorrow, once all of the witness evidence has been given. I sit behind the barristers and type furiously, trying to take a verbatim note of everything that is being said, without completely drowning them out in a hail of keyboard noises.

The judges retire 45 minutes later, having given some preliminary rulings. We retire to an empty room and five minutes later we are informed that the Appellant has changed his mind and decided not to pursue his appeal. There are a few loose ends to tie up (making a new order and a costs application) but our two-day hearing is now finished before noon.

Much as I was looking forward some good argument about standards of proof, I’m quite relieved to have some more time for this afternoon’s task: making some notes about whether a recent decision by a coroner would be amenable to judicial review.

It’s only a couple of weeks until Millie and I start taking on our own cases, and on the train back from Croydon, as I try to remind myself of the basic principles of judicial review, I receive two new sets of instructions for cases I’ll be appearing in next month.


Authors

J Ockenden

Call 2023

Millicent Wild

Call 2023

Search

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and event updates.

Subscribe

Popular

16 April 2024

Chambers is delighted to announce that Head of Chambers, Jason Beer KC is one of only…

Discover more

14 February 2022

The first hearings of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry commenced today.  Previously a non-statutory…

Discover more

15 February 2023

This is an ‘Original Manuscript’ of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in the Journal…

Discover more
Affiliations

 

Affiliations

Portfolio Builder

Select the practice areas that you would like to download or add to the portfolio

Download    Add to portfolio   
Portfolio
Title Type CV Email

Remove All

Download


Click here to share this shortlist.
(It will expire after 30 days.)