Name: Helen Law Chambers: Matrix Chambers Location: London University: University of Birmingham Undergraduate degree: Law
Of all the interesting cases that Helen has worked on so far, one particularly stands out in her memory – partly because it was so nerve wracking: “At five years’ call, I prosecuted one of the cases in the parliamentary expenses scandal on my own, which was a daunting, but fantastic experience.” More generally, there are several reasons why Helen enjoys the career of a crime barrister so much. “I’m lucky in that I have a highly varied criminal practice, so no two weeks are the same, and I work in a supportive chambers with some fantastic practitioners in this, and other fields,” she explains. “Crime is also a great area to work in for other reasons – it can be intellectually stimulating, but there is also a very human side to the work and you need good people skills to be successful. Your clients will be from all walks of life and they need to be able to trust you. For a period in their lives, you will be a very important person to them because in their mind at least you may be the only thing standing between them and a very unfavourable outcome.” If there is a downside to life at the Bar, it is its unpredictability. Helen admits: “The intensity at which you have to work sometimes is totally out of your control – you can be cruising along, having a normal week when something blows up on a case, and whatever plans you had for the weekend with your family are out the window. But you learn strategies for dealing with it and get better at predicting the types of thing which might blow up.” Cuts and the justice gap Taking stock of the state of the criminal Bar, Helen identifies one major concern above all others which urgently needs to be addressed: “The most pressing issue is the cuts to legal aid, which have made it incredibly difficult for parts of the justice system to function properly. More people are unrepresented, which slows down the system. Barristers doing legal aid crime have less and less time
to spend on each case, as they are having to take on more and more cases to make ends meet. I think if any area should have its standards rigorously maintained, it’s crime, as the consequences are so serious. People go to prison, or dangerous people walk, so to lower the standards of the system is totally unacceptable. It is disappointing that the successive cuts to legal aid fail to recognise the importance of that. If the state does not provide for properly funded representation and a fully resourced criminal justice system, the verdicts produced, guilty or innocent, are not reliable. That is damaging not just to defendants, but also and equally to victims and society at large. I say that as someone who has a mixed practice who is fortunate enough not to be financially dependent on criminal legal aid work.” On a similarly sober note, Helen observes how the cuts have unfortunately made life much more difficult for those trying to establish themselves at the Bar: “If you’re at the junior end of the criminal Bar in London, it can be difficult to make ends meet and I know people who have quit because of it.” That said, if you can make it through those early years, Helen cannot think of a more interesting, challenging and varied way to earn a living. For those undaunted, Helen has some worthwhile advice for maximising the chances of success: “It is important to understand what criminal practice involves – this is one area of the Bar that is often portrayed on television, but not necessarily accurately. On a personal level, you need to be resilient and have good stamina, as criminal law is not for the faint hearted. Very good interpersonal skills are also essential – you need to be able to talk to people from all backgrounds. So much of what a barrister does rests on understanding people and having some insight into how what you are saying to, for example, a jury, is going to be received.”
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