Name: Rajkiran Barhey Chambers: 1 Crown Office Row Location: London University: University of Oxford Degree: Law
Covid-19 and court closures Assessing the effects of the covid-19
In the early stages, it’s common for barristers in this area of law to act as part of a wider team on high-value cases. Public inquiry work is one of 1 Crown Office Row’s specialities and for the past three years, Rajkiran has been part of the legal team examining evidence for the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire which killed 72 people on 14 June 2017. “I’m currently one half of a team of two looking at the lifts in the building at the time of the fire, as this is one area of the inquiry,” she explains. “Initially, my role was to assist with examining all the documents that had been disclosed to the inquiry, after which I assisted in identifying potential witnesses, drafting questions and reviewing witness statements. Now the Inquiry’s expert is producing a report on the lifts in Grenfell Tower and I’m involved in this process. The next step when the inquiry recommences is to help prepare for the questioning of witnesses.” A mixture of public law and government work make up another portion of her practice. “One of the cases I’m a junior on is a tax case concerning a VAT fraud investigation, which in the early stages involves looking through all the evidence and tracing transactions,” she explains. There are also large judicial review cases, where Rajkiran will assist with disclosure of evidence. Finally her practice is rounded out by a developing niche in criminal injury compensation authority work, with a particular focus on victims of sexual offences. Variety and responsibility Clients are split “completely 50-50” between claimants and defendants, which Rajkiran says is “one of the things I like most about my practice.” That balance is typical for barristers at her level of call. “There are some practitioners in chambers who specialise in claimant or defendant work, but it can take some years to decide if you want to specialise in that way,” she notes. “I find there are different challenges and skills involved in acting for each side, so I like to do both,” she adds.
pandemic, Rajkiran believes that she and her colleagues adapted as well as possible. “I’ve had telephone hearings and conferences, as well as a Zoom roundtable meeting with the senior barrister, solicitor and client I’m working on a case with, which also involved back and forth phone calls with the other side as we negotiated,” she explains. But while she and her set coped reasonably well, the impact on vulnerable clients has been significant. “With the courts closed, many hearings couldn’t go ahead and there were cases which weren’t suitable to conduct over phone or video link,” she explains. Turning to her advice for aspiring barristers, Rajkiran emphasises the importance of advocacy experience: “Take every opportunity that you can to get involved, whether it’s taking part in formal mooting competitions – I participated in the Jessup Moot when I was at university – or joining your university debating society. It’s not only beneficial to have on your CV; it also develops the skills you’ll need as a practising barrister.” Finally, those intrigued by the variety and challenge of the common law Bar should make use of the many online resources available. “Use what barristers are writing and talking about to build up your knowledge base,” she urges. “For example, 1 Crown Office Row produces the Quarterly Medical Law Review, a podcast (LawPod UK) and the UK Human Rights Blog covering recent medical and public law developments. If you have a pupillage interview, these are the kinds of things you need to be able to talk about.”
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