Outgoing Chair Geoffrey Carr’s speech – IBC AGM 2025

Good evening, everyone, and thank you for being here at our AGM, one of the highlights of your entire calendar !

Standing before you today fills me with a mixture of pride, gratitude, and a touch of sadness as I reflect on my tenure as Chair of the Institute over the past three years.

I could not have foreseen the challenges we would face, but I also could not have imagined the sheer dedication, resilience, and willingness to assist that this profession would show in response.

As I sat down to write this bad speech, I realised it has been a period of change and perseverance……but above all, it has been a period defined by all your hard work, ability and dare I say it friendship.

Throughout my time as Chair, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with four successive Chairs of the Bar, numerous barristers, SBAs, and specialist groups of lawyers. Our strong relationship with the Bar Council has allowed us to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing Chambers and the profession. The discussions we’ve had, the tough decisions we’ve made, and the shared commitment to securing the future of the Bar and clerks have been instrumental I believe, in driving progress.

Taking on this role in a post-Covid world meant dealing with a landscape that had changed dramatically for all of us. Chambers were forced to reassess how they would run. Unfortunately, this period also brought redundancies and the loss of many valued colleagues—friends we had worked alongside for years. That loss was deeply felt by me and I am sure yourselves personally.

None of this would have been possible without the dedication and hard work of the Management Committee. Your commitment to the profession, the time you give, and the expertise you bring have made a real and lasting impact, unappreciated by many clerks in my opinion.

A key milestone has been our constructive work and linkup with the LPMA on the Bullying and Harassment Report—an issue that remains a priority for us all. Lucy Burrows and her outstanding team have done, and continue to do, exceptional work in this area. It’s a crucial topic that affects every single clerk in chambers and is still very much a live issue, with lots of work ahead.

I must also acknowledge Jacky Chase, whose support for Lucy has been invaluable. Her wisdom and experience have guided us all. And, of course, my thanks to Will Theaker for his outstanding work on the Race Working Group.

We have striven for better and more practice management meetings to try and address the issue of fair allocation. We have made significant strides in ensuring that work is distributed fairly, recognising that fair allocation is fundamental to a thriving and sustainable Bar. As a committee, we have engaged Chambers, clerks, the Bar Council and the BSB to examine what contributes to disparities in work distribution.

We recognise and have always recognised (actually) that EDI in all it’s forms must be the very bedrock of how work is distributed in chambers. The recent Bar Council report on earnings has made it uncomfortably clear that, across every core area of law, women are consistently out-billed by their male counterparts.

Despite the challenges we’ve faced, the IBC has continued to grow, in fact reaching record membership levels. But as I am sure you will all agree, it isn’t just about numbers—it’s a reflection (in my opinion) of the increasing importance of the IBC in the Chambers world, and the dedication of clerks across the country who recognise the value of what we do.

At the heart of this growth…….. in fact at the heart of everything we ultimately do as a committee is education and career development. These are the foundations that help clerks and chambers staff at every stage of their career journey to build confidence, sharpen skills, and progress.

I want to take a moment to acknowledge David Bingham, our former Education Secretary, for his outstanding work—not only in launching the business management courses but also in navigating the daily challenges of the role. These courses are already shaping the future of our profession, equipping clerks with both fresh ideas and time-honoured skills to meet the demands of today’s clerking rooms. Of course I need to also thanks Don Turner who actually wrote and now runs the courses,

 he clearly has no life and needs to get out more !

When David stepped aside, I had the GENUINE pleasure of welcoming Sarah Earl into the role, confident that she would bring the same passion and dedication to education. And she has done exactly that.

Sarah’s commitment to this profession is evident in everything she does, and I want to personally thank her for the wisdom and energy she has brought and brings to this role. The impact she has already made is clear, and I have no doubt she will continue to drive education forward in her lovely indomitable way ! In fact, her ability to liaise with the BSB in their own “lingo” is sure to put Disco’s mind at rest!

I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to the Career Development Committee, led by Tom Kelly, for their invaluable support of the next generation of clerks. The time and effort they dedicate— always in their own personal time—has been instrumental in guiding and inspiring those at the start of their clerking careers.

Free alcohol of course at the end of their events always helps attendance !

I also want to acknowledge the outstanding contributions of Rowan Cafull in creating our new and fantastic website and his collaboration with Steve Wright launching the IBC podcasts. Both initiatives have significantly enhanced how we share knowledge and engage with our members. Although hearing my own voice on a podcast still sends shudders down my back!

It would be remiss of me not to mention the significant challenge during my tenure of the Criminal Barrister action.

It was an eye-opening experience, and I must express my deepest gratitude to Martin Secrett, for his patience and guidance in helping me understand the intricacies of criminal clerking and assisting me generally.

I will never forget the day Martin Secrett and Mark Essex arranged for me to attend the opening of the Court year at the Old Bailey.

One thing that I have learnt over my time as chair and being involved with the IBC generally is that our conferences are one of the cornerstone events of the year. Providing an invaluable forum for knowledge-sharing and networking.

I must extend my heartfelt thanks to Joe Wilson, Dave Scothern, and in particular Jayne Drake for chairing and managing these events in their respective years..

The dedication, time, and sheer effort that goes into these conferences is immense, and they—and their conference committees—deserve far more recognition than they receive. Thank you for all the work and effort the Conference teams put in.

Now behind every successful organization, there is someone keeping everything running smoothly. For us, that person is Angela. She has managed membership renewals, dealt with the daily operations of the IBC, and is now taking on an enhanced role as we transition to a new Chair and a more dynamic Executive and Management Committee. Angela, your work does not go unnoticed, and I thank you sincerely. Shout out here to Simon Boutwood here for organising our really successful Dinners and Social events !

So…..As I prepare to step down, I find myself reflecting on what this particular  journey has meant to me.

I can honestly say that over the course of my 41-year clerking career, serving as Chair has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had. The friendships forged, the battles fought, and the victories—small and large—have made this role an unforgettable chapter in my professional life.

To have been in the chair during our centenary year as well really was such an honour in particular my trips to the regions ………….Phil and the Cardiff clerks was a night I will NEVER forget. .

I could have asked everyone in this room to write a report, but that would have been unfair. You have all given up so much of your personal time to make this committee work.

I believe I am leaving the Institute in a very good place, and I take great comfort in knowing that the Chairpersonship is passing to someone I admire, trust, and know will do a better job than I ever could.

The new proposed executive committee has the brain power to ensure that clerks are represented both personally and professionally better than ever before. Change in management is never easy, but looking at the new line-up, I have no doubt that we, as a committee and an Institute, remain as relevant today as we were when this organisation was founded in 1922. That is quite something.

So that is all I want to say at the end of my tenure – EXCEPT for 2 points

The first is a thank you to Tony McDaid for allowing me to take on the role as Chair. Tony you have supported me throughout the entirety of my three years and you are a true friend.

Secondly, I want to pay a particular and heartfelt tribute to Howard Raynor, who introduced me to the IBC and has been a colleague and dear friend throughout the majority of my career.

His work as Treasurer has been exemplary, and his knowledge of IBC rules and regulations is immense. The support and help he has given us all is quite simply second to none. I feel like he is the AI of the clerking world !

As you know, he is now retired, and when we go to the dinner following this AGM, I will have a few more words to say about this amazing individual and very dear friend.

It has been an absolute honour to serve as your Chair and I thank you all for putting your trust in me to represent a profession I hold dear

Thank you.