Mansfield Law Society going from strength to strength
Date: 21/08/2015
The Mansfield Student Law Society, based in the School of Law has had another busy and successful year. October saw talks given by Nathan Akhavan-Moossavi, law editor of Clarity News on the need for a written constitution for the UK, and by Sarah Ogilvie of the NGO Liberty on the future of the Human Rights Act. These talks were part of our series to mark the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta in 1215.
The Mansfield Society also was delighted to host a number of talks throughout the year organised in cooperation with the international legal organisation, the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers. These events allowed our students and staff to hear the views of, and network with, nationally prominent solicitors and barristers and a range of different legal experts. The subject matter of the talks included the implications of the government's plans to cut legal aid, the legal implications of 'fracking' for shale gas, the legal challenges to police surveillance of public protest, and a discussion on the newly established commission of inquiry into abuse in care homes in the UK. The Mansfield Society also hosted a talk given by Noel Inge, Head of the Legal Executives' Course (CILEX) on alternative means of becoming a qualified solicitor. The Executive Group were also heavily involved in the organisation of the Law Fair and the Careers Fair this year.
The Right Honorable Lord Reed, one of the Justices of the UK Supreme Court was heavily involved in our activities in his second year as our honorary president. He came to the Law School in March to a very well attended event where he talked about recent cases before him and his colleagues in the UK Supreme Court. In May he and his wife Lady Reed were our guests of honour at our annual Law Ball, which took place this year in a 5 star hotel in central London, and was attended by 100 guests. He also judged our mooting competition at the end of May where former CPE and LPC student Joe Wright won the Lady Oliver Mooting Cup prize. The moot, a mock trial appeal on points of law relating to Tort, was very well attended and of a very high quality as Lord Reed pointed out in his summary. His Lordship then joined the participants and a number of law staff for a meal in a local restaurant.
Chair of the Mansfield Student Law Society Mike Meehan said "I would like to say thank you to all the Mansfield Society members (over 100), the Mansfield Student Executive Group and in particular the student secretary Amanda Hastings, to our invited guests and participants, to Lord and Lady Reed, and to fellow law staff, particularly Barrie Goldstone, our mooting master, for making it another wonderfully successful and interesting year for the Mansfield Student Law Society."
