LGBTQ+ Society: Pride in Practice

In celebration of Pride Month, The Inner Temple was proud to host an event in June on behalf of the four Inns, the Bar Council and The Law Society, honouring the contributions and presence of LGBTQ+ members across the legal profession. It was a powerful moment of reflection, solidarity and shared commitment to ensuring the Bar is a place where all individuals can belong, thrive and be respected. As Chair of the Inn’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Sub-Committee, Master of our LGBTQ+ Society and as President of the Association of UK LGBTQ+ Judges (and as Recorder of Sheffield in my ‘day job’), I was delighted to welcome a full Hall of guests to this important inaugural event on behalf of the Treasurer, who could not be present.

I reflected on how very different times were when I was called to the Bar almost 45 years ago to the day. Then, it would have been unimaginable for an event of this kind to take place. Times have changed for the better, and we are fortunate to live in a country where such celebrations are possible, though we remain mindful that many in other parts of the world do not enjoy the same freedoms. This made the evening not only a joyful and vibrant occasion – indeed, I remarked that the Inn had not looked so colourful in years – but also a moment of pride and significance.

I had the pleasure of introducing Barbara Mills KC, Chair of the Bar Council of England and Wales, followed by Ian Jeffery, Chief Executive of the Law Society, and His Honour Judge Edward Connell, a member of the Judicial Diversity Committee and a committee member in the LGBTQ+ Judges Association, to deliver addresses. As both a leader of the profession and a Bencher of the Inn, Master Mills brought warmth, clarity and purpose to her remarks, which reaffirmed the Bar’s collective responsibility to uphold justice, not just in our courts, but within our professional culture. At a time when the principles of equality and inclusion are facing renewed scrutiny and challenge, Master Mills’ remarks stand as a timely and necessary reminder of what it means for the Bar to be not only open to all but committed to the wellbeing and dignity of all its members.

His Honour Judge Jeremy Richardson KC
The Recorder of Sheffield
Chair of the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Sub-Committee
Master of the LGBTQ+ Society

PRIDE IN PRACTICE

Speech by Master Barbara Mills, Chair of the Bar, at the Pride in Practice Cross-Profession LGBTQ+ reception held on 26 June 2025, organised in collaboration with the Bar Council, Law Society and the Inns of Court.

I am so delighted to be here tonight, at my own Inn, celebrating Pride and the LGBTQ+ community in the legal profession.

We’re proud to be working with the Law Society, The Inner Temple, the other Inns and LGBTQ+ networks across the legal sector.

This is a very special event to mark Pride Month, and it is an opportunity to come together, to make friends and to reinforce our sense of community and support for each other. I’m also very much looking forward to the entertainment…

But I cannot miss this opportunity to share some thoughts on where we are today, on the importance of inclusion in the legal profession, and to restate that, as a profession committed to justice, we must ensure that our workplaces, courtrooms and institutions remain inclusive and respectful for everyone.

Across the globe, we are witnessing a period of significant challenge to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).