Hardwicke Chambers, a leading property set, will become Gatehouse Chambers next month, after concerns were raised about the slave trace links of the former Lord Chancellor from which it derived its name.
Announcing that it is “time for a change”, the move will take effect from 19 July, coinciding with a move from Hardwicke Building in Lincoln’s Inn, WC2, to new premises at 1 Lady Hale Gate, Gray’s Inn, WC1.
In its announcement, the chambers said: “During the course of 2020 and the Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd, a number of legal bloggers started to investigate historic legal figures, including Lord Hardwicke, the 18th century Lord Chancellor. Lord Hardwicke was one of two authors of the Yorke-Talbot opinion in 1729, which was relied on by slave owners as providing legal justification for slavery for many years. The premises of Hardwicke Building, named by Lincoln’s Inn, became the name of the chambers who have occupied it since 1991.
“Once discovered, the history of the name did not sit comfortably with members and staff. On 29 July 2020, in a move consistent with the modern organisation’s values, the members took the decision to change the name.”
The new name is said to signify “strength and trustworthiness, but also access to new adventures and opportunities”.
Brie Stevens-Hoare QC, joint head of chambers and an award-winning property silk, said: “The discovery of the provenance of our business’s name did not sit comfortably with our values as an organisation, or the inclusive and diverse nature of our people and our clients. We have spent many years building up a reputation for excellence, innovation and diversity. We are proud to move forwards with our new name, which accords with who we are as an organisation.”
PJ Kirby QC, joint head of chambers, added: “It’s not about paying lip service to this issue but truly living out these values and that’s why changing our name was an important decision for us.”
Gatehouse Chambers is committed to diversity, equality and inclusivity and in holding itself to account in relation to inclusion in its many forms. The organisation is part of many equality and diversity initiatives, including Bridging the Bar, All Rise, 10,000 Black Interns, Pathways to Law and FreeBar.
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