To mark the 300th anniversary of th e publication of Gulliver’s Travels\, Hester Grant will deliver a thirty‑minute lecture inspired by her acclaimed book The Twitnam Summer: Friendship\ , Satire and the Writing of Gulliver’s Travels. Sw ift’s masterpiece has a historical connection to M iddle Temple.
\n \nGrant will explore the f actors that helped to inspire Swift’s sharp and of ten merciless satire of lawyers and the legal prof ession\, and the manner in book came to be written .
\n \nThe lecture offers a fascinating opp ortunity to consider how the literature of an earl ier age can illuminate contemporary legal culture because Swift’s satire was not merely playful\; it was a pointed commentary on the legal institution s\, professional practices\, and political tension s of the early eighteenth century. His portrayal o f lawyers as manipulative\, verbose\, or self‑inte rested was exaggerated for effect\, yet it raises enduring questions about professional ethics\, pub lic trust\, and the responsibilities of those who practise law.
\n \nIn the second part of th e event\, Master Andrew Hochhauser KC\, Director o f Middle Temple Advocacy\, will examine the contin uing relevance of Swift’s critique. Swift’s famous depiction of lawyers “a society…among us\, \; proving\, by words \;multiplied for the purpos e\, that \;white is black\, and black is white \, \;according as they are paid” captures a te nsion that still resonates within the adversarial system: the balance between truth\, justice\, and fee‑driven advocacy. Master Hochhauser KC will exp lore how Swift anticipated modern concerns about l egal opacity\, delay\, adversarial strategy\, and the ethical duties of counsel.
\n \nHe will also consider Swift’s reflections on the moral di mension of legal practice\, the importance of publ ic confidence in the profession\, and the pressure s faced by the modern Bar from acting for unpopula r clients to navigating political controversy whil e upholding the rule of law. Swift’s treatment of the judiciary\, though firmly rooted in the eighte enth century\, prompts valuable reflection on judi cial independence and the perception of impartiali ty today.
\n \nThis event promises a rich b lend of literary insight\, legal history\, and con temporary relevance an opportunity to engage with Swift’s enduring satire and to reflect on the role of lawyers in shaping public life across three ce nturies.
\n \nThe wine reception f or the event has been generously sponsored by a do nor who wishes to remain anonymous.
\n \nStudent members (including transferring lawyers) must attend the lecture and the receptio n \;in order to be awarded the Qualifying Sess ion.
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