Inns of Court Alliance for Women | Black Women Barristers: The Challenges Faced and a Fairer Future

A panel discussion about the challenges posed by structural discrimination impacting upon entry to the Bar, retention and career progression and what strategies can be put in place to effect meaningful change. Followed by drinks to celebrate and to network.

Panel chaired by Her Honour Judge Sapnara, Bencher of Middle Temple and Co-Convenor of the Inns of Court Alliance for Women (ICAW). Our other ICAW Co-Convenors: The Rt Hon Lady Justice Nicola Davies; Leigh Ann Mulcahy KC; Chief Master Karen Shuman. For more information on ICAW, please click here.

Inner Temple are managing the bookings for this event through their website. For more information and to book tickets, click here.

Chair:

Her Honour Judge Khatun Sapnara

Her Honour Judge Khatun Sapnara is a Circuit Judge and Deputy High Court Judge who presides over family and criminal cases in London. She previously practised as a  barrister for 24 years. She served on the expert government advisory body, the Family Justice Council. She was the first person of a  BAME background to be elected to the Family law Bar Association Committee and has served on the Bar Council’s Equality and Diversity Committee.

She is the  Middle Temple Convenor of the Inns of Court Alliance for Women and serves on the Inn’s  Bench Selection, Appointments and also Education and Training Committees.

She was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by Royal Holloway (University of London) and is a member of its College Council. She is also an Honorary Law Fellow of the University of East London.

She regularly serves on selection panels for the Judicial Appointments Commission. She was appointed by the Lord Chief Justice as a Diversity Community Relations Judge and Judicial Role Model.

Khatun has a long history of serving on the Boards of a variety of charities, and she is currently the Lord Chief Justice’s nominated Trustee of The Access To Justice Foundation and is also a Trustee of the British Asian Trust.

Speakers:

Abimbola Johnson

Abimbola is an award-winning human rights barrister at Doughty Street Chambers specialising in inquests, inquiries, and professional regulatory work. She chairs the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board which monitors the national Police Race Action Plan devised by the NPCC and College of Policing to eradicate anti-Black racism in policing. She has been featured in The Guardian, Elle magazine, Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, Channel 4 News, The Metro, and Sky News.

Abimbola sits on a number of boards and advisory panels: She is a legal trustee for The Advocacy Academy; an editorial board member for the Criminal Law Review; a management committee member of the Black Barristers’ Network, a member of the “Prosecuting Rap” group which looks at the criminalisation of Black music; and is a member of the Ethical Oversight Panel for the Vulnerability and Policing Futures Research Centre.”

Natasha Shotunde

Natasha is an award-winning barrister and Honorary Doctor of Laws practising from Garden Court Chambers. She is the Co-Founder and Chair of the award-winning Black Barristers’ Network, an elected member of the Bar Council, a member of the EDI Committee at Lincoln’s Inn and an Associate Lecturer at Goldsmiths, teaching Media Law and Ethics. She was formally the Chair of the Board of Trustees at AVA, a leading charity committed to ending violence against women and girls.

Natasha is passionate about eradicating violence against women and girls and tackling race and gender discrimination within the profession and society generally. Her work has been recognised through multiple awards, including an Honorary Doctorate in Law from Anglia Ruskin University in 2022, the Rising Star award at the UK Diversity Legal Awards 2021 and the Highly Commended: Future Leader – Diversity and Inclusion award at the Chambers Bar Awards 2020.

Nneka Akudolu KC

Nneka is a highly respected jury advocate whose practice encompasses all areas of serious crime, including murder, drug trafficking and serious sexual offences. She has particular experience working with vulnerable defendants and witnesses and those charged with historic allegations of a sexual nature. 

Away from the Crown Court, Nneka has a wealth of experience in Military Law and has represented members of the armed forces and their dependents in Court Martial proceedings. Her military work covers a wide range of offences including serious violence and rape. 

 Nneka is a fierce proponent for increased diversity at the Bar and frequently writes articles and delivers speeches on the subject.

Barbara Mills KC

Barbara is a family practitioner specialising in difficult, complex, and sensitive cases concerning children. My work primarily involves high conflict cases featuring allegations of serious abuse and parental alienation representing parents- often where the outcome has life-changing consequences for the family. She is committed to non-court solutions and has established a successful mediation and arbitration practice.

Barbara was “Winner Junior Barrister of the Year” at the Lexis Nexus Family Law Awards 201, was shortlisted as “Family KC of the Year” at the same awards in 2022 and shortlisted for “Outstanding Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion” at the Chambers and Partners Awards 2022.

Elaine Banton

Elaine is an experienced employment, equality, discrimination, and human rights barrister at 7BR Chambers focusing on complex and protracted litigation at all levels. Often appearing in high profile matters her practice includes disciplinary, regulatory, sports law and stress at work. Elaine was featured as the Times Lawyer of the Week in March 2023 because of the pre dismissal remedy judgment of £300k in the long-running litigation involving a retrial of sex discrimination, harassment, and maternity claims in Rajput v Commerzbank AG. 

Elaine recently gave evidence in Parliament to the Joint Committee on Human Rights in the Inquiry into Human Rights at Work, debated the cab rank rule when speaking in Amsterdam at the Fédération des Barreaux d’Europe and attended the CSW 67 as a delegate for UN Women UK. She is Co-Chair of the Bar Council’s Equality, Diversity and Social Mobility Committee.