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Committee Biographies

Christopher Bates

Chair

Called to the Bar in 2015, Chris commences pupillage in 2018 at Lamb Building. Having benefited from a Middle Temple Scholarship, Chris is keen to help empower people from underrepresented backgrounds to succeed at the Bar. In his spare time, Chris volunteers with the Temple Music Foundation as well as indulging in his favourite hobby, cooking. 

Andrew Dakoutros

Vice Chair

I’m BAME, gay, dyslexic, have ADHD and hail from a working class background. I am an employed immigration barrister at GLD and joined Middle Temple well after I was Called. Yet I have never felt as accepted anywhere as much as at Middle Temple. The staff and members treat me like family, welcoming me into an inclusive environment that cherishes diversity and uniquity. 

Mark Fraser

Vice Chair

Mark was called to the Bar in 2000 and practice in crime. He received the Harmsworth Scholarship, and it made a huge difference to him both in terms of finances and confidence. He comes from a non-professional, working class background.

The Inn has made a difference to the lives of many and can help many more - but too many do not see the Inn as relevant to their lives professionally, or at all. This is not just a shame, but a waste. Much also remains to be done to increase diversity and inclusivity at the Bar.

Kate Balmer

Kate specialises in Employment, Discrimination and Tax at Devereux Chambers (2009 call).  As the grateful recipient of a Middle Temple scholarship, she has remained actively involved in the Inn, including performing in Revels; doing mock interviews; delivering Qualifying Sessions/training on Equality, Diversity and Ethics and assisting in a response to a BSB Consultation paper.  Kate is passionate about the Inn’s values and as a member of the Hall Committee aims to develop even better student training, improve the engagement of senior members at more Inn events and encourage initiatives to

Elizabeth Bowden

Elizabeth was called to the bar in 2001. She started her practice in London and at the criminal bar, but after parental leave, she moved her practice to civil and family at College Chambers in Southampton on the Western Circuit. Elizabeth produced Revels from 2000-2004 and ran the mooting competition when she was a Bar School. Elizabeth is committed to finding ways of connecting circuiteers with Middle Temple.

Vincent Coughlin

A Londoner and law graduate of Queen Mary (UL), I’ve been a criminal barrister since 1980, taking silk in 2003. I was a founding member of Furnival Chambers where I developed a busy practice over 25 years, moving on in 2010, latterly to 7 Bedford Row before being appointed Chief Criminal Counsel at the Financial Conduct Authority in 2017. I have held door tenancies in Cardiff and Nottingham. I live in Suffolk, I enjoy walking my lurcher, playing classical and jazz guitar, horse-racing, sailing solo on the East Coast but most of all the company of my irreverent family.

Michael Harwood

Michael is an elected member of Hall, and former President of the Middle Temple Young Barristers' Association (MTYBA) (2018, 2019). Michael is currently a lawyer at HM Treasury, and has served in several roles as a legal adviser in government. He is the Co-Chair of the Inn’s Employed Bar Working Group, an elected member of the Bar Council and the Young Barristers’ Committee. Michael is committed to representing the interests of all the Inn's junior members, with a particular focus on promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.

Rebecca Hawkes-Reynolds

Rebecca Hawkes-Reynolds was called in 2016 and was very fortunate to have been awarded the Lord Diplock Scholarship for her BPTC and is excited to be able to give back through being on Hall Committee. As a wheelchair user she would like to increase awareness of disabilities at the Bar but also encourage those with disabilities to consider such a career.

Caroline Horton

Caroline was called to the Bar in 1993 and practises as a tenant in family law at Fenners Chambers, Cambridge specialising in financial relief and private law children cases. As an experienced member of the Bar Caroline takes a keen interest in supporting junior members and those seeking to enter the profession.  Caroline joined the Hall Committee to help in keeping the Inn relevant, engaged and working at its best for all its members.

Thomas Mallon

Thomas Mallon is a barrister at Henderson Chambers. He was called in 2019 and specialises in commercial and property law. Having received significant assistance from the Inn, he joined Hall Committee in order to contribute in his turn. He is particularly keen on improving the experience of student members and on expanding the Inn’s talent retention efforts. He won the Middle Temple Rosamund Smith Moot in 2018 and is also a member of the Revels troupe.

Michael Polak

Michael is the current President of the Middle Temple Young Barristers' Association (MTYBA).

Shanzé Shah

Shanzé is currently a pupil barrister at the GLD. She is a recipient of the Queen Mother Scholarship from Middle Temple as well as the Harold G Fox Scholarship and Anglo-Israel Scholarship. She is also a coach for the Bridging the Bar academy and extremely passionate about making the Bar a profession welcoming to all. Outside of law, she loves travelling and has lived and worked in several countries. She has a food blog and likes writing about food in her spare time.

Darren Snow

Darren is a member of Libertas Chambers, specialising in criminal, regulatory and professional disciplinary work. He was called in 2000. He completed pupillage at 4 Kings Bench Walk and was a member of Charter Chambers until it dissolved in 2020. He attended his local state school and was the first in his family to gain a degree.  Like many he’s often felt like an outsider in this profession but he’s benefitted from positive changes and growing diversity during his time at the Bar. He sits as a chair on various tribunals including two terms sitting on the Bar’s disciplinary tribunal.

Lauren Suding

I am a tenant at Field Court Chambers and was called by Middle Temple in 2015, having joined in 2012. I have been honoured to serve on the committees for Hall, MTYBA, and MTSA for a combined nine years and on the Finance and Resources Committee for over five years. As a grateful recipient of a Middle Temple scholarship, I am now committed to keeping the Inn financially flexible and maintaining its relevance to all members.

Lady Gifty Tetteh

Lady Gifty Tetteh is a barrister and the Head of Chambers at Chambers of GD Tetteh-UK, she is a member of the Honorable Society of the Middle Temple and the first black woman to set up her Chambers in the Middle Temple. She is also a Solicitor and Barrister of the Supreme Court of Ghana, and the CEO of Rehoboth Chambers’ (Tetteh and Tetteh Advocates)-Ghana.

She holds a law degree LLB (Hons) from the London Guildhall University, a postgraduate certificate from the University of West of England –UWE and a Master of Laws Degree in Oil and Gas (LLM) from the Robert Gordon University – Aberdeen. She is (among other areas of law) a criminal and a commercial law barrister. She has handled cases of rape, murder and attempted murder. Lady Tetteh is a listed Counsel/Advocate at the International Criminal Court – The Hague. She regularly participates and speaks at workshops across the UK on trafficking & safeguarding children. She is a registered pupillage supervisor in England and Wales. She is a girl child mentor with the Menfyd foundation and others. She is the advisor for the Diaspora Africa Forum, a board member and the UK Chairperson of the Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa Foundation.

She is a trustee and a Board member both in the UK and Africa. She is the founder and President of the Africa Women in Energy-AWIE and the Africa Women in Farming. She serves as a Patron of the Kyabobo Girls School (Ghana Education Project).

Samuel Rowe

Sam is a barrister at 5RB chambers, where he practices media and information law. He was called to the Bar by Middle Temple in 2021, having been a grateful recipient of the Queen Mother Scholarship for the law conversion course and the Bar course.

He has a particular interest in ensuring the Inn continues to be a welcoming place for people who are from groups that are underrepresented at the Bar, as well as focussing on the Inn’s continuing relevance in the period after student members become barrister members.

Sam can be found on Twitter (aka X) at @samuelrowe.

Richard Jory KC

Richard served previously as Social Secretary of the Middle Temple student committee. He practises from Foundry Chambers, where he has been since pupillage

In his professional practice he was Standing Counsel to the former Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office, and is on the current approved list of Silks for the Serious Fraud Office. He specialises in prosecuting and defending criminal cases, from the most complex murder and historic sexual offences to cases of fraud, drug importation, money laundering, corruption and human trafficking. He has particular experience in cases involving inter-jurisdictional issues and Organised Crime

Richard served two terms as a member of the Conduct Committee of the Bar Standards Board, from 2006-2012, investigating and reporting on complaints against barristers. He is a Middle Temple advocacy trainer.

Outside of work Richard plays a number of sports including cricket for the Refreshers CC, the Bar's premier cricket club.

Josephine Nonyelu

Josephine was called to the Bar in 2009. She received double scholarships from Middle Temple, for which she is truly grateful. She is the director of two companies, Jan Towers Solicitors Limited and Africa Awake Initiative Limited, a law firm and an organisation working to improve the lives of Africans living on the continent and in the diaspora through farming and education, respectively. Josephine recently received a chieftain title awarded in recognition of her philanthropic and humanitarian endeavours within a community in Nigeria. She had always been interested in making a difference in the lives of others. For instance, she founded SCAN (a charitable organisation advocating for families affected by sickle cell disease) and sat on an NHS committee, namely the South East London Individual Fundings Request for Specialised Services (SELIFRS); this funding stream is responsible for providing treatments outside the agreed NHS funding pathway.

James Pickering KC

Robert Levack