Hardwicke to become Gatehouse Chambers

We are proud to announce that from next month we will be operating as Gatehouse Chambers.

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 18^th 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 our chambers and the building which we have occupied since 1991.

Time for a change.

Once discovered, the history of the name did not sit comfortably with our members and staff.  On 29 July 2020, in a move consistent with our organisation’s values, our members took the decision to change the name.

We are now pleased to announce our new name, Gatehouse Chambers, a name signifying strength and trustworthiness, but also access to new adventures and opportunities.

The change to Gatehouse Chambers will be effective from 19 July 2021.

Amanda Illing, Chief Executive of Gatehouse Chambers, comments: “We are proud to announce our new name and look as we start an exciting new era for our chambers.”

Brie Stevens-Hoare QC, Joint Head of Chambers adds: “The discovery of the provenance of our business’ 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.”

We are committed to diversity, equality and inclusivity and in holding ourselves to account in relation to inclusion in its many forms. For example, we are part of many equality and diversity initiatives, including Bridging the Bar, All Rise, 10,000 Black Interns, Pathways to Law and FreeBar.

PJ Kirby QC, Joint Head of Chambers says: “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.”

A new name and new premises

Gatehouse Chambers’ name change also coincides with our move to new premises at 1 Lady Hale Gate, Gray’s Inn in July 2021.

This exciting move will provide a creative and collaborative environment which will enable flexible and hybrid ways of working for our staff, barristers and clients. The new chambers office space reflects how we intend to work as we move into a post-pandemic world.

This fantastic new building built by Gray’s Inn gives us space to grow and includes an extensive client and seminar suite, two roof terraces, and state-of-the-art IT so people can ‘plug and play’ in different parts of the building.

Commenting on the new office space, Amanda Illing says: “Whilst the decision to move offices had already been made before the pandemic and before we learnt about our name, we are pleased to start afresh with a new name, new address and a new space which will better reflect the modern and innovative nature and values of chambers.  The timing of our move is also perfect, at a time when colleagues are looking forward to returning to the office at last.

Scaling up our office space may seem counter-intuitive at a time when home-working is more prevalent. However, we are excited at the opportunities for barristers and staff to collaborate with clients and each other going forward.”

Gatehouse Chambers moves to 1 Lady Hale Gate on 19 July 2021.