Abstract
As a solicitor, I never practised in the field of law and medicine. However, in 1977, I noticed a news item about the Medico-Legal Society in the Law Society’s Gazette and joined purely out of interest. Unlike me, my wife Diana became an acknowledged specialist in the field.
When I joined, the President was Sir Norman Skelhorn who was then the Director of Public Prosecutions. He came over as very much of a ‘stuffed shirt’ and his vote of thanks to the speakers always followed the same formula - thanking the speaker ‘for his interesting and instructive address’.
At that time, the secretary and treasurer of the Society sat on the platform with the President and the Speaker at our monthly meetings. The Honorary Secretary at the time was a solicitor, Mr James Barnes. I remember him diligently counting the numbers attending each session.
About six years later the Council of the Society was (as ever) looking for younger blood and I found myself nominated and elected to the Society’s Council. It was there that I became acquainted with the electoral procedure that forever bore James Barnes’ name – and which (with a bit of a schoolboy snigger) was referred to by those in the know as ‘The Barnes Rhythm Method’.
Essentially, it was a cosy system to ensure that a member of Council was never left out in the cold. In short, once your term of office as a member of council expired, you automatically became a Vice-president entitled to attend Council meetings. When, after the required gap of one year, you once more became eligible for Council membership, you seamlessly moved from vice-president to Council member. The Rules allowed for up to eighteen vice-presidents!
My very first contribution, as a new Council Member in 1983, was probably my most useful. No sooner was I seated than the agenda moved to the selection of a new editor for the Medico-Legal Journal. I think it was Alec Samuels, who later became President of the Society and has been a prolific contributor to the Journal, proposed my wife (who was then regularly writing a ‘Medicine and Law’column for the Lancet) for the post. Having barely settled in my chair, I was sent to scurry round the old Royal Society of Medicine building to locate her. I am pleased to report I did find her (enjoying a glass of wine in the bar) and the rest is history – Diana Brahams remains the Editor to this day!
So, like other members of the Council, I happily alternated between Council Member and Vice President for over 35 years and, despite not being a medico-legal practitioner, tried to help out with such matters as the Society’s contract with its publisher and the website.
This year, however, Nemesis appeared in the form of our distinguished President Sir Robert Francis. Quite properly, he led a move to bring our constitution into line with modern practice and the Charity Commission’s requirements. Under the new constitution, which was adopted on 13 June 2019, there is no place for vice presidents. Because the number of Council members (other than office-holders) remained at nine – more than currently attended as members or vice presidents − Robert invited anyone who felt they should no longer attend to fall on their swords. I considered my time had come. At 77, my usefulness in reducing the average age of council members was some way past its sell-by date so, with a couple of others, I stepped down.
I shall of course continue to come to the meetings but Council membership was a privilege I valued, bringing me into contact with so many interesting and able people I would not have encountered in my practice as a property lawyer.
As Lord Gnome would say ‘So farewell, then MLS Council’ and farewell too to the Barnes Rhythm Method!