23/11/20
Jennifer MacLeod and Emma Mockford have jointly won the Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year Award at the 2020 Bar Pro Bono Awards, alongside Catherine Jaquiss of Goldsmith Chambers.
The award was presented on 21 November 2020 by Amanda Pinto QC, Chair of the Bar Council, as part of the Annual Bar and Young Bar Conference.
Jennifer and Emma were jointly nominated for their work supporting the family of baby Harry Richford at a three-week long inquest in January 2020, instructed by Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP. Harry was born on 2 November 2017 and died seven days later. The inquest at which Jennifer and Emma appeared concluded that his death was wholly avoidable and had been caused by numerous gross failings on the part of the East Kent University NHS Trust, which amounted to neglect. All involved highly praised Jennifer and Emma’s work, including the Coroner who commented that “they both represented the best of the profession, and that it was an honour to have them appear before him”. They were nominated for the award directly by Harry’s grandfather, Derek Richford.
It is the second consecutive year that Jennifer MacLeod has won the award.
