This year, the opening of the legal year is especially significant, for it marks a new chapter in the eminent history of our profession – the Supreme Court is to open its doors for the first time.

Irrespective of sporadic controversy surrounding its creation, the establishment of the court is emblematic of the independence of the judicial system and those who work within it from the body politic. This is an important message to send both to parliament and the public.

Access to justice means more than an equal ability for all to use the justice system. It is the right to witness the workings of a court in person, to view easily the outcome of cases, and to understand the procedures, processes and personalities involved. The transparency of the new court will hopefully demystify the workings of the judicial system and dissipate some of the occasionally wilful misunderstanding propagated in the media about the work of the judiciary. In any event, the more the rule of law is given visible, practical effect, the better.

I have referred before to solicitors embracing the challenge of change. The establishment of the court may well presage similar challenges for both the government and the judiciary – and I suspect that Lord Justice Jackson’s review of the costs of civil litigation may be a critical one. There is little point in paying lip service to the rule of law and access to justice if civil litigation is prohibitive due to cost.

It is idle to forecast the outcome of the Jackson review, but Lord Justice Jackson will bring a vigorous and independent approach to the issue of costs in litigation. I am certain that the review will result in a series of clear and trenchant recommendations. All, however, will be potentially for nothing unless the government injects money into the court system to support any reform. Moreover, no reform should be implemented before there is a stringent impact assessment on access to justice in this area as well; the lack of a rigorous impact assessment for criminal justice has, on occasion, proved a serious mistake.

International solidarityThe opening of the legal year is as much international as it domestic. It is the day when lawyers from around the world – particularly from common law jurisdictions – stand in solidarity with English and Welsh lawyers.

This year, the Law Society and the Bar Council will be using the occasion to build support for a joint resolution with other bars, reaffirming our shared commitment to legal aid and the provision of access to justice. We will be receiving guests from 56 different jurisdictions, and we are hopeful that a great many will be able to sign. The resolution will call on governments to make stronger financial commitments to ensure access to justice for all, and encourage members of the profession to undertake fairly funded legal aid work, as well as pro bono. Above all, it will commit us all to work together more closely and, with our governments, to improve access to justice globally.

A constant throughout the relationships forged between lawyers across nations is the commitment of all to the concept of the rule of law – and it is a concept which bears constant repetition. Although the rule of law is an abstract concept for some, for others it is very real. Many of those who seek justice too often find their individual liberty and sometimes personal and physical well-being threatened. I am humbled meeting those for whom the concept is no abstract notion but a bleak reality. We should never take the rule of law for granted, wherever we practise.

The notion of the ‘legal family’ is more than just a lazy cliche. We are all bound by the same duties and values. We have shown our commitment to it in the past through our support for the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan and the Law Society of Zimbabwe when they have been faced with difficulties. We are delighted to welcome the presidents of both of those bodies to London this week.

However, the legal family comes together not just in times of crisis. In today’s global market, we find that increasingly we face many of the same problems as our colleagues in other jurisdictions. It makes sense that shared problems should receive shared analysis, even if our solutions need to take account of our different jurisdictional requirements. The opening of the legal year is the ideal opportunity for us to sit down with our friends and colleagues from the United States, Australia, Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as with those we see regularly from elsewhere in the EU, and discuss our common issues. The fact that so many bars from around the world want to come to London to participate in this occasion is a ringing endorsement of the role that our profession plays around the world, and the leadership position that the Law Society enjoys internationally.

The Society’s commitment extends beyond the opening of the legal year to international bar events held throughout the year. The influence of the English and Welsh profession depends on extending the ideas generated at home to other jurisdictions, and to leading the way in demonstrating creativity, ingenuity and innovation within the legal market.

Independence DayThe Society will have a major presence at the International Bar Association conference in Madrid next week. The centrepiece of this year’s conference for bars will be Independence Day – a day of roundtable events during which the international legal community will debate ways of cementing the independence of the profession. I shall be participating in a discussion on alternative business structures, which is destined to be a topic of major interest.

England and Wales leads the world in legal market innovation, but we need to build a consensus around our ideas to maintain our position. While the home front naturally remains the Society’s primary focus, we cannot afford to narrow our international outlook. We are a proud member of the international legal family, but we would much rather be standing at its head than amid the pack.

I wish you all a very happy and successful new legal year.

Robert Heslett is president of the Law Society