The prospect of confronting a room full of lawyers – let alone a conference with more than 5,000 of them – would have many justice ministers running a mile.
By our reckoning, the last to bother with the International Bar Association’s annual conference was Lord Keen of Elie, who turned up to Washington and Sydney in the 2010s. We cannot recall any elected parliamentarian representing the UK government at the bumper beanfeast.
So the appearance of courts minister Sarah Sackman in Toronto last week was a welcome surprise. Not only that, but the barrister and MP seemed to enjoy the experience. She spoke at a shindig jointly hosted by the Ministry of Justice and Law Society of England and Wales, and was one of the last to leave. That made a pleasant change from the usual scenario, where a SPAD ushers the hapless politico into the night before anyone can ask a question.
Sackman also spoke at an event on ethics and was bold in telling a room largely full of sceptics that the debate about AI in courts had to begin now. She may not have won many attendees around, but they certainly appreciated having the chance to engage with a minister. Indeed, one delegate quipped that Sackman had shown such understanding of the profession she might have to be moved to another department.
But her luck was not all in. Sackman landed in Toronto with the local baseball team on the verge of a historic World Series win. ‘This week I became an honorary Blue Jays fan as I fly the flag for the UK in Toronto,’ she posted on social media, along with the picture above.
Alas, Sackman’s team lost in heartbreaking fashion with an extra-innings defeat, plunging Toronto into mourning. Doubtless attuned to local sensibilities, the minister didn’t put the cap on again.
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