A Whistlestop Tour of London Law Landmarks for our Undergraduates | Lady Margaret Hall

“At the start of Second Week of Michaelmas, the first-year lawyers and Astrophoria Foundation Year students gathered at Gloucester Green bus station before sunrise to catch the Oxford Tube. Accompanied by our Tutors Sebastian Bates and Anna Williams, we set out to explore London’s legal landmarks.

Our first stop was Parliament. Our guide led us through Westminster Hall and into the central lobby, where we noted the statues lining the walls, including an imposing figure of Margaret Thatcher, apparently master of all she surveys. The House of Commons was smaller than expected; during World War II, it sustained a direct hit from the Luftwaffe. Despite options for expansion, Winston Churchill chose to keep its original layout, believing that the chamber’s design encouraged a more direct and engaging style of debate, avoiding formality. He famously remarked, “We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us”, highlighting his view that the environment influences parliamentary discourse. This visit provided us with a practical insight into how laws are debated and enacted, connecting our academic studies to real-world legal practice.

Next, we visited the Supreme Court and the High Court. As we walked through the hallways, the cases we had studied began to feel more concrete. Our guide outlined the courts’ functions, the journey of cases that reach this level, and the justices’ approaches. Experiencing the actual courtroom where justices deliberate and discussing the principles of judicial independence and transparency deepened our understanding of our studies. We were even given the opportunity to have a quick mock trial, where regrettably I didn’t cover myself in much glory – my debate skills seem to leave something to be desired!

Before making our way back to College, we had just enough time to stop off at Gray’s Inn, where our tutor Sebastian was called to the bar. As a staunch Welshman it was reassuring to know it carried the reputation of being the ‘Welsh Inn’. LMH’s law library paled in comparison to theirs, and it was rather terrifying watching those taking the Bar Training Course hiding behind piles of textbooks. I’m choosing to live in blissful ignorance of my future for now. On the plus side, our guide pointed out the nearest bar where the barristers congregate after work so it seems there’s fun to be had somewhere at least. Then it was back on the bus for us, with laptops on our knees to prepare for a rigorous constitutional grilling the following morning.”

 – William Gledhill, First Year Law Undergraduate