Independence of the judging panel
Liverpool Law Society prides itself on ensuring each time our Awards occur that the judging panel is entirely independent. All decisions are made confidentially by the judging panel. The three members of the judging panel come from academia, business and the judiciary. No director of the Society nor staff member is involved in the judging of the Awards.
The chair of the judging panel’s role is to provide assistance where needed, particularly to the panel members without legal knowledge, and to ensure the administrative running of the judging process. The judging panel chair is non-voting.
Chair of the judging panel
For the 2023 Legal Awards, the panel will be chaired by Ms Glenys Hunt. Glenys was President of Liverpool Law Society in 2013-14.
Glenys was formerly a solicitor specialising in clinical negligence and personal injury work. On leaving work she did some research at Liverpool University into the role of public inquiries in restoring trust in the NHS. She sits on a research ethics committee at the University of Liverpool and the North-West Research for Patient Benefit committee, as well as being a Director for Merseyside Dementia Friendly Radio. Glenys’ role will be to assist and guide the Panel; however she does not have voting rights.
Members of the judging panel
The Society is delighted the following people have agreed to judge the entries of the 2023 Legal Awards.
Andrew Ruffler
CEO at Professional Liverpool
Formerly Regional Director at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) North West, Andrew Ruffler joined Professional Liverpool in March 2020 from a consultancy role at Wirral-based architecture practice, ArchitectFolk. Andrew provides a wealth of expertise and extensive network of contacts from his time spent working at RIBA North West, industry-leading creative agency Uniform, and also within the investment teams at both Liverpool City Region LEP and MIDAS in Manchester. As Chief Executive, Andrew’s focus is on building on the growth and financial stability of the organisation post-pandemic, and refreshing the vision for Professional Liverpool as the voice of the professional and business services sector in the Liverpool City Region.
Nicola Walker
Campus Manager at the University of Law
Nicola Walker is the Campus Manager at the University of Law for both the Liverpool and Chester campuses. She also teaches on the Post graduate conversion and Legal practice course at Liverpool. Nicola graduated with a degree in English and later converted to Law, studying the GDL and the LPC at the University of Law’s Chester campus. She qualified as a solicitor in 2006 and then went on to practice as a Commercial Property solicitor at national firms. Nicola is also a qualified teacher and before joining Ulaw, she worked in Education, teaching Law as well as being a Course Leader and Head of student progression. Nicola is the ULaw SQE Champion at Liverpool and is also involved in widening participation at the University.
HHJ Graham Wood KC
Designated Civil Judge for Cheshire and Merseyside
His Honour Judge Graham Wood KC is the Designated Civil Judge for Cheshire and Merseyside. Graham was called to the Bar in 1979 and took Silk in 2002. He was appointed as an Assistant Recorder in 1996, as a Recorder in 2000, as a Fee-paid Legal Member of the Restricted Patients Panel in 2007 (becoming Fee-Paid Tribunal Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, Health Education and Social Care Chamber in 2008) and as a Circuit Judge in 2011. He also sits as a Deputy High Court Judge and is the Civil Course Director for the Judicial College responsible for the induction training of new civil recorders.
Formerly a member of Exchange Chambers in Liverpool, and also 3 Paper Buildings in London, Graham’s practice after taking Silk in 2002 was predominantly in white collar crime, serious personal injury and public law. Among his wider experience he can count co-editing the 4th and 5th editions of Bingham’s Negligence Cases, being a Legal Assessor to the General Dental Council and the General Medical Council, and Deputy Chancellor to the dioceses of Liverpool and Chester. He was appointed as Chancellor of the Diocese of Liverpool in 2019. Graham is also a council member of Hope University and chair of the Standing Committee on Ethics research.