{"id":9029,"date":"2026-08-11T18:15:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T17:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/law-news\/?p=9029"},"modified":"2026-08-11T18:15:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T17:15:57","slug":"bernard-richmond-kc-honoured","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/law-news\/bernard-richmond-kc-honoured\/","title":{"rendered":"Bernard Richmond KC Honoured"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cListen more than you speak.\u00a0\u00a0So many people who are voiceless do not need us to give them a voice.\u00a0\u00a0What they need us to do is to listen to what they are trying to say and then to help them to articulate.\u00a0\u00a0For those of you who want to be lawyers the greatest privilege you will have is being\u00a0permitted\u00a0to let somebody else have their voice\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This was just one piece of advice that Bernard Richmond KC gave during his inspirational speech when receiving his honorary doctorate at one of the Law School\u2019s graduation ceremonies this summer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> \"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Bernard grew up in Upton Park and attended a comprehensive school in East London. When he told his careers teacher that he wanted to become a barrister, she assumed that he meant a barrister\u2019s clerk. Undeterred, he studied law, was called to the Bar in 1988 and embarked upon what he has characteristically described as \u201can unexpected abundance of riches\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That abundance includes becoming King\u2019s Counsel, a Recorder, an Assistant Coroner, a Deemster, Head of Lamb Building Chambers, an Honorary Professor here at Kent and, this year, Master Treasurer of Middle Temple\u00a0(The\u00a0highest ranking\u00a0barrister in one of the four Inns of Court).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He is also a sixth-dan black belt in judo\u2014so it seems slightly unfair that he can defeat an opponent both intellectually and physically.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But a list of offices and accomplishments tells us what Bernard has done. It does\u00a0not quite tell\u00a0us who he is.<\/span> \"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Bernard is a brilliant advocate and an inspirational teacher. More importantly, he is someone who quietly creates opportunities, opens\u00a0doors\u00a0and offers help when nobody is watching. He\u00a0demonstrates\u00a0that exacting standards and kindness are not opposites, but essential partners in a humane legal profession.<\/span><\/p>\n

During his five years as our Honorary Professor, Bernard has helped transform Kent\u2019s reputation for practical legal education. He has delivered advocacy weekends and workshops\u2014even behind full Covid masks\u2014worked with Year 12 pupils, trained students at four National Law Student Triathlons, performed in demonstration trials, and brought\u00a0<\/span>A Question of Intent<\/span><\/i>\u00a0to the Gulbenkian Theatre. Its sequel,\u00a0<\/span>A Question of Consent<\/span><\/i>, is now in development\u2014and, naturally,\u00a0<\/span>tickets\u00a0are\u00a0available from the box office.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bernard has described his career as an unexpected abundance of riches. The truth is that the Bar, legal education and our own Kent community are immeasurably richer for him.\u00a0\u00a0A huge congratulations to Dr. Bernard Richmond KC for his honorary doctorate from all at Kent Law School. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bernard\u2019s full speech can be seen\u00a0<\/span>here.<\/span><\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n