During the first week of October we had the distinguished pleasure to not only visit London and Cambridge but also to be generously hosted by some of the key institutions and organisations of the British legal system.
Upon our arrival, we visited the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. There, we were welcomed by Mr. Patrick Maddams, Sub-Treasurer of the Inner Temple, Ms. Master Rachel Spearing (a criminal practitioner) and Mr. Alban Brahimi, a junior member of the Inner Temple. After the introduction of the Inner Temple, we visited the Royal Courts of Justice and Ms. Spearing gave us a truly informative tour of the Court’s history. Afterwards, we visited the UK Supreme Court, where were honored to be hosted by Justice Lord Carnwath, who gave us precious insight into the functioning of one of the most prominent courts in the world. After a some tea with Lord Carnwath, we took a tour of some of London’s most famous buildings, including Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster. Impressed by the fascinating architecture and history, we ended the London visit on a high note. In the evening, we departed for Cambridge where we were delighted to be hosted by Emmanuel College.
In the morning, we indulged in some traditional English breakfast and made our way to the Law Faculty to meet up with Ms. Ann Smith. Mr. David F. Willis then showed us around the Squire Law Library and gave us some tips on where to find literature on specific fields of law. The Squire Law Library is an impressive modern building designed by the famous architect Norman Foster and holds one of the largest selections of legal books, journals, texts and other relevant literature. In addition, there is a special section dedicated to historical legal books which are freely accessible to all who wish to study them. For the rest of the day we went around and explored Cambridge, becoming more familiar with the city centre and it’s surroundings.
The following morning was scheduled for interesting lectures at the Cambridge Faculty of Law which proved to be much different than any we have previously attended at our home University.
Our Cambridge experience would not have been complete without some punting. We have seen many tourists being driven around River Cam by professional punters. However, the old Cambridge tradition of propelling the boat by pushing against the river bed with a pole seemed effortless to us, hence we decided to take up the challenge and propel the punt ourselves. After some desperate attempts to navigate the boat, taking turns yet bumping from one side of the river to the other, we acknowledged our mistake in underestimating the complex punting technique. Although our clumsiness resulted in a less than pleasant boat ride, an overextended our punt rental and an additional charge, we will never forget this remarkable and entertaining punting experience.
Our final day in Cambridge concluded with an extraordinary dinner, which was hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Cornish. They warmly welcomed us to their home where they treated us to some wine and a most delicious dinner. We would like to express our utmost appreciation and gratitude for their hospitality.
Irma Abdić
Zoran Škrbin
Luka Milanović
Maks Mencin