Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
A not-for-profit organisation representing injured people

APIL Officer - Richard Barr

The staff report to an executive committee of elected APIL members, which is led by a team of officers comprising the president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer. Executive committee members work on a voluntary basis, tirelessly striving to achieve APIL’s objectives for the benefit of injured people.

The executive committee meets on a regular basis, usually four times annually.

Richard Barr

Photograph

Role: Officer

Firm: SCOTT-MONCRIEFF & ASSOCIATES LTD

Further details for Richard Barr are displayed below.

Role Name
President Neil McKinley
Vice Presidents
Treasurer Jill Greenfield
Secretary John McQuater
Immediate Past President Sam Elsby
Committee members
Past Officers and EC members

I have been a member of APIL almost since it was founded (membership number 241!), but there is plenty of life in the old dog yet. I am a Senior Litigator/Accredited Clinical Negligence specialist with APIL and solicitor consultant with Scott-Moncrieff & Associates Ltd. Like most of the firm’s lawyers I now work from home (North Norfolk for me). For at least the last 25 years I have exclusively handled clinical negligence and/or multi-party cases (I was involved in running claims involving Opren, vaccines, Gulf War and organophosphates).

I feel strongly that the public is being shafted by this and previous governments. No recent ‘reform’ has ever enhanced access to justice for victims of personal injury. I suspect that it is the government’s agenda to impoverish and disempower solicitors. Funding litigation is vital.

We need a strong APIL to enable us to fight strongly and effectively for our clients but we need to fight alongside APIL and not simply blame it for each further onslaught by governments.

What skills can I bring? Apart from knowing a thing about litigation I offer communication skills and a spot of wisdom. I have contributed hundreds of articles to Solicitors Journal (a selection of which is contained my book the Savage Poodle). I broadcast regularly live on legal matters on local radio (BBC Radio Norfolk). I am on the Law Society Council (representing Norfolk).

I have for the past 20+ years been a carer for my step-daughter (seriously disabled through medical negligence and still needing 24/7 care), so I have daily experience of the enduring consequences of serious clinical negligence.

If any of these attributes are helpful, then I am happy to throw in my pennyworth on the Executive Committee. If not, you can at least buy my book on Amazon!
  • attend the following meetings each year
    -  seven EC meetings which usually last a full day
    -   APIL’s annual general meeting and where necessary, other annual conferences
    -   EC meeting with SIG/regional group co-ordinators and secretaries (a full day)
    (Members of the EC are asked to achieve a 75% attendance rate throughout the year)
  • attend and actively support EC sub-committees and policy working groups, which meet at various times of the year
  • act as an EC liaison with a specified APIL special interest group and attend meetings, whenever possible
  • contribute to the preparation of APIL responses to consultation papers
  • attend regional group meetings.
  1. APIL members may stand for election for the following:
    • Executive Committee (officers and additional officers)
    • Special Interest Group Co-ordinators
    • Special Interest Group Secretaries
    • Regional Group Co-ordinators
    • Regional Group Secretaries
  2. Nominations shall be put forward to the APIL office at the appropriate time on the required form.
  3. Each APIL member (fully paid up and eligible to vote) may nominate – one candidate and/or second one candidate, in each election.
  4. APIL’s secretary will not nominate or second candidates, but will remain eligible to vote.
  5. An APIL member becomes a candidate as soon as he/she is nominated to stand in an election.
  6. Candidates will be asked to submit to the APIL office up to 300 words, including biographical details, in support of their candidature. APIL's chief executive shall have the power to edit or refuse to accept unlawful or factually incorrect details.
  7. The details of all candidates will be circulated together, by the APIL office, to either the full membership (for EC elections) or to the relevant membership sections (for SIG and Regional Group elections).
  8. No additional written material, or electronic communications may be circulated and/or distributed by, and/or in support of, a candidate in any election.
  9. If additional material is found to be in circulation or, direct or indirect canvassing identified, APIL's Executive Committee reserves the right to withdraw the candidate from the elections.
  10. Canvassing of any nature is not permitted by members who may be nominated for APIL's Annual Awards.

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