In Bruges
by Pritesh Rathod
Last year’s trip to Bruges was my first Circuit Trip. I was a little anxious as I thought about what it would be like to spend a weekend with people who I did not really know and most of whom were twice my age! I should not have worried, however.
The trip began with some drinks at the champagne bar at St Pancras Station. We then piled into the first class carriage of the Eurostar and off we went. The quality of the food served on-board was surprisingly good. The train journey provided a good opportunity for us all to break the ice and get to know others who were on the trip. We had all barely begun to settle into the carriage properly when, before we knew it, we had arrived at Bruxelles Midi Station.
And then the drama commenced. Standing in the main concourse with her handbag was a Circuiteer. From behind, a Belgian youth managed to get hold of her handbag. Up stepped Giles Colin. Many reading this magazine will know Giles as the Circuit’s Assistant Treasurer. Few know him as the Circuit’s “have a go hero”. Giles effectively made a citizen’s arrest on the mugger. Unfortunately, due to police bureaucracy, we were unable to ensure that the thief was charged.
With all the drama out of the way, we boarded a train for Bruges. An hour later and we were there. A handful braved the chilly night and walked to the hotel. Most of us waited for taxis, although the taxi rank was deserted. Credit goes to Kaly Kaul for having a brainwave and phoning the hotel to send taxis for us, after no taxis had been in sight for half an hour. The Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce Hotel was stunning. The spacious rooms were decked out with rustic and classy furniture. The views from most rooms were spectacular. There was an authenticity and homeliness about the whole place. Those who are familiar with the film In Bruges will be pleased to note that a scene was filmed in the restaurant in the Bourgondisch.
The next morning started with a champagne breakfast. We then had a fascinating meeting with lawyers from Bruges, including the Chairman of the Bruges Bar and a former Vice Chairman of the European Bar Association.
One of the issues that we discussed was multi-disciplinary partnerships. Lawyers in Belgium do not practice in collaboration with any other professional. This was decided several years ago following a general meeting of the Belgian Bars. It was discussed again as a result of an enormous lobby by the big accountancy firms in Holland and later in Belgium, who argued that they should be entitled to provide full legal services under the EU anti-competitive framework directive. The matter was adjudicated upon by the ECJ in favour of the professions. Despite further rumblings and attempts to get this topic back on the agenda of the Belgian professional body it seems that the lobby has relented in the aftermath of the ENRON case.
The Bruges lawyers expressed dismay at proposals in the UK that one-stop shops would permit partnerships or associations with non-lawyers. The whole essence of the legal profession was based on its professional independence in representing clients. That would be lost with a significant negative impact for clients. The fear of many in Europe was that new regulations in the UK would quickly allow other EU countries to follow suit. It would be disastrous if the independence of a self-employed professional in the legal system could be undermined by commercial considerations of this kind.
Also on the agenda was cuts in public funding. Unbeknownst to any of us, the Belgian Bar had gone on strike to protest at cuts to their own public funding budget. Apparently, the strike had been effective. We were all extremely impressed with the knowledge that the Bruges lawyers had not only of our legal system but also of the issues that our lawyers faced. They suggested greater awareness and communication between Bar associations in each EU member state so that all would be aware of the issues that each was facing. Both groups of lawyers felt that they had learned some new and very important things in the meeting.
Following the meeting, we got a chance to see what Bruges is all about. A half an hour boat trip revealed that Bruges is a beautiful city. It is no exaggeration to say that that there really is no place in Europe like it. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Some call it “The Venice of the North”. Rivers and canals wound their way to places as far away as Amsterdam. All the roads were cobbled and, buildings and streets seemed to have remained unchanged for centuries. The rest of the afternoon provided ample opportunity for Circuiteers to explore this extraordinary city. An interesting way to orientate one’s self quickly in the city is to go on a tour by horse and cart. It covers a remarkable number of places over a relatively short period of time. Of particular beauty were the Church of Our Lady, which houses the Michelangelo sculpture Madonna and Child, and the Burg Square, which is home to the 12th century Basilica of the Holy Blood, the City Hall and the Provinciaal Hof (Provincial Court).
The dinner at the Maria van Bourgondië restaurant (owned and managed by the hotel) on the Saturday night proved to be a big success. The food looked delicious and, I am informed, tasted every bit as good as it looked (I cannot vouch for its taste due to a disagreement between my stomach and some moules-frites earlier that afternoon). We were joined again by the Bruges lawyers, who provided us with an interesting insight into Belgian culture and history. They drank copious amounts of alcohol and even joined in with an Anesta Weekes QC-inspired game of charades (although quite how anyone is able to communicate the title of the novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist without using words is beyond me). New friendships were made with our Belgian counterparts, who promised to come to London where the Circuit will be more than pleased to host them.
Sunday was left for more sightseeing and shopping (shops in Bruges specialise in selling three types of goods: chocolate, lace and lingerie – some shops even combine the three!). As we were leaving, all were agreed that the service provided by the hotel staff was first rate. It is only right to place on record our thanks to Eddie and Frederik at the Bourgondisch for really pulling out all the stops to make our stay in Bruges a memorable one. Thanks also go to Giles Colin, who organised such a wonderful trip. I wholeheartedly recommend both Bruges and South Eastern Circuit trips to all Circuiteers. I for one am looking forward to the next Circuit trip and I hope to see some of you there.