My Call To The Bar – A Tale Of Two Sisters

Knowledge is power and I cannot, for the life of me, think of one person who does not aspire for more of either. After all, what could be more motivating than the gain on knowledge? However, what is it that actually motivates us to study further after secondary school? Is it because we want a job? Or we want to be successful in a particular field? Or, do we pursue University just to make our parents proud as they would feel a sense of achievement when their offspring obtain degrees? Yet for some, motivation comes from the whole idea of just having to support oneself. They just give themselves the final push, graduate with flying colors, get a good job and then hope to not look back and regret what they have done.

Step in 27 year old Janet Ansah and her 24 year old sibling Faith-Rose Ansah; it is easy to guess that their motivation and inspiration for their chosen career paths is none other than their mother, Supreme Court of Appeal Judge (formerly Attorney General) Jane Ansah. Although having initially taken entirely different paths (Janet’s first degree is in Adult Nursing, after which she then embarked on a part time 2 year Law Conversion course whilst still working full time as a nurse), hand in hand they have arrived at the same destination. On 24th November 2011, they made their family – and yes, Malawi – proud. After completing their Bar Professional Training Course, the two were called to the Bar of England and Wales and thus fulfilling their lifetime ambitions of becoming Lawyers/Barristers.

It should be noted that this was the first time ever in the history of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple that a pair of sisters were being called to the Bar together.

Like any other profession the world over, the legal profession is highly competitive in the UK and therefore, the highest qualifications and abilities are demanded from aspiring students. Ideally, students will have attained the highest grades in GCSE and A-Level subjects, a law degree of at least 2.1 with further qualifications and as much practical experience as possible. However, 50 percent of those that gain a law degree actually enter into the profession.

Also, there are two distinct branches under the legal system in England and Wales; that of Solicitors and Barristers. Solicitors tend to work together with others in private practice and are generally the first port of call for those seeking legal advice; they are employed in government departments and commercial businesses. The Law Society therefore, is the professional body that represents Solicitors in the UK

Barristers on the other hand, do not generally deal with the public directly, but take their instructions from a Solicitor representing a client. They then represent the client in court and present their case. So in a nutshell, this is the path that these two siblings have embarked on and The Bar Council therefore, is the professional body representing Barristers in England and Wales.

By their own admissions, it hasn’t been all rosy. Janet says that it was no mean feat reaching this point in her life with various challenges being thrown in her way. For example, the new and tougher regulations put in place by the Bar Council upon student Barristers and the great demands of the course almost made her dream seem unreachable.

Faith is quick to point out that with her vision plainly in sight, she ignored every supposed warning sign from lecturers and masters of the inn alike that apparently, the bar was a dying profession and that she shouldn’t waste her time pursuing its Professional Training Course.

This, by the very same lecturers who impressed her with a mock trial in her first week of University and left her needing no further convincing that this was what she really wanted to do. She hardly understood the legal jargons but in the very same breath, she was sold. The beauty of the English language, the eloquence, the precise statements and the graceful expression; she sat there and said to herself; “that is what I want to do” and indeed she did. Like the determined young lady that she is, she effortlessly took it in her stride because as far as she was concerned, the negatives were merely opinions that did not necessarily constitute the truth and so she was careful to not waste her energy on treating them as such.In her mind, she believed she could fly and she was qualified to qualify.

There was nothing else she wanted more than to stand in a court of law and be the voice of others whilst contributing to society. You would only have to look at her University application personal statement which said; “It has always been my vision to contribute to significant changes in the lives of others”. As a barrister, she could see her vision coming to life.

Together, the two siblings were able to rise up again, overcome their hurdles and eventually, stand up and be counted as two new additions to the Bar of England and Wales.

Certainly their parents’ influence and guidance resonates even in their speeches as almost in unison, they put it to me that “the greatest tragedy in life is that we aim too low and so end up achieving exactly that. Our father is an accomplished Civil Engineer and our mother of course The Supreme Court of Appeal Judge. Money matters did not motivate them in choosing their careers; but passion and persuasion of enlightenment did.”

Janet believes that each one of us has the God given potential and capacity to aim higher and strive towards our goals and achieve something. Likewise, Faith gives credit where it is due; “I owe this great honor to God…” she says “…as without Him, I would never have made it this far. The sleepless nights, the tears but most importantly, the hard work was worth it and now when I am asked about what I do, I can confidently say that “I AM A BARRISTER!”

Apart from simply trusting in God and remaining focused, the sisters confidently say that there is nothing out of this world that they did; they just worked hard, and as advice to fellow ambitious young women (men too, for the gender sensitive readers), Janet encourages them to know that there is no goal that is unreachable, however, chances are that it will require hard work, dedication and most of all discipline.

And this tiny detail, how could they forget? With excitement, they remind me that they did not just share the night as sisters; the icing on the cake for them they say, on this memorable day was sharing the honor with royalty. They were called to The Bar together with the King of Bhutan His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

The girls have every reason to be proud.

“…the truth is that knowledge further empowers only those who have or can acquire the power to use it.” – R.C. Lewontin