YOUNGER MEMBERS EVENT
With Alex Chalk QC MP, The Solicitor General
Wednesday, 1st December 2021
Alex Chalk joined SCL Younger members for our first in-person event since early 2020. His very enjoyable talk included some great anecdotes and insights into his role in Government.
Alex has for many years been a member of the Society. He was appointed to the role of Solicitor General in September this year. Previously, Alex was both Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice and Minister of State for Prisons and Probation. Before that, Alex had a heavy criminal practice at the Bar, prosecuting a number of high-profile terrorist trials, serious fraud cases and rape and sexual assaults. He represented journalists in the phone-hacking scandal and both prosecuted and defended corporate clients charged with financial crimes.
Alex brings a wealth of experience of the Justice system and in particular of the criminal courts. In 2018, he led a Parliamentary inquiry, together with the Children's Society and Young Minds charities, into the impact of social media and cyber bullying on young people's mental health. He is a keen supporter of reinstating legal aid for early legal advice, believing it to be both fair and cost effective.
During his time as Prisons Minister, Alex announced a new scheme to provide temporary, basic accommodation to prison leavers for twelve weeks as well as overhauling the unpaid work that offenders are ordered to do as part of community service. Alex was also responsible for the Government’s commitment to the Net Zero carbon emissions target.
In 2018, he tabled a Ten Minute Rule Bill seeking to enshrine in law that the UK reaches a net zero carbon account by 2050, the measure he described as being “the proudest of in my time in Parliament”. This led to him winning the ‘MP Climate Action’ award at the Green Heart Hero Awards by the Climate Coalition in 2020.