Black History Month 2026 celebrates the achievements, contributions and history of Black people in Britain. This year’s theme is “Honouring Our Communities”. To mark the event, Oluwapelumi Amanda Adeola of Trinity Chambers asked colleagues from across the law what BHM means to them. Here she speaks to Stephen Lue
Stephen Lue, Garden Court Chambers
“Honouring Our Communities” — what does that theme mean to you personally?
We heal in community, not in isolation – Prof Jason Arday’s death is evidence of that. “Honouring our Communities” means recognising that none of us succeeds alone. Our identities, values and opportunities are shaped by the people and communities that sustain us—our families, friends, cultural communities, professional networks and those who have created space for us to belong.
As a Jamaican-Chinese and LGBT+ person, I experience community as something both inherited and actively built. It includes the people whose histories and sacrifices made my path possible, as well as those who have challenged exclusion and helped make professional and social spaces more welcoming.
I am about to celebrate my 20th anniversary as a member of my LGBT+ Aquatics club, Out To Swim, and that has been a journey of being raised by role models that are not often immediately available growing up within the Black community. Creating a dedicated space for people of colour at our Global Majority session has meant that we have strengthened the roots of the tree that creates a canopy for our whole community. Having the fraternity of a chosen family can be the difference between surviving and thriving. When one looks back on the seminal moments that brought all the symphonies into one harmonious tune, it has been the place where we are not simply accepted for all that we are, or loved in spite of what we fear makes us separate from the whole, but the space where you were loved and held up because you felt you were enough; simply for being you.
Honouring our communities also means treating one another with empathy and compassion. Communities are not monolithic; people experience race, culture, sexuality, class and family in different ways. All systems evolve best when they are open to growth and consistent learning. We need to listen to each other with humility and with the remembrance that when we look closely enough we can see ourselves in each other. We need to make space for messiness, complexity and nuance and resist the temptation to judge ourselves and each other too quickly.
For me, this theme also includes recognising the importance of care—care for clients, care for colleagues and care for ourselves. Regular pauses and breaks are not a lack of commitment; they help us maintain perspective, balance and the capacity to support others well. Patience and radical compassion enable us to build communities in which people feel valued, vulnerable enough to ask for help, safe and able to flourish.
How do you see the relationship between the courtroom and the wider community?
The courtroom is not separate from the community. It is one of the places where the pressures and inequalities of wider society become visible and are translated into legal decisions. There are societal norms that play themselves out in how evidence is interpreted, and how victims of abuse are treated. People from all communities feel reassured when they see themselves in the people that are contributing to life-changing decisions being made about their lives.
That is particularly apparent in family proceedings. Families come before the court at moments of profound difficulty, often feeling frightened, misunderstood, exhausted and overwhelmed. Their experiences may be shaped by culture, poverty, racism, disability, migration, faith, gender or sexuality. To administer justice fairly, we need to understand that context while remaining faithful to the evidence and the law.
This requires deep empathy—not only towards clients, but also towards the professionals involved in difficult cases. Lawyers, judges, court staff and other practitioners are working under considerable pressure. Treating one another with patience and respect helps create a courtroom environment in which everyone can perform their role with a sense of dignity and purpose.
Compassion and courtesy are not weaknesses or distractions from justice. They support clearer communication, better decision-making and greater public confidence in the legal system.
Have you observed changes in how family courts engage with cultural diversity over the course of your career?
I have observed a greater willingness to recognise that cultural diversity can affect how families communicate, understand relationships, access support and experience the court process. There is also increased awareness from lawyers and courts about the wide range of what is considered normal within different cultural contexts. For instance, it is now more readily accepted that some communities thrive living in multi-generational households.
However, progress remains uneven. Cultural competence cannot be reduced to knowing a few customs, religious holidays or identifying someone’s ethnicity. It requires a curiosity and a willingness to listen to the individual rather than relying on assumptions. People’s identities are layered and personal. A Jamaican-Chinese family, for example, cannot be understood through a single cultural lens; nor can any family be understood solely through race, class, religion, sexuality or nationality.
A compassionate approach means giving people time and space to explain their experiences. It also means extending that patience to professionals, who may be learning, making mistakes and trying to improve.
The challenge is to move beyond good intentions towards consistent practice. That includes appropriate interpretation and support, challenging stereotypes, recognising the negative effects of discrimination on the outcomes for children, and ensuring that diversity is reflected among the professionals who work within the justice system.
What role does empathy play in effective advocacy?
Empathy is central to effective advocacy. It means trying to understand how a person has experienced events, what matters to them, and what may make it difficult for them to communicate clearly. It does not mean losing independence, accepting everything uncritically or allowing emotion to displace professional judgement.
Family law clients are often discussing the most private and painful aspects of their lives in an unfamiliar and intimidating environment. Deep empathy helps an advocate listen properly, obtain clear instructions and identify the issues that truly matter. It allows the client’s case to be presented accurately, and sensitively.
Empathy can be part of an effective cross examination. It may seem counter intuitive, but if the witness feels you understand their core concern, it often leaves them more open to the conclusion you are gently edging towards.
Empathy also applies to our relationships as professionals. We should recognise that colleagues may be carrying their own pressures, exhaustion or uncertainty. Patience and compassion can make it easier to ask for help, acknowledge mistakes and work collaboratively. A culture in which professionals are encouraged to take regular breaks is also important. Rest and balance enable us to return to our work with greater clarity, attention and resilience.
I see radical compassion as the willingness to treat people—including ourselves—with humanity, even when circumstances are difficult. That does not remove accountability or the need for high standards. Rather, it helps us maintain those standards without becoming harsh, dismissive or depleted.
The strongest advocacy combines empathy with preparation, independence and intellectual rigour. When we care properly for clients, colleagues and ourselves, we are better equipped to listen, think clearly and present cases in a way that assists the court and respects everyone involved.
Oluwapelumi Amanda Adeola is a barriter at Trinity Chambers and a member of Resolution’s EDI committee
Read the full article in The Review
