Mr. President, past Presidents, Mr. Justice of the Supreme Court, Lord Chief Justice, my Lords, Ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome to no.10
First, may I welcome you all very warmly to no.10 Downing street.
Our American guests have made a very long journey to be here, and we are particularly delighted to see them.
This house has so many associations with the United States. Important decisions affecting your country were taken downstairs in the Cabinet room.
We occasionally made a little mistake, as in 1776.
But generally they have been the right decisions; and I think that as a result of them the relations between the United States and Britain are probably closer than between any two great and proud nations at any time in history. I shall be continuing that tradition of close links when I meet President Bush in Bermuda later this week. [end p1]
Thank for honour
Second, may I thank you most sincerely for the very great honour which you have done me, by making me an honorary fellow of the American college of trial lawyers.
It is one of the highest and most coveted accolades that a lawyer from another common law country can receive. And your consideration in offering it to me is all the greater, since I long ago gave up the law for other pastures.
When you read some of what appears in our newspapers, you may wonder whether I still think that was a wise decision!
Well, the answer is that I do.
If you believe in democracy, the rule of law and individual freedom as passionately as I do, then politics is a natural choice. [end p2]
And if you are sufficiently determined to see your policies through and know in your heart that they are right for this country, then you can carry them through, whatever the obstacles.
American college of trial lawyers
The American college of trial lawyers stands at the very summit of the American legal profession, to which all English lawyers—and I daresay even Scottish lawyers—are bound by strong and continuing ties of kinship and regard. It is sad that our great Lord Lord MackayChancellor, himself a Scottish lawyer, whom you have also made an honorary fellow, cannot be with us today.
But he has to attend a Commonwealth law conference in New Zealand.
The American college of trial lawyers has included, and includes today, some of the greatest advocates in the English speaking world. [end p3]
Your members have great standing and influence within and beyond their profession.
I think that the nearest equivalent with us is to be appointed a Queen's counsel, but I understand that fellowship of your college is even more exclusive still.
I am very glad that we have been able to assemble here some of the other honorary fellows of your college from the United Kingdom, judges of great learning and distinction, and I am grateful to them for coming to take part in this ceremony.
As you will know, we are engaged in some reform of the legal profession in this country, I know that not all the distinguished representatives of the legal profession here today agree with me wholeheartedly and one hundred per cent about this!
But I think the changes we are making will increase choice, and will in some ways bring us closer to the United States practice, while preserving our own distinctive flavour. [end p4]
I am particularly proud to be the first Prime Minister to be honoured in this way: proud for myself, but proud also for our country, because the fellowship recognises how very close Britain and the United States are in their devotion to the rule of law.
Rule of law
The law is the fundamental bedrock of a free society. Those who practise it have a vital role in our society. Without a rule of law, a democracy has no real meaning. Indeed that is one of the lessons we have learnt from the great changes that have taken place in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe: you cannot establish democracy simply by holding an election, you have also to establish the rule of a just and equitable law.
Mr. President, may I thank you once again for this very great honour, and thank you also for coming to London with your distinguished colleagues to confer it personally. [end p5]
It brings two things which mean a very great deal to me: the law and the United States.
I believe in both of them passionately, and your generosity makes this a very special and very happy day.
Having got the speeches over, we can settle down to a very happy and relaxed lunch and I invite you to join me for that now.