How frequently are House of Lords members applauded from football stadium stands?
The answer is, not often. However, that is exactly what occurred this past weekend when Manchester City supporters unfurled a banner that read, "Pannick on the Streets of London.".
That pun on a Smiths song's title was made in reference to Lord David Pannick, the highly regarded attorney who is currently defending the club in its legal battle with the Premier League.
The lawyer has taken on a number of high-profile cases, and theirs is just the most recent.
In the course of his career, he has defended clients like Sir Philip Green, the owner of Topshop, Shamima Begum, the adolescent who fled to join Islamic State, and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
At a young age, he developed a passion for law. At 16, he frequently visited the Old Bailey to observe court proceedings while participating in debate at school.
His first case as a lawyer was representing a man in Hong Kong who was facing the death penalty after graduating from Hertford College at Oxford University.
He admitted defeat to Sally Penni MBE during the Talking Law Podcast. "Our customer was hanged.
You can only improve after a start like that, so that's not a good way to begin your practice. When I tell clients that, some are reassured and some are not. ".
He has had a lengthy and varied career despite the challenging beginning.
In the 1990s, he advocated on behalf of gay service members who had been discharged from the military due to their sexual orientation.
Additionally, he defended Mark Thompson, the director-general of the BBC, from a Christian group that wanted to bring charges against him for showing Jerry Springer the Opera in 2005.
In 2019, Boris Johnson's attempt to shut down Parliament in order to end the Brexit impasse was one of his most well-known cases.
As attorneys argued their cases before the Supreme Court for four days, Westminster was riveted.
Seldom has a man been less well named, according to Guardian cartoonist John Crace at the time.
"Pannick exudes a sense of calm and has the amazing talent of making you believe you comprehend legalese when in fact you don't.
"Pannick attacks are beautiful in a zen-like way. In his hands, a legal submission resembles a cozy bedtime story more than an antagonistic debate. ".
Lord Pannick's success, according to Clive Coleman, then the legal correspondent for the BBC and currently a senior partner at Maltin PR, can be attributed to his capacity for rationalization.
The lawyer's strategy is summed up in the following way: "Never be afraid of stating the obvious, never be afraid of stating the obvious time and time again, never be afraid of stating the obvious time and time again even to the most brilliant judges. ".
Coleman compares the way Lord Pannick presents himself in court to a person explaining something in a bar.
No matter how talented a judge they are, everyone wants clarity. ".
Since then, Lord Pannick has switched from representing Boris Johnson in court to opposing him.
MPs are looking into possible allegations of misrepresentation by the former prime minister regarding parties during the coronavirus lockdown.
The government had commissioned Lord Pannick to investigate the strategy used by the committee.
In a legal opinion he wrote in September, he claimed that the committee's strategy was "fundamentally flawed" and that it would "seriously chill" MPs.
The committee disagreed with his points of view and charged the peer with having a "systematic misunderstanding of the parliamentary process.".
Unavoidably, there has been conflicting response to him taking on the case.
According to him, "those who believe Boris Johnson is a martyr and shouldn't have been removed, think I am a hero; those who are against Boris Johnson think I'm a disgrace," he told Sally Penni.
"I've received several emails suggesting that I step down, but I'm not sure why.
"I give people advice and stand up for them; whether they are Boris Johnson or an asylum seeker, they hear what I have to say. " .
As an independent or crossbench peer, Lord Pannick was elected to the House of Lords in 2008.
According to Anthony Inglese in Counsel Magazine, "I am still known as Young Pannick only there.".
I was moved by the idea that my grandparents, who emigrated from Poland and Russia, would be shocked that their grandson would be honored in this manner. ".
His actions in the House of Lords came under fire in 2022 after ministers privately claimed the changes he assisted in passing into law in 2018 caused the sanctions against Vladimir Putin's allies to be delayed.
Lord Pannick asserted that he did not understand how his amendments "impeded proper government action" and claimed that ministers had not "given sufficient resources" to those in charge of selecting sanctions targets.
Additionally, he defended his 2014–15 work as a barrister for Mr. Rotenberg, a close friend of Vladimir Putin, saying that the criticism was based on "a basic misunderstanding here of a barrister's role.".
"I give legal advice to people, regardless of who they are or whether I agree with them or find them objectionable, and present their cases in court. " .
In a letter to The Times, he elaborated on the point, writing: "Justified outrage at the behavior of Putin, and those who support him, should not be allowed to dilute this vital component of a free society, however uncomfortable or unpopular it may occasionally be. ".
The US, the EU, and the UK have all sanctioned Mr. Rotenberg.
What prompts Lord Pannick to accept a client, then?
According to Clive Coleman, "I'm sure there is some element of liking the spotlight.".
"I believe the intellectual challenge, excitement, and buzz combined. " .
This may shed some light on the Arsenal supporter's decision to stand in for Manchester City.
The Premier League reported the club for more than 100 financial rule violations and referred it to an impartial commission.
City has stated that they are "surprised" by the allegations, but have maintained that their position is supported by a "body of irrefutable evidence".
The stakes are high for Manchester City supporters, who may be subject to relegation if the club is found to have violated the rules. On Sunday, crowds at the Etihad were seen jubilating over their club's newest (legal) star acquisition.
Will there be cries of "There's only one Lord Pannick" or "You're not fit to wear the silk" for Lord Pannick at the conclusion of the case then?
