Minutes of the Annual General Meeting

Of the

Association of Military Court Advocates

Held

At The Headquarters of the Honourable Artillery Company

Armoury House

City Road

London

19th October 2007

  

Committee Members Present

 

Lord Thomas of Gresford Chair

Justin Hugheston-Roberts Secretary

Mark Haslam Treasurer

Simon Reevell Committee Member

Peter Hunter Committee Member.

 

 

(This was an open meeting for the membership and many members attended.

No register was taken.)

 

The Minutes of the previous meeting and matters arising..

 

This being the first AGM there were none

 

Accounts and treasures report.

 

The Hon Treasurer presented his audited accounts for the year ending 30th September 2007 and the Period ending 30th September 2006.

 

As there had not been a meeting since the creation of the Association the two periods within the accounts represented the total period of trading.

 

The Hon Treasurer was pleased to announce that the Association was in credit with in bank to include the costs of the conference incurred up to the 19th October 2007.

 

The Hon Treasurer then proceeded to ask the meeting to consider the subscription for the following 12 months and it was agrees that the membership fee should remain at the current levels of £50 for a full member and £25 for an associate member. It was further agreed that the subscription was to run from the 1st November 2007 for a period of one year.

 

The motion for the imposition of the annual subscription fee was proposed by the Hon Treasurer and seconded by the Mr Simon Reevell. The motion was passed on a simple majority.

 

 

The Members and Secretaries Report.

 

The Hon Secretary was able to report to the meeting that the membership was in good spirits – generally!

 

The membership now had reached around the 200 mark and was growing.

 

The Association was at last accepted by the Military who were able to now talk to a representative body in a way that they were not previously able to.

 

This was clearly a situation that must be maintained and nurtured to ensure the Associations desire and core objective to champion excellence within the Military Justice System.

 

 

Election of Officers

 

Prior to the meeting the Hon. Secretary had been notified that Mr Mark Haslam had declared his intention that he wished to resign his position as Treasurer and a new member was required to take up the post.

 

Further, Mr Simon Reevell was pleased to inform the meeting that Sir Alan Moses L.J. was pleased to accept the Committee invitation to join the Association as Hon. President.

 

The Hon. Secretary was able to confirm that no other nominations for Committee Membership had been received and that members of the outgoing committee had expressed their willingness to continue to serve for the following twelve months..

 

Officers for the period 2007/2008:

 

Hon President: Sir Alan Moses LJ.

Proposed: Simon Reevell

Seconded: Joseph Giret (From the Floor)

 

Hon Chairman: Lord Thomas of Gresford Q.C.

Proposed: Justin Hugheston-Roberts

Seconded: Geoffrey Salvetti (From the Floor)

 

Hon Secretary: Justin Hugheston-Roberts

Proposed: Peter Hunter

Seconded: Simon Reevell

 

 

Hon Treasurer: Simon Reevell

Proposed: Justin Hugheston-Roberts

Seconded: Peter Hunter

 

Committee Member: Peter Hunter

Proposed: Justin Hugheston-Roberts

Seconded: Lewis Cherry (From the Floor)

 

 

At the suggestion of the Hon Secretary it was agreed that the membership be asked to elect a member to be co-opted on to the committee.

 

Mr Lewis Cherry volunteered his services and was duly selected.

Proposed: Justin Hugheston-Roberts

Seconded: Peter Hunter

 

 

Adoption of Draft Constitution

 

The draft constitution having been made available to the meeting and with the typographical amendments having been made the constitution was proposed by Mr Joseph Giret (form the floor) and seconded by Mr Mark Haslam (for the floor)

 

The motion for the adoption of the Constitution was passed by simple majority.

 

Any other business:

 

1.     Mr Joseph Giret (from the floor) expresses his willingness to organisise and run a series of workshops that would be able to tour the country offering trial advocacy experience in Courts Martials.

2.     Mr Lewis Cherry (from the floor) expressed his willingness to create a web site for AMCA.

3.     A request was made that any website should include a list of all members.

4.     Justin Hugheston-Roberts reminded the committee and the meeting that Lt Col (Rtd) Peter Andrews had been the main organising force behind the Conference. His help and assistance had been invaluable. It was suggested that the Association could benefit from the continued assistance of Peter. It was agreed without the need for a vote it was agreed that Peter should be approached and asked to take on the duties of the Association Administration Officer. It was agreed that he be remunerated at the rate of £20 per hour. He would report directly to the Hon Treasurer on all financial issued and to the Hon Secretary on all other matters

 

 

 

There being no other business the meeting was closed.