The Rolls Building Art and Education Trust ( RBAET )
Chairman
Geoffrey Bond OBE DL LLD FSA
Directors and Trustees
The Rt Hon Sir Colin Birss
The Hon Dame Sara Cockerill DBE
The Rt Hon Sir Julian Flaux PC
The Rt Hon Sir Christopher Floyd
The Rt Hon Dame Elizabeth Gloster DBE
The Hon Dame Nerys Jefford DBE
The Hon Sir Richard Meade
Tom Christopherson MA
Stephen Fash MA
Bruce Harris FCIArb
Simon Readhead KC
Secretary
Stephen Fash MA
Honorary Treasurer
Michael Cooper MA FCA
Biographical notes:
Geoffrey Bond is a retired lawyer who has a longstanding and wide ranging interest in the arts and heritage. He was one of the original experts on the Antiques Roadshow and has lectured and written extensively on heritage. Amongst his many offices he has been Chair of MLA (Museums, Libraries & Archives) London and of GEM (Group for Education in Museums), Sheriff of the City of London 2003/4, Chairman of the Treasures of the Livery Companies Exhibition 2012, Founder of the Lord Mayor of London’s Cultural Scholarship Scheme for young people and Deputy Chairman of the Galleries of Justice (incorporating the Museum of Law and the National Centre for Citizenship and the Law).
Sir Christopher Floyd and Dame Elizabeth Gloster were founding judicial members of the RBAET. They were appointed to the Court of Appeal in May 2013. Dame Elizabeth has since retired from the Court of Appeal but continues to serve as a Trustee. Sir Richard Meade, Dame Sara Cockerill and Dame Nerys Jefford represent each of the jurisdictions that sit at the Rolls Building – the Chancery Division, the Admiralty and Commercial Court and the Technology & Construction Court (TCC). Sir Colin Birss developed the Intellectual Property case study for the RBAET educational programme and conducts Q&A sessions for students attending the programme. A TCC case study has been developed with input from Dame Nerys. Sir Colin was appointed to the Court of Appeal in January 2021. Sir Julian Flaux was appointed as a Director and Trustee in February 2016; he was Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court from July 2014 to December 2015 and was appointed to the Court of Appeal in December 2016. Sir Julian was appointed Chancellor of the High Court in February 2021
Bruce Harris has been a commercial and maritime arbitrator for over 30 years, and has been Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators as well as President of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association. Bruce has developed a case study for the RBAET educational programme based on a shipping arbitration. He attends the reenactments as a “witness” and conducts Q&A sessions with the student participants.
Simon Readhead Q.C. is a trustee of the Permanent Exhibition of Judicial and Legal Costume in the Royal Courts of Justice and is involved with a number of legal education programmes which encourage and support academically able students from non-privileged backgrounds who are interested in a career in the law.
Tom Christopherson was appointed as a Director and Trustee in October 2017. He has had a distinguished career as a solicitor with a special interest in art law.
Stephen Fash retired from Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service in December 2011. He was Director of the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice from 2007 – 2011. In that capacity he was instrumental in establishing the RBAET and has served as its Secretary since its inception. He was appointed as a Director and Trustee in October 2014. He is a Panel Chair for the Judicial Appointments Commission and an Independent Review Panel Chair (Continuing Healthcare funding) for NHS England, London.