Certainly no one in chambers has ever said anything to me about my colour. But despite all the stories you hear, I can’t remember ever turning up to court and being directed to the dock. “It was just a very hot day,” he said.As a barrister who values his black culture he says he has had no trouble fitting in with the conservative traditions of the Bar “Of course racism exists. But he says his decision to clip them had nothing to do with his aspirations at the Bar. He soon established himself as a talented down-to-earth advocate Until last year he had shoulder-length dreadlocks. Now committed to law he was called as a barrister in 1993 and after a dalliance with the commercial Bar joined the leading criminal set of 2 Bedford Row. And, while keeping his options open – he still played semi-professional football – he passed his Bar exams.

A year later he enrolled in a law course at Coventry Polytechnic. He seemed to have set himself up for a career as a professional footballer, but still had doubts about his future. Four years later he joined her in Manchester.Young John was a talented footballer and had trials with Manchester United and Manchester City before joining Stockport United where he played until he was 19. Six months after I was born he died.” His mother returned to England and left John with his grandparents. “My father was very ill and he wanted to spend his last few days in Jamaica. My mother would say that if you were competing against a white man then you just had to work twice as hard.”Hurlock was born in Jamaica 33 years ago after his parents had left Manchester to return to their home country. But my home wasn’t the place where I could say I didn’t get the job because of racism.

My mother told me from a very early age that racism existed, so I expect it to be there. Mr Hurlock can’t discuss the case, but it raises questions about how a black lawyer, who must have overcome racism himself, can defend a man accused of it.He rejects the idea that because he is black he must have encountered racism “I’ve had a smooth ride And it helps being in a very good set of chambers. “He is one of the great defence barristers and helped to show me that every case is worth taking, because, without legal representation for everyone, there can be no fair justice system.”Neil Acourt and David Norris, one of the other Lawrence suspects, were convicted of racial harassment at Woolwich Crown Court after being accused of throwing a cup of cola at an off-duty black policeman and calling him a “nigger”. There have even been reports that former Yugoslav president, Slobodan Milosevic, has contacted the chambers to represent him at the War Crimes Tribunal.”Bill has had a huge influence on my career,” says Hurlock. He also defended Michael Stone for the murder of Lin Russell and her daughter Stone lost an appeal and was jailed for life. The head of chambers, William Clegg QC, represented Anthony Sawonuik, the first person in Britain to be convicted of Nazi war crimes. The question should be: are you good enough to do the job?”Hurlock’s chambers, 2 Bedford Row, has a record of defending uncomfortable cases.