Tributes paid to “licensing lawyer’s licensing lawyer” Charles Holland
Tributes have been paid to Charles Holland, a leading licensing barrister who has died following a short illness.
Called to the Bar in 1994, Holland was a tenant at Trinity Chambers in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Francis Taylor Building in the south of England.
He was awarded fellowship of the Institute of Licensing (IoL) in 2024 and was a Deputy Editor of the Journal of Licensing.
The IoL Holland acted in a large number of licensing applications relating to a wide range of venues and events, including high profile matters such as the Newcastle Carling Academy, the Birmingham Carling Academy, Darlington FCs stadium, the York Barbican Centre, the Sage Gateshead international music centre and the HiFi Northfestival.
IoL Vice Chair Gary Grant, also a colleague at Francis Taylor Building, said: “Charles was the licensing lawyer’s licensing lawyer. He was the barrister that other barristers turned to when facing a particularly tricky or novel legal issue, and this was for two reasons. Firstly, because he had the supreme ability to wield his near encyclopaedic knowledge of the law of licensing, blended with a deep familiarity of so many other legal fields, to find creative and novel solutions to seemingly intractable problems.
“Secondly, and just as importantly, because he unfailingly displayed a generosity of spirit to pause his own work to help his less knowledgeable or gifted enquiring colleagues. He was kind, decent, loyal, funny and self-deprecating. In court, he played hard but always with a straight bat. The world of licensing will be the poorer without him. His innumerable friends and colleagues in the licensing firmament will miss him very much. We have lost a star. May his memory be a blessing.”
Francis Taylor Building said it was “deeply saddened” by Holland’s passing, saying he was a highly valued member of its licensing group.
Head of chambers Simon Bird KC said: “Charles will be a huge loss to the profession and Chambers will miss him terribly. He bore his final illness with great courage and all our thoughts are with Charles’ family and friends.”
Toby Hedworth KC of Trinity Chambers said: “Charles was an exceptionally talented advocate, but more than that he was a mentor and a friend to so many in Chambers.
“One of the few genuine experts on licensing law outside of London, he wore his knowledge lightly and was always willing to lend a hand to other members of Chambers who were making their way at the Bar. No one cared more about the quality of his work than Charles, but he always found time to enjoy the camaraderie of the profession.
“He will be remembered as fondly as a convivial lunch companion as he will a leader in his chosen field. He leaves a void that will be impossible to fill.”